ABSTRACT
The global interplay of culture (Pieterse 1994: 117-118) and the opportunities for impression management it affords (Wherry 2006, 2008) have increased in number and intensity as a result of globalization. In 2003, the world export of furniture crafted by artisans totaled 16.6 billion, ceramics 1.4 billion, candles and tapers 1.4 billion, and artifi cial fl owers 1.3 billion in current US dollars (World Trade Organization and UNCTAD 2004). Moreover, in 1998 international tourism accounted for 29.3 billion current US dollars in Southeast Asia alone (World Tourism Organization 2003). In the global market for cultural commodities and tourism, cultural objects, the artisans crafting them, and the consumers curious about “exotic” and “authentic” items have become the supporters, dramaturgical props, actors, and audiences engaged in presenting a particular face to the world and in applauding the presentation. How do individual artisans, private export organizations, and government export agencies manage the image presented to the importing world and what are the constraints on its management?
