Media Globalisation and Popular Culture Flashcards
How has media impacted culture positivity
Media conglomerates create and spread popular culture across the globe - entertaining to the majority & easy to understand
People can merge popular culture with their own to create hybridity & choice
Also promote high culture by making it more accessible to all (Strinati).
How has media impacted culture negatively
Reduces cultural diversity by spreading one global culture that often promotes consumerism and inequality
By making high culture accessible has it undermined it and made it less prestigious?
How is the media linked to globalisation
Allows for mass communication and information – shrinks time and space barriers
What is the definition of popular culture
Easy to follow, understand and is entertaining to the majority
How does global media link to popular culture
Many people around the world have access to and consume the same global culture
What are the two perspectives we look at for media globalisation and popular culture
Cultural Imperialists
Postmodernists
Which perspective views media globalisation and popular culture as a negative
Cultural Imperialists
What is a brief summary of Cultural imperialists ideas
The global media spreads a homogenised popular culture based on western values - bad -as it is often imposed on less powerful nations, undermining local cultures & diversity.
Global popular culture is: “Superficial candy floss culture” which lacks any real merit and prevents critical thinking – creating an uncritical passive audience
Involves the promotion of values such as consumption (Barnett & Seymour)
Ideological function: Distracts poor groups from exploitation and inequality
Which perspective views media globalisation and popular media as a positive
Postmodernists
What is a breif summary of postmodernists views (media globalisation)
Global media spreads a popular culture, however this encourages hybridity not homogenisation - gives greater choice to local and global cultures - pick n mix between both
New Media has extended global popular culture to include: Information as well as entertainment (Twitter etc) and opportunities to consume cultural products to construct and display identity (eg TikTok) - people are no longer restricted to traditional ascribed sources of identity
What is media imperialism
Western media is replacing local media
What is cultural homogenisation
People’s culture and consumption habits, wherever they are in the world, have become very similar
What are the 4 key areas looked at by cultural imperialists
Promotes mass consumption, prevents critical thinking, capitalism inequality through fcc - Marcuse and Sklair
Americanisation = less diversity and low quality goods
Risk society
Civic disengagement
What does Marcuse discuss
Global media promotes mass culture and consumerism through: False needs - cant cope without it in modern lifestyle
Commodity Fetishism - change your life ‘drastically’
Conspicous consumption - trends keep us looking so we have tio keep buying to stay uptodate
How does Marcuses arguement (false needs, conspicous consumption, commodity fetishism) maintain inequality
Creates a ‘diversion from economic reality’:
False class consciousness
Maintains inquality – Bourgousie make more profit, whilst workers & auidences are exploited:
Products have a short lifespan & are based on trends – guarantees constant consumption.
What does Sklair say about Global media creating popular culture
More problomatic as adds blur the difference between entertainment, info or promtions - we can no longer tell the difference
What kind of life style does the media sell - Sklair
Idealised western lifestyle
What is one criticim to Sklairs talk about popular culture bluring the lines between entertinment, information or promotion
Regulations require celebs to distinguish this ins their content
TikTok pages now have - ‘paid commercial’ on the bottom of the video
How has globalisation created americanisation
Media ia held in the hands of the few - located in America
America impose their popular culture on less powerful nations making american culture and norms ubiquitos (everywhere)
What is Coca-colerisation
American films featre american brands to convince lesser developed countries to conume american pop culture and product associated with it
What are 3 negative impacts of americanisation
Destruction of local diverse cultures and identities
Individualit and creativity is no longer rewarded/ encourages
Suggests american culture is superior
What do Late modernists say about media globalisation and popular culture
It contributes to a risk society
Promotion of consumption harms the environment
Barber: Rise in Fundamentalism - spread of american culture leads to other cultures feelnig threatened and retaliate with voilence
What is Mcdonalisation
The idea of three main principle originated from americans fast food chains which has allowed to happen through technology and media:
Predictability
Efficiency
Calculable - mass consumption
Why is Mcdonalisation a negative
Results in higher levels of consumption and mass production of low quality goods = less individuality as we all want the same things
What is Civic disengagement
People prefer to spend time online and with online interactions rather than real life relations
creates people becoming less involved in communities
How does Thomspon: Cultural Response criticise cultural imperialists
Deterministic - audiences are not passive, different cultures exposed to same media but will respond differently
Glocalisation: american products globally but adopted to fit local areas (Mcdonalds menus)
How does National and Regional Broadcasting criticise the cultural imperialists view
Increase in local broadcasting - public still watch local tv and means not overwhelmed by western media and dont to take on popular culture (USA Latinos have own radio station)
How does the Flow of culture criticise the cultural imperialists view
Reverse cultural flows - cultures transmitted both ways, not just global transmitting to local cultures
Suggests not homogenisation but cultural hybridity
More possible by new media, citizen journalism
Generally what do Postmodernists view about Media globalisation and popular culture
It encourages diversity and hybridity of cultures
Allows for greater choice - pick n mix identities
Means we are no longer bound by traditional features of identity (CAGE)
What are the four main points from postmodernists for media globalisation and popular culture
Increase consumer choice
Cultural hybridity
Rejection of meta-narratives
Participatory culture
What is meant by Increase consumer choice as a point from the postmodernist perspective
Strinati: global media has blurred boundary between high and low culture and has made it accessible to all - free on smartphones
New media: interactivity allows people from all over the world to post & share their own culture
How has increased consumer choice had a positive effect on popular culture - PM
Increased awareness of cultural diversity and has made different types of culture more accessible - greater freedoms to pick n mix identity
What are two criticism that say that increase consumer choice does not positively benefit popular culture
Digital divide: Some groups lack access to the popular culture available on media platforms - not more choice for everyone and may feel excluded
restricted by structural inequality: Poverty may prevent the WC creating their identity through consuming cultural products or may feel pressured to purchase things they cannot afford
What is meant by Cultural Hybridity as a positive part of media globalisation - PM
It encourages awareness of diversity and encourages cultural hybridity
Local/folk cultures are not swallowed up by global media - it is modified to make sense to local community (Bollywood)
People do not abandon cultural traditions but mix elements of global culture to elements of own culture
How does Cultural hybridity create a positive impact on popular culture
Different cultures can be explored and learnt about, but not in a way that feels too unfamiliar or forced which can create cultural appreciation
Strengthen relationships between people from different cultures and reduce hate crime as it is creating culture based on awareness and acceptance
What is the main evaluation to Cultural hybridity not making a positive impact on popular culture
Cultural Appropriation could occur: means taking something from somebody without their permission, and not taking the time to learn the history behind it
What is meant by Rejection of meta-narratives as a positive impact on popular cultures
Globalisation of media contributed to a critical culture
Media saturation: High level of media output from around the globe has resulted in a diverse range of views
This challenges traditional ‘metanarratives’: Audiences have become media literate – aware there is no such thing as one truth and that knowledge is about diversity of ideas
How does the Rejection of meta-narratives make a positive impact on popular culture
Popular culture being spread allows audiences to have a range of information to view before making informed decisions. It also promotes a culture based on critical thinking which can prevent the powerful from spreading one view
How do Marxists criticism the PM view that Rejection of meta-narratives is a positive for popular culture
Globalised media has increased media concentration (many platforms owned by a few). This has given more power to the Bourgeoisie who can now spread popular culture across the globe
What is meant by Participatory culture which creates a positive impact on popular culture
Jenkins: global media has created a popular culture that represents a variety of views and makes more diversity and democracy
Platforms more participatory
Audiences can now contribute and create culture themselves by uploading content and can change cultured based on lobbying to cancel shows
People feel more connected to a community
Popular culture encourages audiences to be active and use the media to challenge oppression - increased political awareness
What is an evaluation point to show how Participatory culture has not benefitted popular culture
Governments & media owners have the power to censor global media – limiting the contribution the public can make to culture & threatening the extent to which it represents a variety of views
What are two general evaluation points against the PM view of media globalisation and popular culture
Digital Divide/Censorshoip: Prevents some groups from benefitting from globalised media and the popular culture it creates. Eg in North Korea residents cannot access popular media.
Cultural imperialists would argue: Post-modernists ignore the capitalist motivation of the global media and the exploitation that it maintains
