Media and culture in a globalized world: Difference between revisions

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The old version of the text which includes all discussion (with peer review) is available at [[Does the globalization of media lead to homogenization?]]
==Introduction==
==Introduction==
Whenever a conversation comes to the subject "globalization", there'll always be a discussion concerning the development of the media. "Does globalization destroy national identities?" "Does the globalization of media in particular suppress individual cultures?" The media certainly have a huge influence on our thinking and acting. Often we only know about specific issues because of the media. But what exactly means the term "globalization of media"? Referring to Jeremy Tunstall, it doesn't mean that individual concerns control the world but the networking and connectivity through the media-communication.  
Whenever a conversation comes to the subject "globalization", there'll always be a discussion concerning the development of the media. "Does globalization destroy national identities?" "Does the globalization of media in particular suppress individual cultures?" The media certainly have a huge influence on our thinking and acting. Often we only know about specific issues because of the media. But what exactly means the term "globalization of media"? Referring to Jeremy Tunstall, it doesn't mean that individual concerns control the world but the networking and connectivity through the media-communication.  
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The fact McLuhan didn't consider is that not everybody is able to benefit from the modern media. There's a dissimilar allocation concerning the access to the Internet or the television.  
The fact McLuhan didn't consider is that not everybody is able to benefit from the modern media. There's a dissimilar allocation concerning the access to the Internet or the television.  


==Americanization, Homogenization or a new diversity==
==Americanization, Homogenization or a New Diversity==
As mentioned before, media and culture are strongly connected to each other. But the question is: Does the globalization of media lead to homogenization or to diversity? Or is the idea of Americanization more appropriate?  
As mentioned before, media and culture are strongly connected to each other. But the question is: Does the globalization of media lead to homogenization or to diversity? Or is the idea of Americanization more appropriate?  


'''Americanization''' means "a global media-culture under Anglo-American leadership" (Jarren, Maier 2000). Considering the film industry, most of the big concerns have their place in the United States. Most movies in the cinema all over the world are produced in Hollywood. Of course America has an influence on the world's population through movies. But not only movies, there's also American advertisement everywhere. But why are the American filmmaker such Global Player in this industry? Incidents in the last centuries (e.g. national markets should become international, the strengthening of the infrastructure in the Third World was disturbed and the influence of the World Bank and the IMF became stronger) lead to a dominant position of big media-concerns. It didn't change much over the last centuries. It's a fact that America has great influence on the world's thinking and acting through movies, advertisement and also news via CNN.  
'''Americanization''' means "a global media-culture under Anglo-American leadership" (Jarren, Maier 2000). Considering the film industry, most of the big concerns have their place in the United States. Most movies in the cinema all over the world are produced in Hollywood. Of course America has an influence on the world's population through movies. But not only movies, there's also American advertisement everywhere. But why are the American filmmaker such Global Player in this industry? Incidents in the last centuries (e.g. national markets should become international, the strengthening of the infrastructure in the Third World was disturbed and the influence of the World Bank and the IMF became stronger) lead to a dominant position of big media-concerns. It didn't change much over the last centuries. It's a fact that America has great influence on the world's thinking and acting through movies, advertisement and also news via CNN.  


Critical voices of globalization advise against the formation of a global culture with the standardization of products which influences the experiences and lifestyle of generations. According to Hans-P. Müller, the process of globalization leads to a loss of cultural identity. There's a big warning about the destroying of individualism coming along the globalization and standardization of media. The world coalesces to one "big whole" with no space for individualism. This is called '''homogenization'''. As media and culture are connected, there’s the danger of melting together in a negative way. Every culture will fade away; every individual wish must subside for a world-standard aim. Every variety, every selection will be destroyed and the media will homogenate all cultures.
Critical voices of globalization advise against the formation of a global culture with the standardization of products which influences the experiences and lifestyle of generations. According to Hans-P. Müller, the process of globalization leads to a loss of cultural identity. There's a big warning about the destroying of individualism coming along the globalization and standardization of media. The world coalesces to one "big whole" with no space for individualism. This is called '''Homogenization'''. As media and culture are connected, there’s the danger of melting together in a negative way. Every culture will fade away; every individual wish must subside for a world-standard aim. Every variety, every selection will be destroyed and the media will homogenate all cultures.
   
   
The opposition characterizes globalization as a "complex connectivity" (Hepp 2006). "Globalization doesn't impose a cultural standardization, [...], there'll be no global culture" (Ulrich Beck in Jarren, Meier 2000). It's a new diversity raised out of the closeness between the nations. It's a process of learning from each other, a benefit for everyone. Although there's a '''new variety''' concerning food, music and movies, the individual cultures persist. It's closeness in contrast to a "melting together".
The opposition characterizes globalization as a "complex connectivity" (Hepp 2006). "Globalization doesn't impose a cultural standardization, [...], there'll be no global culture" (Ulrich Beck in Jarren, Meier 2000). It's a new diversity raised out of the closeness between the nations. It's a process of learning from each other, a benefit for everyone. Although there's a '''New Variety''' concerning food, music and movies, the individual cultures persist. It's closeness in contrast to a "melting together".
 
==Effects==
The profound changes of our media have a global effect as well as a local one. They affect the international economic and political conditions just like our everyday performances, the way how we get on ourselves, but also how we are aware of the other ones, how we meet them and love them. Media stamp our perception; they are means for the generation and storage of information. Culture is a process of the invention and development of media: from the first cave drawings about the letterpress up to the net of electronic media. Medial and cultural radical changes almost always take place at the same time; however, it would be a mistake to want to reduce the cultural on the medial. Every language is different: the pictorial language just as the spoken, written and musical language. But also the uses of media differ. Whether the celebration, the book, the parliament, the photography or the television: not only every culture but already every socio-cultural class uses media differently.
 
But if the use of and the access to media are so different in every country and culture, could the globalization of media have such a big and homogeneous impact on all the various continents and societies? Do we have to categorize the consequences of globalized media in Americanization, Homogenization or Diversity?


==Conclusion==
==Conclusion==
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==References==
==References==
Books:  
'''Books:'''


Humphreys, Peter: Nationale Medienpolitik und Internationalisierung des Mediensystems. Aus: Roß, Dieter; Wilke, Jürgen: Umbruch in der Medienlandschaft. München 1991, 1.Auflage  
Humphreys, Peter: Nationale Medienpolitik und Internationalisierung des Mediensystems. Aus: Roß, Dieter; Wilke, Jürgen: Umbruch in der Medienlandschaft. München 1991, 1.Auflage  
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McLuhan, Marshall: Understanding Media: The extensions of Man. o.O. 1964  
McLuhan, Marshall: Understanding Media: The extensions of Man. o.O. 1964  


Essays:  
'''Essays:'''


Donges, Patrick; Jarren, Otfried: Globalisierung der Medien? Medienpolitik in der Informationsgesellschaft  
Donges, Patrick; Jarren, Otfried: Globalisierung der Medien? Medienpolitik in der Informationsgesellschaft  
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Symes, Benjamin: Marshall McLuhan's 'Global Village'. o.O. 1995
Symes, Benjamin: Marshall McLuhan's 'Global Village'. o.O. 1995
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[[Category:Media]]

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