ABSTRACT
This chapter provides entry into understanding the circles of social life by working across four interrelated levels: ideas, ideologies, imaginaries and ontologies. Each of these four layers of lived meaning is constituted in practice at an ever-greater generality, durability and depth. In the chapter these four layers of social meaning are discussed and linked to dominant frames for understanding our contemporary world: globalism and modernism. All have consequences for how we think and act in relation to urban development and issues of sustainability. Globalization affects most of everyday life, from the way in which we borrow money and source basic commodities to the way we use digital modalities to keep in touch with friends and family via social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and MySpace.
