Summary (Draft 1)

In his paper, "globalisation of culture through the media", Kraidy (2002) asserts that there is a general consensus that globalisation of culture is synonymous with westernisation or Americanisation. Cultural globalisation has largely been attributed to mass media but this is challenged in “international communication theory and research”. The theory of cultural imperialism states that media messages from predominately “Western industrialised countries” are exported and broadcasted globally, particularly to developing countries.

As identified by researchers, nation-states and transnational corporations are two main contributors to cultural imperialism. The global media debate arose due to the different ideologies between the Western industrialised countries, which advocated neo-liberalism, and the developing countries, which pushed for a “free and balanced flow” of information.

There is a growing awareness about the limitations of cultural imperialism theory and hence, there has been a paradigm shift to globalisation. Some perceive cultural globalisation as a homogenising process where indigenous cultures are at risk of being dominated by Western culture. Others, including Kraidy, see it as hybridisation where global cultures are adapted and transformed to suit local needs.