Culture and Identity: From Old Concepts to New Realities

Concepts and patterns of societal culture are becoming increasingly complex in the context of modern nation-states, which have seen evolving multiculturalism as a result of immigration. Theories of national culture and identity are set out in the first section, followed by analyses of three major industrialized states: Germany, the United States, and the United Kingdom. These states, which together account for well over a third of the world's GDP, provide contrasting pictures of assimilation and cultural pluralism. A final section proposes a rethinking of the national culture paradigm, towards a more dynamic multicultural perspective, with long-term implications for international business strategy.