Media - Topic 6 Flashcards
What is globalisation
Increasing interconnectedness in area such as areas like economics and business
What are sociologists called that believe that a process of globalisation is occurring
Globalists
Hyper-globalists
Sees globalisation as a good thing
Pessimistic globalists
Sees globalisation as damaging
What does McLuhan say about globalisation
We live in a global village
People from around the world can now interact with one another on a global scale
Popular culture
Liked and enjoyed by ordinary people such as TV soaps.
It is everyday, culture-simple entertainment
High culture
Something set apart from everyday life
Something ‘special’ to be treated with respect
High culture products are often found in special places like museums etc
The blurring of high and popular culture (postmodernists)
Distinction is weakening
Cultural products are readily available to everyone due to increase in international transportation and advertisement etc
Means that people don’t have to visit specialised places to listen or view things e.g. original music
The blurring of high and popular culture (Giddings)
Forms of high culture are now used to produce products for the mass popular culture market
E.g. video games are considered as popular culture but now use architecture and art etc
AO3 evaluation of culture
Marxism - view mass-produced manufactured products imposed on the masses by global businesses is for profit
Form of social control which maintains ideological hegemony
A global popular culture (Flew)
Evolution of new media technologies such as satellite TV has played an important role in the development of a global popular culture
Impact of global popular culture
Globalisation has eroded national and local cultures by promoting uniform cultural and consumer products worldwide through global media
Leads to cultural homogenisation where diverse cultures become increasingly similar
Sklair and global popular culture
Media spreads news and information to a global market
Media blurs the differences between information and promotions of products
Encourages acceptance of the dominant ideology of western capitalist societies
Culture and media imperialism (Fenton)
‘global’ rarely means ‘universal’
Dominance of western culture
Most media conglomerates are now based in the US etc
Pluralists view of the media and the globalisation of popular culture
Global competition is expanding sources of information rather than restricting
Tomlinson - globalisation doesn’t involve direct cultural imposition from the western world
People pick ‘n’ mix on different cultures
Increased choice = increase in different cultures around the world
AO3 evaluation of pluralist view
Thussu: Increase in globalisation has led to it becoming more tabloidised. Diverts away from more serious stories
Postmodernist views
Globalisation offers more choice in terms of audiences consumption and lifestyles
This increases global awareness and access to diversity of cultures
Gives people more opportunities within society
Hyperreality
Baudrillard: media-saturated society which media dominates and distorts the way we see the world
Example of hyperreality
TV news presents a sanitized version of war, with wars as media-constructed spectacles to gaze at
Postmodernists and hyperreality
Media no longer reflects reality but actively creates it
Garrod - shows like I’m a celeb and big brother blur line between image and reality
Strinati and hyperreality
Media influences consumer choice, through popular culture shown on TV
This dominates the way we define ourselves
AO3 evaluation of hyperreality
Ignores that in poorer countries there is no access to the media and so cannot build their identities around this
