Intercultural Communication
WEEK 12: MASS MEDIA, TECHNOLOGY, AND
CULTURAL CHANGE
LESSON OBJECTIVES
1 2 3
The students should be able The students should be able The students should be able
to describe the impact of to compare and contrast how to analyze ways to develop
globalization on mass media mass media shapes our skills in understanding media
in the digital age. communication and identities. and culture.
See if you “Hit” or “Miss” by identifying the top five
ACTIVE LEARNING 1 languages used on the Internet:
1. ______________________________
2. ______________________________
3. ______________________________
4. ______________________________
5. ______________________________
According to Datastream (2021):
English is the most common language
online, used by 60.4% of the top 10M
websites.
China has the most internet users in the
world but only 1.4% of the top 10M
websites use Chinese.
The Internet and Globalization
The Internet gives us a common language—English—
with which to communicate and bond with fellow
global citizens—over 536 million (Internet World
Stats, 2011).
The Internet allows users to develop relationships
across the barriers of time, space, geography, and
cultural–ethnic boundaries.
The Internet has been a key factor in driving
globalization in recent years as Web technology is
changing the way we work, expanding our global
knowledge base and bringing people and society closer
together.
GLOBALIZATION,
01 TECHNOLOGY, AND
MASS MEDIA
1.1. Globalizing the mass media
GLOBALIZATION MASS MEDIA
1.1. Globalizing the mass media
The rapid spread of digital media has been credited with many worldwide social,
political, cultural, and economic changes.
All societies are now part of a global system connected by a range of communication
networks.
Mass communication has become a vehicle for globally relevant media events. This
feature testifies to the overwhelming success of the mass media, which allow people
around the world to witness and experience the same event simultaneously: the
Olympics, crises, famine, war, conflicts, earthquakes, and presidential elections.
The global media culture
1.1. Globalizing the mass media
However, media do not operate in a vacuum: they are always tied to political and economic
systems.
It is impossible to consider identities, communication, democracy, capitalism, nationalism,
and the media as separate and autonomous. Their interaction is precisely what shapes the
nature of the social order and daily lives.
1.2. Political economy of mass media
Political economy of the media includes several domains including journalism,
broadcasting, advertising, and information and communication technology. A
political economy approach analyzes the power relationships between politics,
mediation, and economics.
Globally, media are heavily dominated by a handful of gigantic media corporations
and transnational corporations.
The most important of these are Disney, TimeWarner, Viacom, and News
Corporation.
For example, the Walt Disney Company
is now one of the six largest mass media
corporations in the world, owning media
production companies, studios, theme
parks, television and radio networks,
cable TV systems, magazines, and
internet sites.
ACTIVE LEARNING 2
What kind of stereotypes that Walt Disney is criticized to have in constructing children’s
imaginary worlds? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oEVX4zTZzo
ACTIVE LEARNING 2
What kind of stereotypes that Walt Disney is criticized to have in constructing children’s
imaginary worlds?
The issue of gender illustrates these concerns about supporting traditional gender-
stereotypical roles.
The female characters in Disney movies often present a particular idealized version of
femininity – highly sexualized bodies, coy seductiveness, always needing to be
rescued by a male.
Ariel gives up her voice in order to win the prince with her
body in The Little Mermaid.
Mulan almost single-handedly wins the war only to return
home to be romanced.
Movies like Snow White or Sleeping Beauty are referred to as the “Cinderella
complex” which assumes that women depend on men for a happy ending.
Elsa is a powerful ice queen and she does not need to be
married or have a prince to be powerful and successful.
1.3. Internet technology and social media
The widespread use of social media has given rise to new forms of monitoring, mining,
and aggregating strategies, which are designed to monetize the huge volumes of data
such usage produces.
Social media monitoring and analysis industries, experts, and consultancies have
emerged, offering a broad range of social media intelligence and reputation
management services.
Such services typically involve a range of analytical methods (sentiment analysis,
opinion mining, social network analysis, machine learning, natural language
processing).
Facebook was originally is made for people
to find out about each other and post and
share information about themselves.
Facebook, It took only eight years for the Facebook
platform to attract over a billion registered
for example: users and it has become one of the most
well-known sites on the internet.
If it were a country, Facebook would be the
third largest country in the world.
Founded only a year after Facebook, in
2005, YouTube rapidly turned into another
internet phenomenon, allowing users to
upload videos to share with others, whether
for the purposes of politics, entertainment,
or information.
Youtube, As a convergence medium between the
internet and TV, YouTube has highlighted
for example: a series of contradictions between
traditional broadcasting
narrowcasting.
and digital
YouTube has played a role in allowing
media moments to ‘go viral.
Greatest Singers Who
Got Famous On YouTube
Available since 2016, TikTok has been
downloaded 3.5 billion times worldwide, an
ranked as the most downloaded app of 2021. It
beat out long-time social media favourites
Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat in terms of
downloads.
Tiktok, According to Statista, TikTok saw 180% growth
for example: among those ages 15-25 during this time frame.
TikTok allows users to create, watch, and share
15-second videos shot on mobile devices or
webcams, can collaborate on content and create
split-screen duet videos even if they’re in different
locations.
MASS MEDIA AND
02 CULTURAL
CHANGE
The reality presented by the media is socially constructed has two important implications:
The media is understood as a debating ground for our system of values
and beliefs.
Media effects not as simple, direct effects, but as a much wider part of the
cultural fabric.
Mass media influence cultural change through cultural learning.
2.1. Mass media and cultural learning
1) Media create awareness: the mass media serve an awareness function, creating interest
in an event or idea through reporting about its existence.
For example: The UN’s Empower Moves TikTok campaign to help spread the word
with a sequence of four simple, easy-to-remember defense moves.
By packaging educational material in a fun, interactive, trendy format, they
organically blended in with the rest of the TikTok world.
https://www.tiktok.com/@unwomenaust/video/7018036681383169281?lang=en
2.1. Mass media and cultural learning
2) Media set agendas:
Agenda-setting theory suggests that media institutions shape political debates by
determining what issues are most important and featuring them in news broadcasts.
News outlets, as gate-keepers of information, make choices about what to report and
how to report it.
Thus, what the public knows about the current affairs at a particular time is largely a
product of media gate-keeping.
How Social Media shapes political discourse
and public opinion in the digital age?
How Social Media shapes political discourse
and public opinion in the digital age?
On one hand, social medias help to inform the public and promote transparency and
accountability in government. By providing information about political issues and events,
the media can help the public make informed decisions about the issues that affect their
lives.
On the other hand, there is also a downside – misinformation and disinformation in order to
to promote fear or mistrust of certain groups or individuals. The spread of fake news and
misinformation can have a significant impact on public opinion and decision-making.
The Danger of Fake News in the 2016 Election
2.1. Mass media and cultural learning
3) Media promote stereotypes
The media play a major role in constructing and maintaining stereotypes. They can
create and reinforce stereotypes regarding old age, sexuality, religion, war,
parenthood, and myriad other aspects of human life.
News programmes can help to erase misunderstandings on issues vulnerable to
stereotyping.
Conversely, entertainment in movies, theatres, and television may inadvertently
reinforce negative stereotypes as when ethnic minorities are present in news reports,
they tend to be linked to violence, gambling, crime, or alcoholism.
Watch this Pantene's campaign and see how media can challenge the stereotype of women
in business through their view.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaB3BT9v-P4
Pantene has created this advertisement to
show women to stand up and not follow the
norm that society expects from them that
women are inferior to men.
We should applaud a piece of advertising that
calls attention to the gender double standard,
and hopefully inspires some important
conversations.
2.1. Mass media and cultural learning
4) Media accelerate change:
The mass media serve as accelerators for change, creating a climate in which change
can more easily occur.
For example, what we regard as elements of a healthy lifestyle have changed
considerably over the years, not least because of government-sponsored advertising
campaigns against smoking and drink-driving, and on promoting healthy eating.
In the same way, mass news coverage of issues like global warming, climate change,
and the energy crisis has functioned as an accelerator for changes in people’s
behaviour.
2.2. Mass media and intercultural communication
By looking at examples of how media and culture interrelate, we can understand the
importance of media in the intercultural communication context and be aware of the need to
develop skills in understanding media and culture:
Be conscious of ways in which the media may have affected your perceptions of a
particular group.
Use media as a tool for understanding culture.
Broaden background knowledge of cultures other than our own.
03 E.NETIZENS
3.1.Who are e.netizens?
E.netizen stands for a new generation of individuals, from any age group, wired to the
Internet via intersecting space:
pertain to different age groups
rooted in aspects of both the local and global environments
often identified as 'hybrids' or the "third culture"
an outcome of power and popular culture
E.netizens identity: Three Layers
E.netizens identity: Three Layers
Gliding e.netizen identity = a weaker attachment to the internet, and strong ties to local
culture. The individual uses the internet as a hobby and to gather information. For
example, someone who doesn’t use the computer at all or doesn’t even know how.
Interfaced e.netizen identity = strong interfaced ties with the global Internet community
also continue their local community. They use social media platforms to communicate
and follow some online communities.
Fixated e.netizen identity = strong attachment and solidarity to their e-netizen identity.
He or she excludes him/herself from the real world and doesn’t really function with
other individuals.
3.2. Background of e.netizens?
The aspect of power comes from the fact that wireless and daily access to the Internet
is limited. In essence, every attempt to update technology allows e.netizen individuals
to distinguish themselves as being the “first-wave users” while, simultaneously, also
belonging to a fast-track, disposable culture.
The e.netizen identity is inexorably linked to pop culture which simply culture that is
widely favored and well enjoyed by many people.
In addition, popular culture fosters a climate in which “globally ethnic” is actually
appealing to diverse groups on a global level.
Tiger Woods, who calls himself “Caublasian,” a mixture of Caucasian, African American,
and Asian. The new ambivalent-looking, global-ethnic celebrity has mass appeal in any
ethnic market which reflects a distinctive global-ethnic identity because of her or his
fusion look and hybrid tastes..
3.3. Characteristics of an e.netizen identity
Exclusive: the e.netizen is an exclusive group of individuals who are on the edge of becoming
and are transitioners who feel entirely comfortable in the in-between groups.
Evolved: e.netizens form their identities by choosing their own group allegiance and sense of
particular belonging. Their social group identities are multifaceted and network-based.
Explorer: as a consumer-based identity, the e.netizens are willing to spend large amounts of
money in search of the next big thing, whether it is fashion, music, trends, or Web sites.
Emoticons: the e.netizens prefer to communicate with emoticons for effi ciency of time and
space.
3.3. Characteristics of an e.netizen identity
Entertained: most e.netizens have an insatiable appetite for entertainment, which is proved
through an estimated $754 billion dollar in the entertainment industry in the US in 2011.
Engaged: among e.netizens, decision-making is a group effort enhanced by social media
platforms. Purchases are reviewed and rated. Opinions are shared, tagged, approved—but
mostly rated.
Energized: the e.netizens get bored easily: they need variety, they need constant sensory
stimulation, they need instant gratifi cation, via instant breaking news, visuals, sounds, or
touches.
3.4. Personal identities in flux: the global face
The Internet does more harm than good to our personal identity:
developing a secure sense of who we are takes time and inner patience, moments of
struggling and experiencing
the internet helps us conceal our identity, speed though transactions, pick and choose
news items while avoiding others
images online often depict what is considered "beautiful" and "ugly" according to Western
values
the internet also causes global ambiguity as the lack of ties to any particular local culture
3.4. Personal identities in flux: the global face
We must take mindful pauses as we develop e.netizen communication flexibility by reflecting
on some of the following checkpoints:
Our identity is changing and becoming more fractured because of the Internet influence.
Try to develop a deeper understanding with those who share our physical space and
virtual space.
Try to understand that an open-minded attitude can help both fi xated e.netizens and
gliding e.netizens gain better insights into the other group.
Ask questions in a culture-sensitive manner! Do not be afraid to seek additional
information when you are not sure about the e.net identity of another. Learn to be patient
with globally fi xated e.netizens and ask them to be patient with you.
LESSON SUMMARY
Advances in communication technologies and the rise of mass media have enabled the
internationalization of media products, reducing the geographic distance between
countries, people, and cultures.
Media can promote social learning by giving prominence to certain issues, people, and
places. On the other hand, media can promote stereotypes of disadvantaged groups,
including women and ethnic minorities.
Media representation scholars study how the mass media that inform us of events across
the world can also distort our perception of social reality.
REFERENCES
Liu, S., VolCic, Z. and Gallois, C. (2015). Introducing intercultural communication: Global
cultures and context. Los Angeles, London, New Delhi, Singapore and Washington DC: SAGE.
Ting-Toomey, S. & Chung, L. C. (2012). Understanding intercultural communication. Los
Angeles, CA: Oxford University Press.
Social media’s impact on the 2020 presidential election: The good, the bad, and the ugly | Division
of Research. (2020, November 3). Retrieved from https://research.umd.edu/articles/social-medias-
impact-2020-presidential-election-good-bad-and-ugly
THANK YOU
