Summary (Draft 2)

In his paper, “globalisation of culture through the media”, Kraidy (2002) asserts that there was a general consensus that cultural globalisation was synonymous with westernisation or Americanisation. This perspective is similar to that of the cultural imperialism theory whereby cultural products and values from predominately “Western industrialised countries” are exported and imposed globally, particularly to developing countries. Kraidy (2002) highlights various reasons for the shift in perspective from cultural imperialism to globalisation. One group has perceived cultural globalisation as a homogenising process where local cultures are at risk of being dominated by Western culture. Others, including Kraidy, see it as hybridisation where global cultures adapt and transform to suit local needs.