2. globalisation & culture (m) Flashcards
what is the global village?
-speed of tech change is now so great that the world is rapidly becoming what Mcluhan (1962) referred to as a global village- electronic media collapse space & time barriers
-ppl can interact with each other simultaneously from around the world, ‘shrinks’ the world
-more ppl now exposed to same info and messages through media, which cut across all national frontiers
what did cochrane and pain (2000) say?
-“drugs, sex, crime etc how travel all over the globe. crossing national boundaries and connecting the world in an unpredictable way”.
-a02= madeline mcann’s case, covid
how is globalisation one of the most significant changes that has taken place over the last 30 years?
-events in one part of the world increasingly affect other parts (cuban missile crisis, covid)
-activities in one nation have a growing impact on other nations (euros, concerts)
-global interactions become more and more frequent (goods, fashion, beliefs, etc)
how has twitter impacted globalisation?
-form of ‘global media’
-it can report and disseminate info quickly and to a wide geographical area
-eye witnesses contribute to global events with videos and pictures
-journalists now use twitter to inform them of what’s going on
what role does the media play?
-technology=mass communication & digitalisation has transformed time and space. info in many forms can be transmitted instantly 24 hours per day
-transnational corporations= globalisation of media outlets & products has been assisted by the economic growth of media TNCs and cyberoperations such as apple & microsoft.
what is folk culture?
-refers to every day practices of ordinary local ppl, often rooted in long standing traditions dating back to pre-industrial area.
-e.g morris dancing in england, amish culture
-usually rooted in one specific place & unique to that place, about lived experience & usually locally based
what is high culture?
-sophisticated, set apart from every day, aimed at upper classes, viewed as having good taste
-e.g. fine art, ballet dance
-cultural persists of the elites, often expensive
what is popular culture?
-habits, tastes, hobbies & interests of masses
-called mass culture and low culture, highly commercialised, designed to be sold on global mass market
-e.g. pop music, tv programs
what are some positive evaluations of popular culture?
-livinstone (1988) found that writers and producers of tv soap operas saw them as educating the public about important social issues
-livingstone argues if it wasn’t for the publicity of these soap stories, these issues may never have been discussed so publicly
what are some negative evaluations of popular culture?
-often attacked for diverting ppl away from more useful activities, for driving down cultural standards & for having harmful effects on mass audiences
-marxists argue that mass culture is simply mass-produced manufactured products imposed on the masses by global media businesses for financial profit
how has globalisation affected cultures?
-due to tech and globalisation, a large section of the worlds population engaged with much of the same popular culture
-this has led to cultural homogenisation- ppls consumption habits in the field of popular culture, wherever they are in the world, have become very similar
-strinati (1995) argues elements of high culture have now become part of popular culture, and parts of popular culture have been incorporated into high culture
what is a global popular culture?
-flew (2002) suggests that the evolution of new media technologies, such as satellite tv and the internet, has played an important role in the development of a global popular culture
-kellner (1995) argues the media has the power to globally produce images of lifestyles that increasingly become part of everyday life and through which ppl form their identities
-this global culture is primarily american in origin
what are some positives of american popular culture?
-showing images from a democratic country
-technologically advanced
-quite educated
-ethnically diverse media
what are some negatives of american popular culture?
-imposes western culture on non-western cultures
-undermines other cultures
-promoting unhealthy diet
-relative deprivation
-marxists-capitalist
-feminist-patriarchy
what is the pluralist view- globalisation & culture?
-argue there is no such thing as mass culture. the media, and the global reach of media, gives consumers across the world a wide diversity of cultural choices
-compaine (2005) argues global competition is expanding sources of info and entertainment, rather than restricting them or dumbing them down
-inc choice promoted different cultural styles around the world in which a range of local and westernised global cultural influences are combined into new hybrid cultures
what is the critical view?
-the globalisation of popular culture is of great advantage to the media owners who gain colloidal profits from exporting and advertising their products across the globe
-thussu (2007) argues the globalisation of tv and audiences & advertising has led to tv news across the world becoming tabloidised or more like entertainment- ‘global infotainment’
-he argues infotainment diverts ppls attention away from more serious issues like wars & the destruction of native cultures.
-therefore, this supports the marxist view that global mass culture lulls consumers into an uncritical, undemanding passivity, making them less likely to challenge the dominant ideas
what is the post-modernist position?
-media has played a big role in how societies have changed from modern societies based on industrial manufacturing to post-modern societies based on consumption & the dissemination of information & culture
-post modern societies are media saturated. the media is more influential in shaping identities than class, gender, family, etc
what is media saturation?
-ppl today are disillusioned with grand political, philosophical and scientific theories or meta-narratives about the way society should work
-media saturated societies produces more media literate audiences
-bc of the vol of media output, audience is aware there’s no single absolute truth
-knowledge underpinned by diversity, plurality & difference
-a02= with media being so media saturated we get inc. more concerned with media products
what is local culture?
-globalisation allowed for individuals to become part of global culture
-local culture can adapt these products to ensure they make sense in local community
-creates hybridised media
-local cultures aren’t swallowed up by global culture, instead use media in their own way
-cohen & kennedy- ppl don’t generally abandon their own local culture just bc of mass culture. they appropriate elements of global culture and mix & match them with elements of local culture
what is popular protest?
-murthy (2013) social media sites help inc political awareness like issues of human rights, repression. can help coordinate mass politician response to these issues.
-spencer- thomas (2008) mass anti-gov demonstrations in burma in 1988 failed to receive much media attention bc the military regime banned overseas journalists from the country
what is participatory culture?
-jenkins (2008)- global culture has become more democratic as users and audiences are enabled to “produce culture themselves & not just listen or watch w/o actively making it”
-argues this culture creates new forms of community bc those involved feel connected to one another
-shirky (2011)- sites like facebook have resulted in the “wiring of humanity” and free time
what is mass media & identity?
-media has changed & shaped consumption patterns, diversity of choice which consumers are now aware of
-strinati (1995)- in post modern world, distinction between high & popular culture has become blurred. inc consumer choice.
-new media allows more choice in terms of personal identity and lifestyles
what are some evaluation points for the postmodernist approach?
-exaggerated role popular culture plays in our identity- many ppl still see family, class, ethnicity, etc as more influential in their lives and identities
-ignores the inequality of the new media divide- not all ppl globally have access to tech which allows them to benefit from globalisation
-there’s some negative & exploitative consequences of globalisation ignored by post-modernists
