International History: A Cultural Approach offers an innovative history of modern international relations that stresses cultural themes. In place of the usual focus on great-power rivalries, diplomatic negotiations, military conflict, and other phenomena in which sovereign nations are the key players, this book focuses on intercultural relations as individuals, races, religions, and non-state actors interact across national boundaries, to provide a fresh perspective on modern international history. Among the themes covered are:- Nationalism and cosmopolitanism - Migration - Cross-cultural encounters - Consumerism and youth cultures - Environmental transformations - Economic and technological globalization Akira Iriye and Petra Goedde's approach offers a deeper understanding of international history, focusing on people and their cultures rather than just state level interactions.

AcknowledgementsList of AcronymsList of IllustrationsIntroductionPart I The Rise of the Modern 1. Dialectics of Nationalism and Internationalism 2. Cross-Cultural Encounter 3. Imagined Communities 4. Modern Consciousness Part II Movement and Empire5. Movements 6. Imperial cultures 7. Racial Formations 8. Cultural Internationalism Part III Global Cultures9. Visions of Modernity 10. Modernity in Crisis 11. Cold War Cultures 12. Challenging the Cold War Consensus Part IV Transnational Connections13. Cultural Globalization, 1970-1990 14. The Growth of Non-State Actors 15. The Post-Cold War World 16. The World Today Conclusion Further Readings Notes Index