ABSTRACT
An irony of globalization is that, even as images and ideas become accessible more quickly across national and cultural boundaries, stereotypes of peoples and societies persist. In fact, these stereotypes may emerge stronger in this environment. The dissemination of popular culture, transmitted across the globe, may have something to do with this, since mass media outlets often offer surface portrayals of peoples and cultures. Yet deeper knowledge of other countries and societies is certainly possible, and direct connections and interactions among individuals of different cultures are on the rise through travel, educational exchange, and virtual communities.
