Entries
Saturday, 14 April 2007
CULTURAL POST ONE:
Cultural globalisation refers to the growth in the exchange of cultural practices between nations and peoples. The spread of globalisation will undoubtedly bring changes to the countries it reaches, but change is an essential part of life. It does not mean the abolition of traditional values. Many analysts point to the way new technologies and their exploitation such as commercial air travel, satellite television, mass telecommunications and the internet have created a world where billions now consume identical cultural products - such as pop music, soap opera and sporting events - and employ cultural practices they would never otherwise have encountered - such as foreign food preparations and foreign words and phrases. At the heart of much of the rise of cultural globalisation has been the massive expansion of the entertainment and communications industry fuelled, in particular, by the spread of television. One survey found that while there were only 39 television sets for every 1,000 people on the planet in 1959, this had risen to 160 per 1,000 by 1992. Television has become the key to the development of pop music, news services, advertising, sport and light entertainment with an appeal – and enormous money-making potential – across the whole world.
In current cultural globalization, television constitutes one of the most important phenomenons. Today, globally watched TV channels are regulated/owned by a few countries and a few people. In other words, the very product of cultural globalization itself constitutes an important part of economic globalization. In today's world, an important part of social life is determined by global processes and media. Television plays an especially dominant role as a determining factor.
As a result of the empowering dominance of international market, mass media capital, including television, has lost its national character in most of the countries. National capitals are incorporated in international capital not only in terms of ownership structure, but also in terms of production and distribution processes. In most regions of the world, including the European countries, capital-ownership compositions of the TV channels are not local or national anymore. They are becoming predominantly global.
Current developments seem likely only to accelerate this process further. Entertainment, telecommunications and IT sectors have been building ever closer ties, partly through acquisitions and mergers, since the 1990s. This coupled with the widespread liberalisation of the telecommunications industry - once dominated by public monopolies - is already ensuring that speedier, cheaper and more efficient means of delivering entertainment and information throughout the world are spreading rapidly.
Well I believe what constitutes to today, is brought about mainly by globalisation. As stated above, television plays an especially dominant role in the process of globalisation. For example, Hollywood movies (White Chicks, Coach Carter, etc.), television series (CSI, OC, etc.) and other movies like by DISNEY or Warner Bros., can be watched globally. Also, various countries get influenced by stories and movies of other cultures, for example, the all-time favourite novel, Pride and Prejudice was made into a movie ‘Bollywood style’ called ‘Bride and Prejudice’. This depicts the Indian community being influence by the western cultures. All these movies from all over the world can be viewed locally in Singapore, more over there are various film festivals like Asian and German film festivals, of which international shows from those countries are screened in the Singapore cinemas.
In my opinion, such actions taken does not only constitute to globalisation but also to help people from various countries to learn about other cultures, to be more exposed to the outside world. Globalisation, in particular, cultural globalisation have its good and bad points, there might be discrimination of other races taking place, through movies and shows, causing unrest among the people, however, we learn more about other cultures, learn new things and what is happening in other parts of the world. Not only does movies and shows constitute to cultural globalisation, but most importantly, the news, news of the happenings around the world are aired through television channels like CNN and BBC. People can watch these channels to be aware of global news, however, local news are now reporting world news too, so they need not be viewed through such international channels as mentioned above.
In conclusion, cultural globalisation is not a bad thing, the spread of globalisation will undoubtedly bring changes to the countries it reaches, but change is an essential part of life. Wonder what the world would be like when we are stranded in our own country, not knowing what is happening in other parts of the world? What would happen when globalisation does not take place? If that's the case, wouldn't we be living in isolation? Locked up in a cage, not exposed to the outside world.
RIMIKO signing off
- because there's really no need to, anymore...
12:20:00 am
