Culture Is Media and Media Is Culture - Essay Example

Culture is Media and Media is Culture Introduction: The term ‘culture’ is referred to a broad concept that includes human knowledge, belief and behavior. Thus the concept takes into account the languages, ideas, beliefs, the prohibitions, codes all that are followed within a community or all that a society follows. This also includes the rituals and customs that are maintained by the communal people. These factors govern the behavior of the individuals who are part of the community and thus form a culture. In the present-day status, this culture has a significant relationship with the media (Fotopoulis, 1999). The dependence on the use of media has greatly increased and to a great extent dictates the behavior and ideas followed in a society, in other words dominates the behavior of the culture. Common people are in regular touch with the media and the entertainment that decide their collection of information, ideas as well as opinion that create the human knowledge reflected by his behavior. ‘Culture is media and media is culture’ seems to be pertinent in today’s cultural status of a community where media influences the formation of the cultural activities of different individuals within a community (Pope, 2002). The present study focuses on this particular statement ‘Culture is media and media is culture’ and discusses its relevance based on theory and examples. Understanding the Media Today: In the present times, the media seems to have become a significant issue as considered within a society. If the television medium is taken into account, it is found that be it small children, the youth of the older people, or other individuals, they tend to spend long hours in front of the television set. The new media has the ability to target the mindset of the human beings that might even impact the societal behavior of an individual negatively. For example, the televisions being the most common medium, several murders are viewed as part of news, or other television programs. Such programs tend to influence the minds of the smaller children or the youth to the extent that they might follow these acts disregarding their true cultural values. The computer has been obtained as one of the most influential medium generating knowledge and information for the present society that is completely dependent on information for its production, consumption and the economy as a whole (Straubhaar, Larose & Davenport, 2011, pp.11-15). The modern media has its presence reflected in almost every issue within a community and hence its behavior and culture. The modern media form a creation of the mass communication that makes it possible through the internet and the large number of interactive media being available, e.g., television, radio, newspapers, hoardings, and so on. The different problems and issues related to the political and economic factors associated with a society and its inhabitants get attended by the mass media in the present times (Aikat, n.d.). The media can actually be found to be present in all aspects of today’s communication and knowledge gain purposes. Human beings tend to depend completely on the sources of media not only to communicate but also to determine their views and opinions that might alter their cultural views as well. The Impact of Media on Culture: Communication has always been the most important activity in spreading one’s views, opinions and beliefs to engage others in similar thoughts. In the present day society, communicating only with few close people may not work if a revolutionary change is desired or changes in cultural aspects are required. The mass media plays its significant role in this regard. The spread of cultural views from a single point of origin to an entire community is referred as the phenomenon of diffusion. The features of culture include almost all habits that any human being follows in their normal lives. For example, the food habits, the dress that an individual wears, his/her beliefs in any particular religion, the language that he/she speaks in, his/her interests, all are attributes of the cultural beliefs. In the present times, all these factors are determined by an individual getting influenced by the media, particularly the television (Impact of Media on Culture, n.d., pp.217-221). In the present times, it can be found that a media culture has materialized into the lives of almost all human beings. It dominates the living of ever individual and takes part in forming their political and social behavior and creating their identities out of their behavior. The sources of media act like models for individuals in order to shape the activities of their life. It is the media culture that determines what is right or wrong for a nation, or for the individuals. It offers with all the necessary information and matters that can assist an individual following a particular class, race or civilization. The media culture brings in forefront of human beings the present status of a nation and discusses on the values declaring the good, bad, moral or evil aspects related to every issue. Kellner reflected that media culture “provides the materials to create identities whereby individuals insert themselves into contemporary techno-capitalist societies and which is producing a new form of global culture” (Kellner, 1995, p.1). It would be relevant to discuss here as to how such a huge impact the media tends to have on the present day society and its culture. The culture within any nation or the society influences individuals to create their societies and identities. The human speeches, actions, and creativities are cultivated in-depth by the culture in a community that shapes individuals and their lives. The media has its huge impact in this regard since human beings in the present times tend to spend “tremendous amounts of time listening to the radio, watching television, going to see films, experiencing music, going shopping, reading magazine and newspapers” thus getting associated more with the different features and aspects of the media and incorporating them in their personal lives (Kellner, 1995, p.2). The present time reflects on a changing world where since the 1960s till the present day, several changes in the society and culture has been obtained. Cultural wars between liberals, conservatives, and radical individuals have been visible in the 1960s with intentions to re-construct culture within a society and such conflicts can still be found in the present times. With the advent of time, new and advanced technologies have also arrived that participate effectively in the communication of thoughts and opinions of such cultural warriors. The patterns of work and living have also modified with the communication and technological systems being advanced and more effective. For example, dependence on the use of computer and internet can be said to rule the world now. Through the use of the media, culture can now be found to have become commercialized having serious impacts on the mass. However, in order to learn and understand the effects of the media on the present day society, the theoretical outlooks also prove to be essential. Theories related to the culture and the media reflect on the changes that are prevalent in the present day lives of human beings (Kellner, 1995, pp.15-20). In the following section, the study would consider such theories related to the culture and the media and thus provide and understanding on the changes brought about over the years. Theory of Media Culture: The theory of media culture proves to have relevance in the context of understanding the dominance that the media has over the culture in any society in the present times. For many societies, the media has become the culture itself and study of the media without connecting the culture proves to have no significance in the present times (Hoenisch, 2005). Kellner’s theory of media culture reflected on the fact that the media has an ultimate influence over the activities within a society and hence the cultural aspects. According to him, “the celebrities of media culture are the icons of the present age, the deities of an entertainment society, in which money, looks, fame and success are the ideals and goals of the dreaming billions who inhabit Planet Earth” (Curran & Morley, 2006, p.184). The theory thus stresses more on the fact that with the passage of time, media is destined to become a central power that would have significant control over the cultural aspects over the entire planet. However in order to consider his studies as not reflecting a negative image, Kellner had also mentioned that “media spectacles are those phenomena of media culture that embody contemporary society’s basic values” providing a focus on the increasing and influential role of the media on the society and culture (Curran & Morley, 2006, p.184). According to Kellner’s theory, the media culture presents a platform bringing in front of the human beings the nature of the cultural conflicts and leads to the construction of the social reality (Curran & Morley, 2006, p.184). Hoenisch’s analysis of Kellner’s theory however throw light on the fact that even though the media is considered as the power having the ability to control the cultural activities in a society, yet there appears to be a lack in the connection of the media with factors like freedom, liberty, equality, justice that are more dependent on the political systems prevailing in a nation. According to Hoenisch, the theory of media culture needs to bring into focus the connection between the media, culture and the political democracy of individuals in a society. Kellner’s theory has its focus more on the media effects related with the entertainment. However, there are other issues like the effects and relation of the news media with the political and economic world as a whole and thus shaping the political behavior of individuals. Kellner’s theory seem to contradict at one level of discussion when he mentions on one hand that the media has become a central power controlling the culture of the society and on the other hand stating that the media is participatory in its nature (Hoenisch, 2005). The relevance of the statement ‘Culture is media and media is culture’ can be discussed by considering two particular examples as follows: Example 1: The negative effects of the television on children: The television has significant effects on the small children sometimes these effects being highly negative at several times. This is so because children tend to react to whatever they watch on the television and incorporate those actions in their normal lives. Children who are known to watch violent actions on television for longer hours have the tendency to forget their cultural disciplines and behavior and incorporate those aggressive behaviors in their activities. Moreover young children tend to get influenced by the perilous acts of smoking or drinking that they watch different characters following in the television programs (How TV affects your child, 2012). Example 2: The positive effects of the television medium: If good television programs can be followed, then it can have significant positive impacts on the children or on everyone. For example, good programs may teach people about their cultures and values, offer different members of a family to spend time together, educational programs might influence effective teaching and learning programs of students by watching television, people stay up-to-date through the news channels that provide with news on all issues and aspects prevailing in the world, can enhance the participation in different creative activities including music, dance and drama (Positive effects of TV, n.d.). The above two examples have been considered taking the television medium that has the most significant influences in shaping the cultural values and changing the minds deciding cultural activities within a community. Considering the two examples above and associating them with the Kellner’s theory of media culture it can be said that the media in the present times have significant control over the minds of individuals. It can be realized that the aggressive attitudes being indulged within small children are harmful for themselves and the society severely affecting the cultural values. Small children are now found to become criminals and murderers and such activities are to a great extent supported by the media. Moreover the media spreads news that leads an entire nation to learn about any activity which if supported by them can create revolution in a society. On the other hand, there is positivity as well that media spread as can be obtained from the second example. It can thus be said that media truly has taken a control on the culture of present times and it can be said that ‘Culture is media and media is culture’. Conclusion: The study has been focused on the relationship of culture and media in the present times reflecting on the impacts that media in the present day have on the cultural values and beliefs. It has been obtained from the study that in the present times, individuals tend to spend a lot of time in association with some sources of the media, be it television, radio, newspapers, magazines, the internet or any other medium. The dependency of people on the use of media has so increased that whatever they learn or get to know from the media have the ability to determine their decisions regarding their cultural activities, food and dress habits, their religious views, their choices and preferences regarding any particular issue. Kellner’s theory of media culture as well as Hoenisch’s analysis has also thrown light on the power that media has on the lives of the common people shaping their culture. Thus from the study, the media culture theory as well as certain examples as considered parts of the study, it can be concluded that indeed in the present times ‘Culture is media and media is culture’. References 1) Aikat, D. (n.d.), Traditional and Modern Media, Journalism and Mass Communication, Vol.1, available at: http://www.eolss.net/Sample-Chapters/C04/E6-33-02-04.pdf (accessed on March 14, 2012) 2) Curran, J. & D. Morley (2006), Media and cultural theory, London: Taylor & Francis 3) Fotopoulis, Takis (1999), Mass Media, Culture and Democracy, The International Journal of Inclusive Democracy, Vol.5, No.1, available at: http://www.democracynature.org/vol5/fotopoulos_media.htm (accessed on March 14, 2012) 4) Hoenisch, S. (2005), An Analysis of Kellner’s Theory of Media Culture, criticism, available at: http://www.criticism.com/md/kellner.html (accessed on March 14, 2012) 5) How TV affects your child (2102), kidshealth, available at: http://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/family/tv_affects_child.html (accessed on March 14, 2012) 6) Impact of Media on Culture (n.d.), available at: http://nos.org/331courseE/OPTIONAL%20MODULE-2%20L-35%20IMPACT%20OF%20MEDIA%20ON%20CULTURE.pdf (accessed on March 14, 2012) 7) Kellner, D. (1995), Media culture: cultural studies, identity, and politics between the modern and the postmodern, London: Routledge 8) Pope, V. (2002), What do we mean by ‘mass media’ and ‘modern culture’?, litnotes, available at: http://www.litnotes.co.uk/mass_media.htm (accessed on March 14, 2012) 9) Positive effects of TV (n.d.), odec, available at: http://www.odec.ca/projects/2005/zerb5m0/public_html/positiveEf.html (accessed on March 15, 2012) 10) Straubhaar, J., Larose, R. & L. Davenport (2011), Media Now: Understanding Media, Culture, and Technology, Connecticut: Cengage Learning Read More