1. GLOBALISATION,
THE MEDIA AND
CULTURE
Globalisation: the
process by which
societies become
increasingly
interconnected

2. LEARNING OBJECTIVES
• Outline the cultural and media imperialism
theories of globalisation
• Debate over the role and effects of the
media in an international perspective

3. THE WORLD HAS SHRUNK
• We have looked at the
media mainly from a
national perspective
• We now live in a society
within a global system and
therefore affected by the
processes
– FROM THE COMFORT
OF OUR SOFAS

4. WHAT ARE YOU WEARING?
• Look at the labels on your clothes
– Which countries did they originate from?
Many of your
favourite clothes
are produced by
people who work
in sweatshops in
Asia and Central
America

5. ‘Globalisation’ is one of the most
significant changes that has taken place
over the last 30yrs.
• Events in one part of the world increasingly
affect other parts,
• Activities in one nation have a growing
impact on other nations
• Global interactions become more and more
frequent (goods, capital, people,
knowledge, culture, fashion, beliefs etc)
• Time space compression means that time is
speeding up and space appears to be
getting smaller
But what are the consequences? Does it empower local communities
to produce their own media products or does it exploit them?

6. Stock exchanges around The financial market is Growth in Transnational Increase in nation states
the world means buying global companies that can move becoming members of
and selling 24/7 production from one international
country to another organisations. (EU,
NATO)
World is increasingly The emergence of a The explosion at the Global warming,
exposed to western global consumerists nuclear power station at pollution, deforestation,
tastes, styles and culture. Sklair 2003 Chernobyl resulted in depletion of fish stocks,
fashions, music and films radioactive material oil spills, Aids and
blown westward reaching international terrorism
20 countries.
International financial Ulrick Beck 1992 The ‘credit crunch’ in Global risks cross
institutions such as the We live in a global risk 2008 began in the USA national boundaries
World Bank and IMF society and has rapidly spread to
have steadily grown financial markets across
provides loans to its 185 the world
members
The meaning of globalisation can be divided into 4 main categories

7. political cultural
Globalisation:
The process by which
societies become
increasingly
interconnected
economic risk

8. Imperialism refers to domination by one
nation over another. Eg British colonial
rule of the Raj in India

9. MEDIA and CULTURAL
IMPERIALISM
• Globalisation is linked to
technological change
• Technology is the product of
capitalist societies
– We can watch a war from the
comfort of our homes
– Advertising sells an idealised
western life style
– We can experience world events
simultaneously
– We can connect to people over
great distances

10. McDonaldisation
• It is now possible to travel around the world without
ever having to eat indigenous food.
• The décor and the menu is immediately recognisable
• It is reassuring and familiar but also evidence of
decline in local cultures

11. THE DEBATE
Does it accentuate the unequal • Does it produce a
relationships between nations, multicultural world through
enlarging the gulf between rich and a flow of ideas in multi
poor through the domination of directions thus empowering
Transnational companies? developing countries to
produce their own media
products as well as being
global players. (China)
1. Read pg 225 – 226 Jones & Jones and identify 4
points for each side of the debate
2. Write at least two paragraphs outlining the extent to
which nation states are/are not helpless in the face of
global media corporations.

12. Evaluation – cultural response
• Different cultures respond to media put in
different ways. Eg TV programmes (Big
Brother, I’m a celebrity get me out of here)
are sold to TV companies but local versions
reflect local cultures.
• Therefore challenging cultural imperialism

13. Evaluation – national and
regional broadcasting
• There is a steady increase in local broadcasting. In
many countries home produced programmes are
steadily replacing imports because they gel with
the local cultures and 7/9 countries broadcast more
locally produced programmes than imported ones.
• Suggesting therefore that they are not being
overwhelmed by western media products.

14. Evaluation – minority ethnic
media
• Local programmes from developing
countries are exported to western society. In
some cases producing their own media
products that reflect their cultural origins.
Eg Bollywood.
• In USA minority ethnic groups such as
Latinos have their own radio station, watch
cable TV specifically designed for them.