The early internet, whose invention some authors compare to the revolution the exploitation of the power of steam brought about, was developed in the US in an university and military context and mainly financed by ARPA, the US Department of Defence Research Agency. In the 1970s in the US thought was given to the need to back up computing systems in case of nuclear attack which resulted in yoking the machines together, which then formed part of what we today call the internet. Its development from there has been viewed as being in the hands of its users. The fundamental principles of the internet were ‘free circulation of information, belief in the productiveness of confrontation and interaction, autonomy, and individual responsibility’. What is more, because the academic and countercultural computing cultures were made up of intellectuals, these cultures were able to produce accounts of themselves with some advocates highlighting the capacity of the internet to (re)establish community and foster local cultures.
In the following pages we will be looking at how the internet has altered existing social relations of production and consumption. It is being examined in how far the internet offers the opportunity ‘to challenge the authority of the producer, democratise production capability, and empower consumers’ and in how far it remains a public space free of interference, both from government control and commercialism.
Table of Contents
Introduction
The internet and local cultures
The internet and transnational corporations
The internet and nation-states
The internet and capitalism
Conclusion
Notes
Appendices
Appendix 1
Bibliography
Objectives and Topics
This paper critically evaluates the dual capacity of the internet to serve as a platform for local cultural empowerment and as a mechanism for cultural homogenization by transnational corporations. It investigates the tension between the internet's potential for democratic, grassroots participation and the encroaching commercialization, surveillance, and regulatory control exerted by dominant corporate and state actors.
- The role of the internet in fostering virtual communities and local culture.
- The influence of transnational corporations on digital media production and consumption.
- Political and economic obstacles such as the digital divide and commercial gatekeeping.
- Case studies on the Zapatista movement and digital activism as forms of resistance.
- The commodification of online spaces and the expansion of corporate control.
Excerpt from the Book
The internet and local cultures
The internet offers the potential for local cultures and individuals to ‘fashion themselves’, as Poster (1997: 211) puts it. The internet has the technical capabilities of a democratisation of subject constitution as the process of production of cultural artefacts has been put in the hands of all participants: ‘it radically decentralises the positions of speech, publishing, film-making, radio and television broadcasting, in short the apparatuses of cultural production’ (ibid. 211). A fascinating development in this area is the use of the internet by ordinary citizens to report breaking news as it happens: reports from China during the Tianenmen square massacre; reports from ordinary observers of the attack on the World Trade Centre in New York; and reports from the ground during the war in Bosnia demonstrate ‘the power of the individual to contribute to the body of facts behind political issues’ (Thornton, 2002). Other sites such as Slashdot.org, are almost entirely created by its registered users, including new stories, comments on stories, reviews, and more. These can form real communities around shared interests and have the potential to be used as a basis for political and social activity.
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: Provides a historical overview of the internet's development, highlighting its original ethos of free information exchange and individual autonomy while introducing the competing influence of commercialization.
The internet and local cultures: Examines how individuals and marginalized communities utilize digital networks to report news, form virtual communities, and challenge colonial discourses.
The internet and transnational corporations: Analyzes how corporations maintain dominance through branding, digital gatekeeping, and the redirection of the internet toward a consumer-driven, commercial medium.
The internet and nation-states: Explores how governments regulate the internet to manage political challenges, enforce censorship, and maintain control over public information flows.
The internet and capitalism: Discusses the broader integration of the internet into the global capitalist economy, arguing that its potential for social change is constrained by commodification and profit-seeking.
Conclusion: Synthesizes the ambiguity of the internet’s impact, emphasizing that while it offers democratic opportunities, these are often restricted by existing power structures and the pressures of informational capitalism.
Notes: Contains extensive supplementary information and bibliographical references supporting the arguments made throughout the text.
Appendices: Lists a comprehensive selection of anti-war websites categorized by geographic region and purpose.
Bibliography: Provides a full list of scholarly sources, academic journals, and media reports consulted for this research.
Keywords
Internet, Local Cultures, Cultural Domination, Transnational Corporations, Digital Divide, Grassroots Globalization, Zapatistas, CMC, Commercialization, Information Society, Hegemony, Cyber-activism, Media Convergence, Public Sphere, Informational Capitalism.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper critically examines whether the internet genuinely serves as a tool for local cultural expression or if it predominantly facilitates cultural domination by transnational corporations.
What are the primary thematic areas covered?
The main themes include the democratizing potential of the internet, the impact of corporate and state regulation, the digital divide, and how grassroots movements use digital technology for resistance.
What is the central research question?
The central question is whether the decentralized, open nature of the internet can withstand the forces of global commercialization and traditional power structures to truly benefit local cultures.
Which scientific methods are employed?
The study employs a qualitative analysis of existing communication theory and sociocultural research, supplemented by empirical case studies such as the Zapatista movement and various activist networks.
What is addressed in the main body of the work?
The main body explores the transformation of the internet from a potentially open space to a commercialized platform, discussing the role of search engines, digital gatekeeping, and the commodification of online social life.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key concepts include digital divide, cultural domination, grassroots globalization, transnational corporations, and informational capitalism.
How does the Zapatista movement serve as an example of digital activism?
The Zapatistas successfully used internet-based networks to bypass traditional media, elicit global sympathy, and exert political pressure on the Mexican state, proving that local struggles can indeed link to global support networks.
What is meant by the concept of "walled gardens" in the context of the internet?
"Walled gardens" refer to enclosed, self-referential online systems created by media companies to keep users within designated zones of cyberspace, thereby maximizing advertising potential and controlling the user's experience.
- Citar trabajo
- Florian Mayer (Autor), 2003, Critically evaluate the view that the Internet facilitates not local cultures but cultural domination by transnational corporations, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/13394
