Globalisation/Culture Flashcards
(22 cards)
What is Globalisation?
Societies becoming increasingly interconnected.
What types of culture are there ?
Popular/mass culture
Global culture/Folk culture
High culture
What is popular culture?
Products of the mass media in capitalistic societies. All enjoyed by the mass of the population.
Tv/film/popular music/magazines.
According to (Storey) what are the characteristics of mass culture?
Highly commercialised media - Media is designed to be sold to large audiences. (Advertisements viewed by mass).
Easy entertainment - Simple and accessible. Audiences have easy access to it and requires little critical thinking.
Fast turnover - Of mass produced products that are inexpensive.
What are strengths of mass culture?
Strinati (2004)
Mass culture has lots to offer (against Macdonald)
The audience is active and they are able to make judgements about the media they consume.
(Those critical of mass culture just favour high culture and see others as a threat).
Mass culture is diverse - it has different tastes/styles/opinions
Mass culture is Fluid - Can change with the evolving society.
What are Criticisms of mass culture?
Macdonald (1957)
Mass culture lacks meaning - Repetitive - Samey.
It does not challenge people or provoke a strong. (Lack of critical thinking)
More local cultures become ignored or one culture will become dominant over another. (Western ideals over others).
Totalitarianism
What is Totalitarianism ?
Mass culture leads to the media supporting/controlling views without being questioned.
What is High culture?
Elite in society
Intellectual achievements.
Art - Music - Poetry - Theatre
What else is high culture known as ?
Middle-class culture
What do Marxists say about high culture?
It is an important part of cultural capital.
The ruling-class use this to separate themselves from the W/C.
This ‘elite group’ views are expressed in the media.
What is Folk Culture?
Traditions of one culture.
Folk - Singing/dancing/clothing
Can be shared through Global culture.
What is Global culture ?
How various cultures have been made similar through Globalisation.
Globalisation means we are all connected despite time/location differences.
Social media/Internet means we can now all experience other cultures/ideas more easily and cheaper.
What does Lechner say about the media and Global culture?
- Globalisation is the process of connecting people over distance/time.
- Globalisation is the process that allows capitalism to thrive spreading cultural dominance and profit all over the world.
What do Pluralists say about Globalisation and the media?
Globalised mass culture is good as it gives people access to media and choice of what cultures to engage in.
This choice allows audiences to engage with a wider range of cultural diversity.
What do Marxists say about Globalisation and the media?
Fenton (1999)
Global culture just means western culture.
Cultural imperialism - Globalisation spreads through the ruling class ideology around the world.
Making western culture seem superior and controlling the W/C in a global context.
What is cultural homogenization ?
The process through which different cultures become similar to each other
What is a criticism of homogenization?
Gradually destroying or diminishing local cultures in favour of more dominant ones, harming a nation or a region’s cultural diversity.
Synoptic link to education - Students having to adapt to
What did Flew say about Homogenization?
New media has created a global culture.
Technology can reach a global audience instantly.
Media is homogenized as cultural differences/products are now shared globally.
What did Ritzer say about Homogenization?
Against Flew
Media being homogenized is bad as it allows countries/organisations to impose their cultural practices around the world.
This negative
Homogenisation make profit and undermines local cultures/views.
What do postmodernists say about globalisation and the media?
Baudrillard - Hyper reality - Media saturated society. - Line between reality/media blurred.
See the audience ass passive accepting the media without questioning it.
Individual choice - More aware of other cultures and can choose which ones to interact with.
What did Spencer say about globalisation of the media?
Protests have now been globalised.
New media brings awareness
Saudi women arguing for rights via Facebook.
Arab spring
What did Thompson say about Globalisation of the media?
Local cultures are able to modify global media products.
Hybridity
(Creation of Bollywood)
