Globalisation: Sociology and American Television Shows

INTRODUCTION
Globalization is an attempt to abolish obstacles, in areas of trade, communication and cultural exchange. It opens individual’s minds to new technologies and experiences, which will promote the wealth of all nations. It is a strong force that will continue to shape the future of most nations (Andersen, Taylor, 2011 p.230).
Since societies and social groups had been studied in the Caribbean by sociologists, they had noticed that one’s culture, race, beliefs, traditions, and many more aspects, have been somewhere similar in many other countries around the world. When further studies were done, the only solution to this cause was recognized through the media. The media is recognized as books, newspapers, televisions, radios, or anything thing that influences people worldwide. Communication between countries was limited and if there were any form to communicate, the process of sending and receiving information was time-consuming. However, before the dramatic advancement in technology, pigeons were used to send messages from one country to another and later that evolved to letters. Electronic devices are now used for faster communication, trades, and much more. The media was used for its purposes but, however it began to change societies all around the world by influencing individuals through different mediums. This process is called globalization.
Globalization in the Caribbean is considered nothing new and can be traced to Christopher Columbus arrival, in the new world in the 15th century. From a Caribbean perspective globalization is the exploitation, colonization, political, economic, intellectual and cultural imposition on the region by Euro America. It impacted on the Caribbean in ways such as exterminating the indigenous population, slavery, mercantilism, plantation systems and centuries of rivalry and wars that suppressed the development of the Caribbean (Tyehimba, 2006, para. 1 & 2). The challenge of the Caribbean in maintaining its cultural identity is a consequence of globalization and its influential global norms. Globalization through the media has negative effects on the Caribbean. These negative aspects deal with negative changes in societies and individual’s lifestyle.
Globalization brings about social changes, not only in the Caribbean but in the world. These changes are either good or bad and will continue to evolve in years ahead. Globalization and the media have affected the Caribbean more negatively in areas such as health, education, gender and values. In this essay we will be looking at the negative effects of Globalization through the Media on the Caribbean.

NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF MEDIA THROUGH GLOBALIZATION
The Caribbean, perceives the media as playing a major role in the process of reshaping Caribbean societies. While a certain amount of exposure to the media is essential for introducing ourselves to the world outside, excessive exposure and access without control can lead to the negative influence of the media. Below we will be looking at the areas such as health, education, gender and values and how they are being influenced by the media in a negative way.

VALUES & EDUCATION
The media is so overwhelming that the mass amount of people end up believing everything it says and shows. There are so many media sources and all of them are so convincing that it is hard to distinguish between right and wrong. The media is constantly bombarding us with information.
How far do we go to check its authenticity? How deep do we dig to get to the root of something that 's making news? How critically do we judge the reality of reality shows and the truth behind true stories? We don 't think, we believe. We don 't judge, we get influenced and that 's how impassive the media is. The Media highlights controversies and scandals in the lives of celebrities, changing the ways thing are perceived by the audience. Children are highly influenced and imitate their role models that are seen through the media. At those ages there are attracted to anything that is flashy and anything that can make news. The bad is inflated and the good goes unnoticed.
Bad media due to globalization, has a negative impact on children not mature enough to interpret what is being shown. Sociologist Gerbner studied the negative impact of the media (television) can have on children on the daily American’s television. According to the Gerbner theory, he stated that the number and frequency of violence are charted for a range of types of programs. Television drama emerged as highly violent in character: on average 80 percent of such programs contained violence, with a rate of 7.5 violent episodes per hour (Gerbner et al. 1979, 1980; gunter 1985). From his theory concerning the negative impact of the media, it is noticeable in the Caribbean societies. Children spent a lot of time in front of American television shows and all consist of some form violence. At this young age of infancy, they grasp thing quickly and put it into action when it is suitable in use. Education is the formal transmission of culture, with elements of preservation, dissemination and innovation (A new Dictionary of Sociology). In today’s Caribbean societies children are being more exposed to the media for their acquisition of early stages of education. Negativity of the media has developed in a way that seems appealing to the eyes and many children shows have violence in them in a jokey form. Let’s take for example the cartoon ‘Tom and Jerry’. The cartoon has a high percent of violence. The cat ‘Tom’ always runs down the rat ‘Jerry’ with some type of weapon to fight. But this violence isn’t seen out loud but is hidden in a jokey scene, and therefore children pick it up thinking it’s a joke as well.
An early exposure to bold or violent films, books publishing adult contents and news portraying ugly social practices have a deep impact on young minds. Adults may have the maturity to distinguish between the good and the bad but exaggerating only the bad, such as sex, race scenes, suicides and murders through books and movies can affect anyone at least at the subconscious level.

HEALTH PROBLEMS
Media has negative effects on the physical and psychological well-being of society. People spending too much time in front of a television or surfing the Internet may experience eye problems as well as lack of physical activity leads to obesity problems.
The media also influences public opinion and impacts the choices that people make. It plays a role in portraying thin as beautiful and fat as ugly. This makes the overweight starve themselves to lose weight. This has led to increasing cases of anorexia, inferiority complex and lowered confidence in people who are ashamed of their bodies.
Media is sometimes responsible for the changes in eating habits of teenagers and the unhealthy lifestyle they are adopting. This is so because there are these junk food advertisements everywhere. There 's no one advertising the benefits of eating fresh fruit everyday, no one 's promoting drinking 8 glasses of water daily. The benefits of following a balanced diet are not being hyped but fast food products, canned food, fad diets and energy drinks are hyped.

GENDER
Gender is considered as socially learned expectations and behaviors, associated with members of each sex (Andersen, Taylor, 2011, p. 265). In the Caribbean the media has for some time been one of the major agents of gender socialization. It has taught the behaviors and attitudes considered appropriate for a given sex i.e.; boys are taught to be boys and girls are taught to be girls. Due to globalization the increase in American programming, that displays LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender) movements and television shows are said to have a negative effects on young children. They may model behaviours that may not be socially acceptable in the Caribbean society and in their families’ culture.

CONCLUSION
The negative effects of globalization on the Caribbean are varied and great. The media thrives on controversy, sharing and highlighting the negative aspects. The Caribbean people and their children are exposed to the social behaviors, images and perceptions that are globally accepted, resulting in the belief that what is seen and heard is what is conventional and what is expected. The holistic change in the Caribbean due to these effects has been immense and has resulted in the misplacement of our own cultures and identities.
BIBLIOGRAPHY

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Dunn, H. S. (1995). Globalization, communications, and Caribbean identity. New York: St. Martin 's Press.

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Bibliography: Anderson, Margaret L, Howard F & Taylor (2005). Sociology: The Essentials, 3rd ed. Instructor 's ed. Belmont, Calif.: Thomson/Wadsworth Anderson, Margaret L, Howard F & Taylor (2011). Sociology: The Essentials, 6th ed. Macmillan publishing solutions Dunn, H. S. (1995). Globalization, communications, and Caribbean identity. New York: St. Martin 's Press. Dunning, L., MA., & MFT. (n.d.). Negative Influences of Mass Media. Denver Marriage Counseling, Colorado Family Therapy, Centennial Child Therapist. Retrieved July 17, 2012, from http://www.lisadunningmft.com/negative_effects_mass_media_child_article.htm Globalization and the mass media | Time for change. (n.d.). Time for change | For whom enough is too little - nothing is ever enough. Retrieved July 17, 2012, from http://timeforchange.org/globalization-and-the-mass-media Johnson, J. (n.d.). How popular culture affects the Caribbean - by James Johnson - Helium. Helium - Where Knowledge Rules. Retrieved July 17, 2012, from http://www.helium.com/items/1319204-caribbean-culture-caribbean-crime-popular-culture Mitchell, G. D. (1979). A new dictionary of sociology ([New ed.). London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. Tyehimba, R. (n.d.). RastaSpeaks.com - Tyehimba - Globalisation is as old as Colonialism. Africa Speaks.com - Encouraging deeper historical reflections to shed light on our past, present and future. Retrieved July 17, 2012, from http://www.rastaspeaks.com/tyehimba/2006/300506.html