CONTEMPORARY WORLD

BY: ROGUEL, CLAIRE (2C)

MODULE 6:
GLOBAL MEDIA CULTURE – explores relationship between
GLOBALIZATION media, culture, and globalization
process increasing economic interdependence among nations, MEDIA – has an important impact on cultural globalization, in two
reflected in the growth of cross-border trade in goods and services mutually interdependent ways
1. Media provide intensive transnational transmission of
GOODS AND SERVICES – flow across borders and their cultural products
globalization is underway 2. It contributes transmission of communicative networks
• Ex: US to CHINA – people are trading ideas, and and social structures
everyone is benefitting from it
MEDIA’S FIVE STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT
IDEAS - intangible, measuring the impacts of imported ideas on Evolution of traditional media to new media
countries, economic well-being is challenging.
• Imported ideas can arrive in a physical form, most LANGUAGE AND CULTURE – intertwines
importedly as new capital goods, whos impact on • Ex: interacting with diff language, means interacting with
economic growth can be measured another culture that speaks about the language
• You cannot understand one’s culture w/o assessing the
Ideas – different from goods and services (it is nonrival, not language directly
scarce) • Language is learned, meaning it can be culturally
• EX: house under construction provides a good transmitted
• LAND, materials, schools, tools skills, labor hours of • The culture of humans is as different to world
carpenters – rival goods languages, meaning they are likely to change
• One idea can be used by an unlimited number of
people simultaneously Particular language - points out to specific group of people
• PYTHAGOREAN THEORY – to calculate the
triangle side does not stop anyone else from doing INDUSTRIALIZED COUNTRIES – changes in languages are
the same thing at the same time. more rapid, modern techniques for fast communication
transmission across the globe through broadcasting and the
GLOBAL FLOWS OF IDEAS presence of translation services around the world.
Apparent in computers, smartphones, e-reader, other • It helped make usable knowledge to be accessible to
technologies that fill out everyday life people anywhere in the world
• Patents are sought whenever inventors expect their
ideas, SCRIPT
• Their designs for new products and production Knowledge, beliefs, and behaviors were written and made
processes are to be made used or sold available for transmission to the next generation, and to other
• Quantifying the flow is difficult nations and cultures
• PATENT FILING – provide indirect evidence of
production of ideas PRINTING PRESS
• CROSS BORDER PATENTING - patenting of one idea This period of media development affects globalization by
in several countries can help trace the flow of ideas. transforming various institutions like schools, markets,
• IDEA PRODUCTION – has taken off in the developing businesses, churches, governments,
break economies
• BREAK– Brazil, Russia, India, China (exports and ELECTRONIC MEDIA
imports of ideas grown substantially) Electronic Age – the invention of the transistor ushered in the
• TRADITIONAL LOPUS OF GLOBAL IDEA electronic era
PRODUCTION – US, Germany, Japan • People harness the power oft transistor that led to
transistor communication, which makes it efficient and
IDEAS – great engines of economic growth, because effective
everybody can use them simultaneously
• Once the cost of creating new set of extractions, DIGITAL MEDIA – known as new media
extraction can be used over and over without additional Consist of contents that are organized, and distributed or
cost platforms like internet, social media, computers
• Does not need to be recreated as it is already available
• Flow of an idea is as important as an idea itself MEDIA – comes from “medium”, defined as channel means or
• IDEAS become more valuable as number of users methods
increases • Media is the generic term for all human-invented
technologies that extend trade, speed, channels of
GLOBAL CULTURE AND MEDIA communication
Media Industry – in many ways, perfect for globalization, the • MASS MEDIA – reach large audiences
spread of global trade without regard of political borders
• Largely cultural product, and transfer of such product Outcomes of the influence of globalization on culture
has likely influence to its recipients culture CULTURAL DIFFERENTIALISM – like western and non western
• Increasingly, technology has been propelling civilization
globalization • Ex: terrorist attack during 911 attacks and subsequent
• Technology - allows quick communication, fast and wars in Afghanistan and Irac
coordinated transport, and fast marketing • Many people in this event are seen as a product of a
clash of western and Islamic culture
 CONTEMPORARY WORLD
BY: ROGUEL, CLAIRE (2C)
• Eternal differences between them 5. Pilgrimage to the holy center of Mecca

HINDUISM – oldest religion in the world

CULTURAL CONVERGENCE – sameness of cultures • Originated in Hindu River Valley
• Ex: kpop cultures, use of technology participation • Has 1 billion followers
in global sports, English languange • 3rd largest of the world’s religion
• when multiple cultures become more like one • Hindus believed in the divine power that can manifest as
another due to exposure of cultures and different entities
languanges • Hindus believed in “karma” and “reincarnation”

CULTURAL HYBRIDITY BUDDHISM – founded by Siddhartha Gautama

• ex: global restaurant, chains like KFC, McDonalds as • Siddhartha - is believed to have given up a
they modify their menu to suit the taste of different comfortable, upper-class life to follow one of poverty
cultures and spiritual devotion.
• At the age of thirty-five, he famously meditated under a
GLOCALIZATIN – a combination of globalization and localization sacred fig tree and vowed not to rise before he
• describe a product or service that developed and achieved enlightenment, called bodhi.
distributed globally but also adjusted to accommodate • After this experience, he became known as Buddha or
the consumers in the local market “enlightened one.”
• ex: cars that are sold worldwide but adjusted to meet • Followers were drawn to Buddha’s teachings and the
local criteria like emission standards, and the side of the practice of meditation, and he later established a
steering wheel (left or right) monastic order
• Ex: global fast food chain offering geographically • Buddha’s teachings encourage Buddhists to lead a
specific menus that cater to and adjust local taste moral life

GLOBALIZATION OF RELIGION CONFUSIANISM

Religion – the foundation of modern republics, official religion of China, until it was officially abolished when
• Belief and worship of superhuman controlling powers, communist leadership discouraged religious practice in 1949.
especially gods • developed by Kung Fu-Tzu (Confucius)
• Also defined as a cultural system, designated behavior • An extraordinary teacher, his lessons—which were
and practices, morals, prophecies, and ethics that about self-discipline, respect for authority and tradition
relate humans to spiritual elements • Jen (the kind treatment of every person)—were
• Malaysian government – places religion at the center collected in a book called the Analects.
of its political system • Some religious scholars consider Confucianism more of
a social system than a religion because it focuses on
Main religions differ in how religion is organized, the belief system sharing wisdom about moral practices but doesn’t
each upholds involve any type of specific worship; nor does it have
formal objects.
Difference: • More on teachings than religion
• Nature or belief in higher power
• History of how religion and the world began TAOISM – the purpose of life is inner peace and harmony
• Use of sacred text and objects • TAO – translated as way or path
• Laozi - the founder of the religion
1. CHRISTIANITY – largest religion in the world • Taoist beliefs emphasize the virtues of compassion
• Began 2000 years ago in Palestine, as Jesus of and moderation.
Nazareth, a charismatic leader who taught his followers • The ying-yang symbol and the concept of polar
about “Caritas” forces are central Taoist ideas
• Caritas - meaning charities, treating others as you • Some scholars have compared this Chinese tradition to
would like to be treated yourself its Confucian counterpart by saying that “whereas
Confucianism is concerned with day-to-day rules of
2. ISLAM conduct, Taoism is concerned with a more spiritual
Monotheistic religion - believes in only a single god level of being”
• follow the teaching of prophet Muhammed (not divine
being) – messenger of Allah (Divine/God) JUDAISM
• ISLAM – meaning peace and submission After their Exodus from Egypt in the thirteenth century B.C.E.,
Jews, a nomadic society, became monotheistic, worshipping
Qur’an (or Koran) – sacred text/book for Muslims only one God.
• As with Christianity’s Old Testament, many of the • The Jews’ covenant, or promise of a special relationship
Qur’an stories are shared with Jewish Faith with Yahweh (God), is an important element of
• division exists, but all Muslims are guided by 5 only Judaism, and their sacred text is the Torah (which
Christians also follow as the first five books of the Bible)
god, and beliefs or practices, called PILLARS • Talmud - refers to a collection of sacred Jewish oral
interpretations of the Torah.
5 PILLARS/ BELIEFS
• Jews emphasize moral behavior and action in this world
1. Allah is the only God, and Muhammad is his prophet
as opposed to beliefs or personal salvation in the next
2. Daily prayer
world.
3. Helping those in poverty
4. Fasting as spiritual practice
 CONTEMPORARY WORLD
BY: ROGUEL, CLAIRE (2C)

SUMMARY
• Religions optimize the definition of globalization due to
the fact it spreads more efficiently by different
technological tools
• Allowing even more new religious movements to
engage in overseas activities

TYPES OF RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATION

• Sociologists use different terms, like ecclesia,
denomination, and sect, to define these types of
organizations.
• Scholars are also aware that these definitions are not
static.
• Most religions transition through different organizational
phases.
• For example, Christianity began as a cult, transformed
into a sect, and today exists as an ecclesia.

1. CULTS – like sects, are new religious groups.

• In the United States today this term often
carries pejorative connotations.
• However, almost all religions began as cults
and gradually progressed to levels of greater
size, stability, and organization.

2. SECTS - small and relatively new group. Most of the

well-known Christian denominations in the United
States today began as sects.
• For example, the Methodists and Baptists
protested against their parent Anglican
Church in England, just as Henry VIII
protested against the Catholic Church by
forming the Anglican Church. From
“protest” comes the term Protestant.

3. DENOMINATION - Often a sect begins as an offshoot

of a denomination, when a group of members believes
they should separate from the larger group.
• Some sects dissolve without growing into
denominations. Sociologists call these
established sects
• Established sects, such as the Amish or
Jehovah’s Witnesses fall halfway between
sect and denomination on the ecclesia–cult
continuum because they have a mixture of
sect-like and denomination-like
characteristics.

4. denomination - it is one religion among many.

For example, Baptist, African Methodist Episcopal,
Catholic, and Seventh-day Adventist are all Christian
denominations.

5. Ecclesia - It is considered a nationally recognized, or

official, religion that holds a religious monopoly and is
closely allied with state and secular powers.

One way to remember these religious organizational terms is to

think of cults, sects, denominations, and ecclesia representing a
continuum, with increasing influence on society, where cults are
least influential and ecclesia are most influential.