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Whether something is a myth or not, is hard to define as the perception of a myth – the evaluation if a certain situation is exaggerated or not (Hafez 2007: 1) – is always something very subjective and depending on the judge’s viewpoint. So it is not surprising that in his book Kai Hafez comes to the conclusion that media globalization is a myth. He links strict requirements1 to the state of globalization and seems to be analyzing mainly German media products under this perspective. He is also largely focusing on the receiving end of media content – the spectator (Hafez 2007: 14) – and emphasizing the role of the medium television within the globalization debate. Although the comparatively minor role the internet plays in this work could be due to the fact that this medium first started its unprecedented exponential grow around 20072. Nevertheless he is neither emphasizing qualitative data to confirm his assumptions of a non-globalized media audience, nor is he presenting a broad range of quantitative figures to support his conclusion of a lack of globalization in the structure of media industry, policy and distribution. Although Hafez is referring to globalization as a process (Hafez 2007: 23), his high expectations of system change (Hafez 2007: 2) are leading to the rather utopian idea of the final state of a entirely globalized world – a situation which he describes has already happened in other sectors, such as economy of industrial goods (Hafez 2007: 4). Especially when dealing with such an all-encompassing question as globalization, it is crucial to dare a glimpse out of the box, not letting one-self be deluded by the West-European media culture one was born into and the wishful thinking of an ideal state of globalism, where all media content is accepted equally among the world’s public (Hafez 2007: 12). In order to challenge such a human terminology like ‘myth’ I consider it appropriate to look at the phenomenon of globalization and media at eye level with the human part of media –its users3. By doing this, the following text will clearly reveal that Hafez’s ‘myth’ isn’t actually reality.
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Table of Contents
1 Introduction
1.1 Goal of this paper and approach to the topic
1.2 Globalization concepts as stencil for media
2 Analyzing media
2.1 Outside polito-economical framework
2.2 Inside temporal-spatial constitution of content
3 Media impact on a global scale
3.1 The everyman recipient
3.2 Migrants
3.3 Hybrids
3.4 Cosmopolitans
4 Conclusion
Research Goal and Thematic Focus
This paper examines the relevance of media globalization by critically engaging with Kai Hafez’s "myth" thesis. It seeks to analyze how media shapes global interconnectedness and identity across different social groups, moving beyond the perspective of media as a one-way street of cultural imperialism.
- The critical analysis of globalization as an "uneven process" within the media landscape.
- The examination of media infrastructure and the temporal-spatial constitution of content.
- The shift from traditional cultural hegemony to contemporary "contra-flows" in media production.
- The impact of globalized media on distinct user groups: everyman recipients, migrants, hybrids, and cosmopolitans.
Excerpt from the Book
3.2. Hybrids
Taking Appadurai’s five scapes as a template, we can see hybrid cultures evolving from all those dimensions, encompassing all areas within media. They do not only develop as transcultural communities among media users, but also through cross-cultural media production. Telenovelas for example are creating a world-spanning network of professionals, such as script writers (Thussu 2007: 111) engaged in telenovela production. Hybrid cultures are on a social scale the result of the Interaction between global networks of individual cottages (Castells in Rantanen 2005: 142) and from this “cross-fertilization” (Sreberny-Mohammadi 2002: 347) new content can evolve, sometime even leading to new genres. It’s the merging of different cultures on different geographical and cultural levels. As identities are “transferable” (Tomlingson 2007: 365) constructs, hybrids pick the best from all and then create their own identity, which leads to so-called ‘cultural plurism’, making definitions like ‘authenticity’ or ‘indigeneity’ obsolete (Sreberny-Mohammadi 2002: 347) Huntington’s “clash of civilizations” (Huntington in Nederveen Pieterse 1996: 1390)) seems as unlikely in this context, as does the possibility of one united global mentality.
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: This chapter establishes the theoretical groundwork by challenging the "myth" of media globalization and outlines the paper's goal of exploring media usage from a user-centered perspective.
2 Analyzing media: This section investigates the political-economic framework of media and the spatial-temporal nature of content to understand how infrastructure and global flow determine interaction.
3 Media impact on a global scale: The chapter explores the sociological consequences of media on various groups, specifically addressing how everyday recipients, migrants, hybrids, and cosmopolitans experience globalization.
4 Conclusion: The final chapter synthesizes the findings, noting a shift toward transcultural communities and "imagined spaces" that focus on social commonalities rather than geographical boundaries.
Keywords
Media globalization, cultural hybridity, transcultural communities, contra-flows, identity, digital divide, network society, cosmopolitans, diaspora, media infrastructure, everyman recipient, imagined spaces, glocalization, media impact, social interconnectedness.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core argument of this research paper?
The paper argues against the notion that media globalization is a "myth," asserting instead that it is an active, ongoing process that fundamentally shapes how diverse social groups perceive themselves and the world.
Which specific social groups does the author focus on?
The analysis focuses on four distinct groups: the everyman recipient, migrants, hybrids, and cosmopolitans.
What is the primary research goal?
The goal is to move beyond abstract theories of globalization by examining media globalization through the lens of human experience and user behavior.
Which scientific approach is utilized?
The paper adopts a multidisciplinary approach, synthesizing media studies with globalization theories from scholars like Hafez, Appadurai, and Castells.
What is covered in the main section of the paper?
The main section covers the analysis of media infrastructure, the political-economic frameworks of media corporations, and the sociological impact of media content on global identity.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include media globalization, cultural hybridity, contra-flows, and transcultural communities.
How do telenovelas exemplify media globalization in this paper?
Telenovelas are used as a case study for "contra-flows," illustrating how media products from the Global South can gain global reach and challenge traditional Western media hegemony.
What does the author mean by "individual cottages"?
Drawing on McLuhan, the author uses this term to describe how people in the "global network society" form identities that are no longer strictly confined by national or geographical boundaries.
How is the "digital divide" discussed?
The author acknowledges the digital divide as a persistent but declining barrier, emphasizing that mobile internet access is increasingly bridging this gap for developing nations.
- Citar trabajo
- Michaela Strobel (Autor), 2012, A matter of time and space, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/204117
