Uses and Gratifications Theory, Cultivation Theory, Agenda Setting Theory
CULTURAL IMPERIALISM
Explanation of Theory:
Cultural Imperialism Theory states that Western nations dominate the media around the world which in return has a powerful effect on Third World Cultures by
Individual Interpretations:
Western Civilization produces the majority of the media (film, news, comics, etc.) because they have the money to do so. The rest of the world purchases those productions because it is cheaper for them to do so rather than produce their own. Therefore, Third World countries are watching media filled with the Western world's way of living, believing, and thinking. The third world cultures then start to want and do the same things in their countries and destroy their own culture.
Explanatory Power: It explains what happens when one group of people with their own ideas sends messages through the media to a different group of people.
Predictive Power: It predicts that Third World countries' culture will be destroyed and the people will identify with Western views.
Linear model: We can see a direct straight path from sender to receiver through the media channels and then watch the effects.
Chances of the theory failing: The theory could be proved false should the Third World countries not be effected by Western media and they do not lose their culture.
Internal Consistency: There is a logical flow of events and consequences within the theory.
Heuristic Provocativeness: This theory could lead to new hypotheses such as which cultures are effected more than others (if any) or whether low context differ in the reception of messages compared top high context cultures?
Organizing Power: This fits with what we already know about differences between Western civilization and Third World countries. Example:
Several people have seen the episode of Southpark where one of the students is swapped for a "starving Ethiopian." Should someone in Ethiopia watch this cartoon, the Western stereotype of Ethiopians all starving to death will
Explanation of Theory:
Cultural Imperialism Theory states that Western nations dominate the media around the world which in return has a powerful effect on Third World Cultures by
Individual Interpretations:
Western Civilization produces the majority of the media (film, news, comics, etc.) because they have the money to do so. The rest of the world purchases those productions because it is cheaper for them to do so rather than produce their own. Therefore, Third World countries are watching media filled with the Western world's way of living, believing, and thinking. The third world cultures then start to want and do the same things in their countries and destroy their own culture.
Explanatory Power: It explains what happens when one group of people with their own ideas sends messages through the media to a different group of people.
Predictive Power: It predicts that Third World countries' culture will be destroyed and the people will identify with Western views.
Linear model: We can see a direct straight path from sender to receiver through the media channels and then watch the effects.
Chances of the theory failing: The theory could be proved false should the Third World countries not be effected by Western media and they do not lose their culture.
Internal Consistency: There is a logical flow of events and consequences within the theory.
Heuristic Provocativeness: This theory could lead to new hypotheses such as which cultures are effected more than others (if any) or whether low context differ in the reception of messages compared top high context cultures?
Organizing Power: This fits with what we already know about differences between Western civilization and Third World countries. Example:
Several people have seen the episode of Southpark where one of the students is swapped for a "starving Ethiopian." Should someone in Ethiopia watch this cartoon, the Western stereotype of Ethiopians all starving to death will