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Cultural Imperialism Essay

1738 Words7 Pages
Theoretically speaking, three components of new media studies are “the artefacts or devices used to communicate or convey information; the activities and practices in which people engage to communicate or share information; and the social arrangements or organizational forms that develop around those devices and practices” (Lievrouw and Livingstone, 2006). The characteristics of media have changed profoundly in the last two or three decades. They are not merely technological advancements. The social, political, economic and cultural aspects of such changes are important to take account of when a critical understanding of the cultural imperialism thesis is attempted. The times of mass society as well as mass media have faded away. Therefore, it is necessary to examine the historical conditions in which the new media proliferates. In other words, unless the processes and patterns through which the new media socialization takes place, it is not possible to understand them as a whole. “Linear narratives and genres that were associated with particular media technologies and forms in the past- the novel, the Hollywood film, the LP record album, the crime drama- are absorbed into hyperlinked, hybrid content that is generated and shared via diverse channels” (Lievrouw and Livingstone, 2006). In his seminal work “Cultural Imperialism: A critical Introduction”, John Tomlinson (1992) defines cultural imperialism as “the use of political and economic power to exalt and
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