Globalisation & Media Culture - Cultural Imperialist Perspective

Question 1

Marcuse (1964)
(Marxist influence)

Answer 1

Media audiences are encouraged by media companies to subscribe to 3 ways of thinking:

1) Commodity Fetishism - the idea that products of popular culture have magical powers that will magically enhance the life of the user EG Turkle (2011) = People feel that their mobile phones are an extension of themselves and feel lost and disconnected without them.

2) False Needs - Marketing, branding & advertising in the media creates the idea that in order to conform to an accepted modern lifestyle, consumer NEED to have a particular product. These products are not essential but the audience are persuaded into thinking that they are. These products are designerd to be obselete to keep money coming in and following the capitalist model of consumption - Adorno claims that these products bind consumers to producers

3) Conspicuous consumption - particular products of the media and popular culture are presented as having more status than others. Therefore, some brands provide consumers with more status than others so people are encouraged to conspicuously consume and be seen with the ‘right’ cultural products in order to gain status and praise.

Question 2

Influence of Marxists

Answer 2

• Popular culture = an ideological product aimed at distracting poorer groups from the exploitation and inequality in their everyday lives
• Popular culture keeps poorer groups in a false consciousness.
• The media encourages conformity and a lack of critical thinking (think candyfloss culture - Marcuse) especially in regards to the organisation of capitalism - maintains the system and hegemony
• The media = agents of cultural imperialism shaped by capitalist ideology

Question 3

Adorno
(Marxist Influence)

Answer 3

Role of media = indoctrinate global consumers into capitalist ideology and promote a homogenised culture that promotes the capitalist values of materialism & consumerism

Therefore, the media produces a false consciousness that inhibits any criticism of the global capitalist system

Question 4

Flew (2007)

Answer 4

Globalisation = a misnomer for Americanisation

The USA is imposing its media products and therefore its popular culture on less powerful nations

Question 5

McChesney

Answer 5

The domination of American culture is a direct result of the increasing concentration of media ownership into the hands of a few American transnational conglomerates

Companies like Disney, Apple, Microsoft and Google have achieved near monopolistic control across all media platforms

They only present the culture and hegemony they know - American popular culture
This results ion a globalised homogeneous culture.

Question 6

The impact of Globalisation as Americanisation

Answer 6

• Will result in the marginalisation or destruction of rich and diverse local cultures and identity
• Mass advertising of Western cultural icons may result in their logos becoming symbols to those in the developing world that they need to adopt American consumer lifestyles in order to modernise (especially children - grow up to be next gen)
• Globalisation aims to replace the authenticity, vitality & diversity of local cultures - with the homogenised, dumbed-down & standardised sterility of American popular culture
• Barber = Islamic Jihad response = more terrorism and risk
• Hannerz = Cocacolonisation - American cultural products penetrating local cultures and convincing them that their wants and needs are American popular culture.
• Fuchs = Owners of transnational companies deny true choice by owning popular culture and threaten democracy by having a large influence on Government (link to Manipulative marxists - Tunstall and Palmer - Regulatioin - John Major failed re-election)
• Turkle = civic disengagement - no longer feel part of their community - proto-communities are replacing real ones - result in anomie (increase in crime?)
• Kellner = Globalisation in media is about sameness - erases individuality and difference = homogenised culture
• Keen = Me-culture - not a tool for social change

Question 7

Barber (2003)
Impact of Globalisation as Americanisation

Answer 7

An extreme response to American cultural imperialism is the rise of Islamic fundamentalism and the provoking of the Jihad.

They see American culture as a threat that undermines their people’s commitment to God

May be a rationale for terrorist attacks with US targets

A world of increased Risk

Question 8

Hannerz (1992)
Impact of Globalisation as Americanisation

Answer 8

Cocacolonoisation

American cultural products are penetrating the cultures and consciousness of people in less developed countries

In order to convince them that their wants and needs should be defined by American popular culture.

Question 9

Fuchs
Impact of Globalisation as Americanisation

Answer 9

Owners of transnational corporations not only dominate the world trade in popular culture - which denies true choice to consumers

But are also able to influence governments

Threatens democracy and freedom of expression

Link to manipulative / instrumentalist Marxists - Tunstall and Palmer - Regulation - John Major’s failed re-election

Question 10

Fuchs
Against Jenkins Participatory culture

Answer 10

the internet is dominated by corporations that accumulate capital by exploiting its users so can never be participatory

Question 11

Turkle
Impact of Globalisation as Americanisation

Answer 11

Globalisation will result in civic disengaement

People in the West are no longer willing to get involved in the community - would rather stay home and surf the web or play video games etc

Proto-communities of internet chat rooms, blogging, online fantasy gaming and virual realities of soap operas are replacing real communities of friends, neighbours, family and extended kin.

Results in anomie

Question 12

Keen (2008)
Impact of Globalisation as Americanisation

Answer 12

Global media is too wrapped up in ‘me-culture’ to be effective tools for social change

EG Facebook and Twitter - people use for their own benefits - EG venting about a poor experience somewhere

Question 13

Kellner (1999)
Impact of Globalisation as Americanisation

Answer 13

Globalised media is all about sameness.

It erases individuality and difference

leading to a homogenised, soulless global culture of followers being told what to buy next

Question 14

Crothers
Impact of Globalisation as Americanisation

Answer 14

Everyone will consume the same products so will think the same

Leading to the prevail of the global capitalist culture of consumerism and exploitation

Question 15

EVAL = Underestimates local cultures

Answer 15

Underestimates the strength and richness of local cultures

young people in developing countries may enjoy aspects of American culture

Dies not mean they are going to abandon their customs, family & religious obligations of national identities

EG wont abandon their culture just because they listen to Adele

Question 16

EVAL = Held et al

Answer 16

Makes the mistake of suggesting that the flow of culture is only one way - (from the West to the rest of the developing world)

Fails to acknowledge how western culture / cultural products are enriched by inputs from the developing world - EG Black Panther

Reverse cultural flow

these flows are likely to cause hybridisation
People in both the West and developing world select what pleases them from the global culture and adapt it to their local culture or mix it with local culture to produce completely new forms of media

EG Robert Plant = Western musician who worked with African & Arab musicians to fuse genres of music into new forms.

Question 17

EVAL = Cowen

Answer 17

Some countries remain resistant to cultural Exports

EG Hollywood movies and American music do well in Europe but not so well in Asian countries

Local culture is a very powerful inflyence in Islamic societies - Because religion pften underpins all aspects of those societies
Consequently the population of these societies are likely to remain faithful to their own local products
EG many use AI-Jazeera as their news source over CNN or BBC

People use local cultures to connect to others like themselves, to construct their identity and to signal their place in local hierarchies

EG and Indian Muslim may listen to religious Quawwali music to set themselves apart from local Hindus.