The global diffusion, glocal refraction and local reinvention of Taijiquan in the context of multiple reflexive modernities

In this article, we configure a view of global diffusion, glocal refraction and local reinvention that combines established notions of global diffusion, Roudometof’s (2016, 2019) concepts of glocal refraction and place-making, and Elliot’s (2013) idea of reinvention, along with elements of practice theory . We present these as simultaneous, interconnected and mutually informing, yet analytically distinct, cultural processes occurring in the contexts of multiple reflexive modernities. Empirically, we apply this framework to provide a documentary analysis of the evolving “state/condition/quality” of contemporary Taijiquan observable today. We use Taijiquan to illustrate and develop our theoretical interpretation, while also being illuminated by it. We conclude that Taijiquan is a malleable, living, evolving art that is reinvented through daily practice, carried by the practitioners’ bodies and enabled and constrained by the material localities and cultures in which it is located. Despite increasing heterogeneity and individualization, Taijiquan has retained a degree of symbolic homogeneity, facilitated by an apparent shift in Taijiquan as a set of relatively fixed practices, to Taijiquan becoming a more fluid physical cultural concept. We conclude that while additional development is needed, this original combination of processes may aid in the simultaneous exploration of cultural hybridization, homogenization and individualization in a range of (physical) cultural practices and sports beyond Taijiquan.