Executive Summary
This paper tackles the concept of media globalization or how the different forms of media have effectively interconnected almost all nations in the world through the various types of technological advancements. In connection to this, cultural imperialism, as one major effect of media globalization, is also discussed in this composition.
To further support how cultural imperialism through media globalization affects countries all over the globe, an analysis of the Western-oriented movie, The Stepford Wives, is lastly tackled herewith.
Media Globalization
Our society today is governed by concrete manifestations of globalization. People may not notice it, but as the years progress, the world is gradually being interconnected through technological advancements with regard to transportation, information, and communication.
Globalization may then be defined as a complex chain of events that brought forth a global society wherein political, economic, social, environmental, technological, and cultural occurrences in one section of the world significantly affect individuals in other parts of the globe ( 2006).
Furthermore, the introduction of a new generation of communications technology in the early 1990s, in the form of computer networks and communication satellites, diminished geographical distances as well as national borders ( 2000). Consequently, people from all over the world are now connected by global media, which could instantaneously convey messages and information in almost any part of the globe (2000, ); thus the resultant global or media globalization.
Cultural Imperialism and Media Globalization
Cultural imperialism is defined as “the sum of the processes by which a society is brought into the modern world system and how its dominating stratum is attracted, pressured, forced, and sometimes bribed into shaping social institutions to correspond to, or even promote, the value and structures of the dominating centre of the system ( 1976).
As was said by , the idea of cultural imperialism appeared during the 1960s, when unequal power relationships existed between developing countries and dominant nations (2001). At that time, developing countries still struggle for holistic autonomy, but their efforts were hindered by the culturally dominant “West” through its symbolic, rather than physical, form of settlement—the incorporation of ideas, images, and information, through mass media ( 2001).
Presently, cultural imperialism still occurs among nations; the Western culture serves as the powerful and imperialist participant, while nations categorized as Third World countries, either consciously or unconsciously, absorb the imposed Western principles, perceptions, commodities, and way of life. And, as was cited by (2006), mass media plays a vital role in this process, through the seemingly harmless form of movies, television shows, magazines, newspapers, and the like.
Effects of Cultural Imperialism through Media Globalization
Once the culture of a developing country is influenced by the Western culture, significant changes could happen. In fact, based from the cultural imperialism model, “the international flows of technology transfer and media ‘hardware’ couple with the ‘software’ flows of cultural products actually strengthened the one-way dependency between developed and developing countries (2005).”
Moreover, Western and media goods that are constantly dumped into developing countries are easily accepted and embraced by the inhabitants of such nations, effectively damaging their own cultures. As a result, the Third World nations would not experience national development at all; they would constantly be overshadowed by the more dominant Western culture that continuously influences them. Once more, media and communications are perceived as strong tools that could endanger the cultural independence of developing nations.
Another adverse effect of cultural imperialism was encapsulated by Malysia’s former Prime Minister, , in his speech entitled Western Cultural Imperialism: “Today they broadcast slanted news. Tomorrow they will broadcast raw pornography to corrupt our children and destroy our culture (2001).”
In a nutshell, the adverse effect of cultural imperialism is the distortion or complete destruction of less prevailing cultures, due to the dominant influence of media globalization.
Movie Review: The Stepford Wives
Based from the best-selling novel by Ira Levin, The Stepford Wives (2004) is “a darkly satirical comedy drama” about how women could be molded into ideal wives, based on the standards of their husbands (‘The Stepford Wives’ 2006). Joanna Eberhart, portrayed by Nicole Kidman, is a highly successful television executive whose career abruptly and unexpectedly took a nosedive after one of her television ideas backfired.(), her husband who is relatively less successful than she is, then takes her and their kids to a new home, in hope that a change in environment would be good for her (‘The Stepford Wives’ 2006).
They eventually move in to the serene suburban community of Stepford, where Walter immediately felt at home, after he was made member of the local men’s organization. On the other hand, Joanna is unnerved of the eerily perfect surroundings —immaculate lawns, extremely neat and modernized houses, and perfectly dressed, flawless wives (‘The Stepford Wives’ 2006).
Joanna, then, with her equally suspicious friend, Bobbi Markowitz (Bette Midler) investigates the truth and finds out why and how Stepford and its populace behave the way they do, before she was transformed herself into another perfect embodiment of the Stepford culture.
Analysis
The movie thoroughly embodies the dominance of the American culture, both in the realms of household and the corporate domain.
With regard to the latter, the dominance of the United States as a culture that could greatly influence others was symbolized in the movie through the television shows created by Joanna. These shows had a huge impact on its viewers and, in effect, led to both positive and negative consequences. Her ideas were focused on the issue of women empowerment, but on an excessive level, and were readily taken in by her female viewers. Her projects were successful, but there came a time when her ideas were no longer analytically accepted by her viewers and this led to adverse effects to the network’s audience and to Joanna herself.
Nowadays, the American culture of success and dominance is readily accepted by individuals all over the world. Most people perceive the United States as the most powerful nation and because of this, they take in whatever message or information the country conveys to them. Oftentimes, people no longer exercise critical thinking in doing so; they just absorb anything that is connected to the Western culture. Such attitude could somehow be beneficial especially if the ideas they acquire could aid them towards success. But, more often than not, the information they take in are already too American-oriented and thus they tend to forget their own cultures and become completely westernized.
Furthermore, Joanna as a successful television executive may also symbolize the United States itself. When Joanna still had her job, she was portrayed as a prosperous woman, even more successful than her own husband. She was a beautiful, productive, profitable, and blue-eyed American who seems to have gotten everything she wanted in a country that promises superiority, affluence, and freedom.
Indeed, the United States is perceived as a country that could present opportunities for anyone who lives in a less developed nation. One concrete manifestation of this is the migration of hundreds of people from countries that are viewed as less powerful. These people seek for opportunities in the West, hoping that they would be able to escape from their currently poor and difficult lives.
Moving on to the next aspect, it should first be remembered that in the movie, Stepford was portrayed as a place where people could start over; a dwelling that is literally perfect. Here, it seems as if everyone is contented with their lives. There were men who were regularly supplied with first-rate tobacco, husbands who do not go to work but still appear rich and well-off, while the women were always spotlessly dressed, were utterly attractive, and always acted appropriately. When Walter transferred to this place, he immediately assimilated the culture promoted by the people of Stepford. In his previous residence, he was a relatively unsuccessful man who was constantly overpowered by his wife. But in Stepford, he fit right in, with the other husbands who also experienced the same situation that he had.
In this aspect, Stepford could be compared to the United States. Most people perceive the country as highly powerful, with its high rise buildings, famous icons, and renowned businesses. For these reasons, people who reside in developing countries may willingly abandon their own culture and country to search for money, happiness, and satisfaction in the Western world. Such viewpoint was evidently caused by the strong influence of the Western culture, as was conveyed through the different forms of media.
Finally, the movie itself could be considered as reflection of Western cultural capitalism through media globalization. Surely, individuals who have watched this film have adapted some of the seemingly ideal features shown in the film, regardless of whether these could lead to adverse effects, or whether these are suited to the culture they were born in or not. Hence, the Stepford Wives is only one example of hundreds of Western films that continually uplift the Western culture as ideal, and have affected and distorted people’s perspectives of their own cultures.
Conclusion
Cultural imperialism through the seemingly harmless process of media globalization is a relevant issue that poses various concerns in the society today. The Western culture gradually but undoubtedly affects the culture of other countries through different forms of media and as a result, the customs, values, and norms of these nations are altered and even adversely affected. These concepts and issues were concretely portrayed in the movie The Stepford Wives, with Stepford symbolizing the Western culture, a world that is apparently pristine and influential. In the film, the Stepford culture was threatened and eventually abolished by the people who were initially fooled by an image of power and perfection.
Thus, the call for all to face and struggle against the undesirable effects posed by cultural imperialism through media globalization.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com
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