Media and Culture in the Arab Society - Assignment Example

Media and CultureMedia has often been blamed to influence and or define cultural actions, behavior, conceptions, understandings, likings and preferences of the people it servers. In fact, most culture depletions have been attributed to the media. Sociologists have explained this as a mediated culture where the media crafts and defines a modern culture. This notion is very famous in the western countries especially in America. However, this paper is aimed at looking into factors that makes media be influenced by the culture of the audience in which it operates.

In addition, the paper is going to discuss the mutual influence of culture and media as it manifests itself in the Arab society. Culture comprises of the philosophies, behaviors, objects, and other features conjoint to the adherents of a particular group. Hence, through culture, people and the groups outline themselves, abide by the people’s common values, and back the society. As such, culture comprises numerous communal aspects such as; language, tools, customs, morals and ethics, standards, rules, machineries, products, governments, and institutions.

Further, most culture define the institutions as the family, education, religion, work, and health care ( Andersen and Taylor 69). In this sense, the influence of culture on media in the Arab culture is mainly guided by the above named aspects. For instance, morals and ethics are highly regarded in all Arab cultures. This has ben attributed to its deep devotion in religion and equally through its high value for its institutions. Unlike in the American cultures where morals and the institutions are very diluted and less valued, hence being vulnerable to the media influences.

Moreover, the governance of Arab cultures is very strict on the forms of technologies, products and organizations that serve its people. For instance, prostitution, pornography among others is viewed to be rime that can even attract death penalties. The presence of such hefty penalties therefore defines what can be broadcasted on media. Consequently, media hoses have been forced to constrain themselves to what is ‘acceptable’. ( Andersen and Taylor 69) The other aspect that is valued with high regards in the Arab world is religious beliefs.

Religion has been attributed to be the driving force of morals and ethics. With such deep religious beliefs, any culture is bound to be in control of negative influences. Hence, Arab cultures have been able to define the media rather than the media being able to influence them. It is factual that most cultures in the Arabs are Muslims and it is well known that value their religion. On the contrary, religion is not highly valued in the west especially in America. As such, the media has been able to infiltrate American cultures and clearly defining them consequently creating what had earlier been defined as the mediated culture.

In conclusion, Arab cultures have been able to tame the influence of media on its people unlike in America. However, modern technology has been a great threat tom this because there is no way that the government can restrict it. This has therefore been left for individuals to way which side suits them. Hence morality and personal ethics have been the chief guidance of what a person can watch. Works CitedAndersen, Margaret L. and Howard Francis Taylor. Sociology With Infotrac: Understanding a Diverse Society, Casebound.

Stamford, Connecticut: Cengage Learning, 2007.