This essay explores mainstream communication research related to globalization and the use of discursive resources. We provide a state-of-the-discipline review of contemporary empirical studies that tie globalization and linguistic communication to their social significance and to the contextually rooted practices of individuals. We organize the literature into four areas according to their treatment of the global circulation of signs: relationship between the local and global, human agency, identity formation, and media of circulation. Based on this review, we highlight the limitations of the circulation metaphor, describe the translocal movements of discursive resources as a potentially cyclical process, and show how the use of discursive resources can take on a political dimension. We conclude with four suggestions for future research.
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