CORE Metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk Provided by Covenant University Repository Journal of Global Communication Vol. 3, No. 2, July - Dec. 2010 : 01-07 Globalization, Africa and the Question of Imperialism Okorie Nelson* Abstract: The influence of globalization has been a growing concern for social scientists and cultural theorists. For many, global media institutions abet cultural globalization, which is synonymous with cultural homogenization, which refers the processes of global uniformity and standardization of human cultural experience. Drawing from the perspective of globalization, critical discourse analysis and cultural studies, this paper presents an argumentative discussion on globalization and its cultural influence in Africa. It examined how globalization has been associated with a range of cultural consequences. These can be analyzed in terms of three major theses; namely homogenization, polarization and hybridization. In addition, this paper reviews the cultural imperialism argument in terms of how global media institutions negatively affect the culture of Africans. Keywords: Globalization; Cultural Globalization; Cultural Imperialism; Africa. Introduction and mass communication is a very strong vehicle for cultural dissemination. Nevertheless, with the nature of The current restructuring and reshaping of international communication system, there have been globalization has become a powerful transformation massive flows of Western, largely American, media process, that has acquired hegemonic status as a result culture into non-western societies. As a result, native of its operative logic and ideological connotation in the cultures have been distorted and displaced leading to the contemporary global economy. A wide and diverse range increase in the adaptation of foreign values, life style and of social theorists are arguing that today’s world is behavioral pattern. organized by accelerating globalization, which is strengthening the dominance of a world capitalist This paper is divided into a number of rubrics; the economic system, supplanting corporations and eroding debate about globalization, globalization and global local cultures and traditions(Boyd-Barrett, 1977; communication, cultural globalization and global media, Hamelink, 1983; Bagdikian, 2000; Mc Chesney, 2001). and cultural dominance. It examines the influence of In other words, globalization and the expansion of the globalization and its threat to indigenous culture in Africa. communication industries are likely to increase the rate at which culture change to incorporate outside cultural The Debate about Globalization www.IndianJournals.com Members Copy, Not for Commercial Sale influences. Cohen (1987), argues that the intensification Globalization is an all encompassing concept used ofDownloaded From IP - 41.203.76.254 on dated 7-Oct-2013 mass communication and cross-cultural interaction has to describe the process that intends to harness and greatly accelerated the incorporation of external cultural conglomerate all the systems of the world’s economic elements in local culture. This perspective is based on and political activities and transacting it as a village (Bayors the expectation that as the potential sources of influence and Smith, 2001; Ohuabunwa, 1999). Since the advent proliferate with the expansion of communication, the rate of globalization in the 1990s, the world has witnessed at which cultural change will increase. phenomenal changes in all ramification or facets of life The overwhelming majority of today’s global media (Spybey, 1996). Communication has become more rapid is commercially operated in the Western World. For and complex; working patterns have changed and example, in the - U.S, it has tremendous impact on other transformed; financial transactions also move freely countries, all of the biggest TV stations (NBC, CBS, among countries and political boundaries within the ABC, FOX, CNN) are owned by private companies international community. whose sole purpose of existence is to maximize Several scholars have written about the diffident shareholder’s profit. Importantly, the expansion of these perspectives of globalization. For Tomlinson (1999), communication industries across the globe poses globalization involves a rapid process of complex challenges to Africa’s’ indigenous culture in the 21st interactions between societies, culture, as well as century. Ekeanyanwu (2005), pointed out that the individuals across the globe. It is a process that involves communication industry is part of the culture industry, the compression of time and space (Harvey, 1989). *Department of Mass Communication, Covenant University, Ota Ogun State. Km 10 Idiroko Road Ota, P.M.B 1023, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria, E-mail: [email protected], Ph: +2348066615594 IndianJournals.com 1 Globalization, Africa and the Question of Imperialism Shrinking distances through a dramatic reduction in the globalization, social relations are viewed as increasingly time taken- either physical or representational- to cross tied to territorial frameworks. Instead, global phenomena them, so making the world seem smaller and in a certain extends across widely scattered locations simultaneously, sense bringing human beings ‘closer’ to one another. diminishing the significance of territorial distance and Spybey (1997), argues that globalization in its structural border. dimensions can be regarded primarily as nation states Despite the diversity of conceptions of globalization, systems, cultural spreading, world military order and other most discussions of globalization points to the expansion internationally dispersed activities. Ohuabunwa (1999:26), of communications as a key source of social change in also describes globalization as “an evolution which is the international system (Greig, 2002). The proliferation systematically restructuring interactive phases among of fax machines, telephones, air travel, television, and nations by breaking down barriers in the areas of culture, internet have provided the opportunity for broader range commerce, communication and several other fields of of interaction beyond an individual’s immediate locale and endeavor”. He stressed that globalization is evident from across cultural groups (Greig, 2002; Holton, 2000). Burger its push of free market economies, liberal democracy, (1997), argues that the cultural dimensions of globalization good governance, gender equality, and environmental are a consequence of an immense increase in worldwide sustainability among other holistic values for the people communication. of the member state. In other words, globalization is a process of change in which countries and their economies Globalization and Global Communication are increasingly integrated as a function cutting across The advent of globalization has led to the revolution borders. This connotes the expansion of human activities in communication technologies and has affected in the area of transportation, communication, trade and individuals across the globe. Basically, global financial exchange targeting around the globe. communication refers to the process of transmitting and Furthermore, the transmutation of technology and capital, receiving information on a world-wide scale. People have work together to create a new globalized and been communicating on a global scale for centuries interconnected world. A technological revolution involving (Lubbers & Koorevaar, 2000). Ekeanyanwu (2005), noted the creation of a computerized network of that global communication is concerned with the gathering, communications, transportation, and exchange is the dissemination, interpretation and analysis of global news presupposition of a globalized economy, along with the and information . Musa (2003), observes that in line with extension of a world capitalist market system that is www.IndianJournals.com Members Copy, Not for Commercial Sale the game of globalization, the global media plays the role absorbing ever more areas of the world and spheres of Downloaded From IP - 41.203.76.254 on dated 7-Oct-2013 of disseminating the international communication ideology production, exchange, and consumption into its orbit as well as diffusing western values and culture, which (Kellner, 2002). appears dominant in the world. Diverse attitudes toward globalization can be With the evolution of technology, global summarized by the following terms: worldliness, communication has become increasingly easy, faster, internalization, transnational, international integration, clearer and more effective (Lubbers & Koorevaar, 2000). inter-dependency, westernization and convergence. The evolution of global communication can be linked Scholte (1997), pointed out that there are three general closely to the evolution of technology, as new creations, descriptions of globalization. The first description such as internet are continually being invented, improved envisions globalization as an increased border relation. and converged with other products, they are enabling This conception effectively equate globalization with inter- new modes of interaction. nationalization where there is an increase in the amount of goods, people, finance, messages and ideas moving Historically, people have communicated globally frequently among countries. Secondly, globalization can through geographic proximity, military conquest, political be described as a removal of barriers to large scale alliances and economic change, however, for thousands movements of trade, travel,