Globalisation

• Globalisation

  • Globalisation is the process of the world becoming more interconnected and developing greater similarity.
• Global village

  • The idea that through global communications we all have neighbours around the world.
  • There are no longer always the gatekeepers of a media production to hear about what is happening on the other side of the world.
  • Through new media we can hear news instantly and directly from the source.
  • Flew believe that the internet in particular has influenced this development.
  • The internet has developed the extent to which we understand a shared global culture.
• Crothers


  Observes a combination of economic, political and cultural factors promote globalisation in 3 ways.

  1. New and increased relationships have been created beyond national borders.
  2. People are linked in new ways as the production of good and their consumption take place 24hrs a day.
  3. Global events and issues have become local events and issues because of the speed of communication and the expectation of instant contact.
• Bell

  • Believes the power speed and geographical reach of twitter has been prominent.
  • Argues that twitter provides the eyewitness reports and pictures ahead of the broadcast media.
  • People are shaping and reshaping their identities through online profiles.
• Advances in communications, digitalisation and cyber technology particular developments of 4G and 5G have transformed the worlds concept of time and space.
• High culture

  • Refers to what the elite of a particulate society regard as the highest intellectual achievements in areas such as music, literature and poetry.
  • High culture products include modern art painting, classical music and ballet.
  • These are regarded as aesthetically superior to other cultural products.
  • It is important as it is what societies globally judge one another on.
  • Television such as BBC2 and Sky Arts regularly feature high culture.
• Popular culture (low culture)

  • Refers to the products of the mass media in modern capitalist societies such as TV programmes, films and magazines.
  • They are enjoyed by the mass of the population.
  • This type of culture is manufactured for mass consumption and has little aesthetic compared with high culture.
  • It has resulted in the dumbing down of intelligence, creativity and critical thinking.
• Homogenisation of culture (pop culture)

  • Refers to the reduction in cultural diversity that occurs when people in societies around the world abandon their folk cultures in favour of mass produced popular culture.
• The effects of globalisation on popular culture - Postmodernists

  • The rapid expansion of technology has led to postmodern societies becoming media saturated.
  • The popular culture which the media has generated has becoming influential in shaping personal identities and lifestyles.
  • The media has also changed and shaped consumption patterns by making consumers more aware of the diversity of choices that exist in the post modern world.
  • The distinction between high culture and popular culture has become blurred.
  • A media saturated society produces a media literate audience.
• Cohen and Kennedy - postmodern - popular culture

  • Argue that local people don't generally abandon their cultural traditions, family duties, religious belief and national identities.
  • Rather, they use elements of global culture and mix and match them with elements of local culture.
  • Audiences can take elements of global culture and adapt it to their own culture.
  • This creates a pick and mix society.
  • The media has become influential in shaping our identities.
• Critique of postmodern perspective

  • Exaggeration of the degree of social changes that they associate with global media and popular culture.
  • Media influence is not a determining factor in most peoples lifestyle choices.
  • Tends to ignore the substantial amount of people who are unable to make consumption choice because of inequality ie. poverty.
• Cultural imperialism

  • Globalisation of the media has led to cultural imperialism.
  • This is the western world dominating the rest of the world though the media and the marketing of its own popular cultural products.
  • Popular culture is an ideological product aimed at distracting poorer groups from the exploitation and inequality which is a feature in their everyday lives.
  • Marxists claim that it encourages conformity and lack of critical thinking.
• Marcuse - cultural imperialism 


  Media companies encourage us to subscribe to the 3 ways of thinking and behaving

  1. Commodity fetishism - products of popular culture have special powers that enhance the life of the user ie. people see smartphone as extensions of themselves and feel lost without them
  2. False needs – generated by the media through marketing that consumers have to have particular products
  3. Conspicuous consumption – branded products are presented with more status than others. The media encourages people to be seen with the ‘right’ cultural products such as designer labels
• Globalisation and Americanisation - McChesney

  • Argues that the domination of American cultural imperialism is a direct result of the increasing concentration of the worlds media companies in the hands of the few American media corporations.
  • Global conglomerates are companies that combine various business interests and operate on an international level. These include Disney and Warner Brothers. 
  • They are aggressively marketed and distributed which allows these companies to dominate media production in the world. 
• Americanisation having effects across the world

  1. Globalisation of the American culture may result in the destruction of diverse local cultures. Advertising of McDonalds or Coca cola may become powerful symbols to people in the developing world that feel they need to adopt.

  2.‘Coca-colonisation’ describes how American cultural products like Coca Cola were alerting the consciousness of people in less developed countries to convince people of their American culture wants and needs.

  3. Transnational corporations dominate world trade in popular culture which denies choice to consumers
• Evaluation of cultural imperialism

  • Cowen rejects the notion of cultural imperialism.
  • He observes that Hollywood music and American music have done well in Europe but not so well in Asian countries.
  • He notes that local culture is a very powerful influence in Islamic societies.
  • Points out that smaller countries have been less welcoming to American cultural imports. 
  • Held argues that the cultural imperialism argument makes the mistake of suggesting that the flow of culture is only one-way ie. Western culture to the rest of the world. 
  • This focus fails to acknowledge ‘reverse cultural flows’.