Media
Globalization: Culture Imperialism Rotation in Indonesia
DR.
Widodo Muktiyo
It is undeniable that
globalization now is one loud word heard in the entire world in this 21st
century. Even pro-contra phenomena also give color to the globalization trip.
The change that is conducted entirely is felt collectively, and influence many
people (cross all the countries) that influence the life style and our environment.
World really change and globalization is a connected world unlimitedly; or it
borrows the McLuhan’s term as global village (Fakih, 2006; McLuhan, 1994).
One of the
interpretation towards globalization is said that globalization is” both a
journey and destination: “both a journey and destination: it signifies abd
historical process of becoming, as well as an economic and cultural result;
that is arrival at the globalized state. Actually, globalization intrinsically
has brought culture nuance and value that influence taste and society life
style. Through the media that are more open minded and reachable, the society
gets various information about that modern civilization from all over the
world. While, we realize that not all citizen can evaluate yet where we are as
a nation. That it is, for example, information flood and new culture that is
brought by is often strange from life attitude and operative norm.
The
Mass Media Roles
Before discussing about
media globalization, we will try to review the mass media role that affirms the
tendency of the global condition. As known, the mass media roles in social
life, especially in modern society are undeniable, according to McQuail in his
book Mass Communication Theories (2000: 66), there are six view perspectives
about the media role. First, looking at mass media as a window on event and
experience. Or media is being looked at as window that make possible public see
what’s going on outside there. Or media is a study tool to detect various
event.
Second, media is also
often assumed as a mirror of event in society and the world, implying a
faithful reflection. The mirror of various event exist in the society and in
the world which reflects what it is. Therefore media managers often felt
innocent if the media contents are full of violence, conflict, pornography and
other various wickedness, because according to them that it really is, media is
only as a fact reflection whether like or dislike. While actually, angle,
direction and framing from contents that are assumed as reality mirror are
decided by media professionalism, and public not thoroughly free to detect what
they want.
Third, mass media as a
filter or gatekeeper that selects all things to be given attention or not.
Media always choose issues, information or other content form based on standard
of the managers. Here, public are chosen by media about anything proper known
and get attention.
Fourth, mass media is
often also viewed as a guide, signpost or interpreter, which translate and show
direction on various uncertainty, or a various alternative.
Fifth, mass media as
forum to interpret a various information and ideas to public, so that it allow
the happening of conception and feedback.
Sixth, mass media as an
interlocutor, which is not only merely a place of the passing information, but
also as a communication partner that allows the happening of communication
interactive.
From here, it can be
seen that the media role in social life is not merely a diversion tool, stress
reducer or entertainment, but the contents and information that are presented,
have a character significant in course of social. The mass media contents is
brain consumption for the public, so that what is in mass media will influence
subjective reality of social interaction member (Defleur and Ball-Rokeach,
1989; curran et. al, 1979).
The description about
reality that is formed by this mass media contents will later provide response
and public attitude towards various social objects. The wrong information from
mass media will also show the wrong description towards that social object.
Hence mass media is demanded to submit information accurately and completely.
This information quality is ethical demand and mass media presentation moral.
Media
Globalization: Culture Imperialism Practice
According to the great
role of mass media in affecting the public idea, of course the mass media
development in Indonesia in the future must be thought again. Even in facing
the mass media globalization which are not avoidable again. The mass media
globalization is a process according which is naturally happen, as the
sunshine, as the rain or meteor falls.
Globalization makes a
difference in countries in the space dimension, time and culture reduced. If,
in 1970s to the last 20 century era, we cling with the American term, so in
this 21 century the term replaced with globalization.
How big the influence
of this globalization at least it can be seen with the tendency, for example
the market and economy production in different country are being dependable to
each other as a result from the international trading. The increasing of the
problem, for example in environment area, multinational crisis, multinational
crisis, regional inflation and others. And undeniable again that globalization
influence most of all aspect that exist in society.
Actually globalization
has happened since long time ago. When Hinduism, Buddha or Islam arrived in the
archipelago, that process can be called as globalization. In case, that time,
the limits that exclude the archipelago area and culture is open and finally
mix with values that exist in those religions. However, in globalization
context in the world of communication, globalization grows along with the
technology development. In other word, the fast communication means growth
makes globalization is also more faster (Briggs and Burke, 2006).
The same opinion is
also revealed by Pawito (2010: 12) that as long as the decade 1980-an mass
media experiences great transformation with new invention and completing at technology
information-communication including the digital technique (in television, radio
and printer machine), integration between computer and satellite then followed
with internet use widely and also hand phone. The development in the mass media
world obviously facilitate globalization processes like as that proposed.
By using Internet/ hand
phone which has internet facilities, for example, access for information
(almost about everything) and all entertainment from outside world is easy
acquired. In the same time, other mass media service like television, radio,
newspaper, magazine, domestic books, at least to many matters, are global
culture product. Because of this tendency so it can be said that culture type
in many aspects that develop in society, including Indonesia society, is the
globalization penetration result that carried or facilitated by mass media.
Marshall Mcluhan in
1962 in his article the guttenberg galaxy: the making of typographic man that
be the basic of the appearance of technological determination theory. The basic
idea of this theory is that the change in various communication ways (most influenced
by media mass) will also form human existence. Technology forms individual how
to think, take a part in society. And the technology finally aim human to move
from one technology century to technology century other. McLuhan confirm that
we make device to communicate and device to communicate that we use that
finally form or influence our life itself (Nurudin, 2007: 184-185). At least
the description from Mcluhan also amplificates anything about the influence of
that mass media.
In the other side, globalization
gives profit in global interaction context that mean it allows every person
endures the life in global domain village. However, it is important to remember
that it is a period development within reason double-edged knife. Dedy N.
hidayat remind that through the globalization it will appear a global consensus
that makes products of west as a power project, domination, and local
manipulation. All of this involve power projects that the historic trace span
from third world conquest era (belongs Indonesia), imperialism distribution,
and capitalism domination west, up to contemporary efforts toward homogenizes
and global consensus achievement towards various idea and modernity product
ethics west (Hidayat, 1992).
The one of the
imperialism form is in a cultural context. By globalization there is a kind of
tourism that makes us feel many things from different culture. Added by being
inspired of the development of the communication technology so the appearance
of a culture globalization development will not able to be avoided.
Return to the mass
media context as principal channel from globalization process where in global
context, it is controlled by giant companies based in America and England.
There are at least five giant companies that dominate global media i.e. News
Corp, Disney/CapCities, Time Warner, Viacom and TCI.. These companies has its
branch companies so that genuinely rooted. News Corp, for example, has various
newspaper companies, television station and broadcasting satellite system in all
over the world including Star TV and Sky TV; and Time Warner’s is the owner of
Turner Broadcasting which is the founder and the owner of CNN. This fact evokes
a vast concern and also the hits culture imperialism (cultural imperialism),
belong study hits culture imperialism as media imperialism (cultural
imperialism media axis imperialism) (clearer, read, for example, tomlinsonm
2002: 223-226).
About this cultural
imperialism, it is not just an issue. Before 21st century, it is very rare that
Indonesian television showing many programs from other countries except AS.
But, nowadays in the television, we can see many TV programs non-America. They
are from Indian, Japan, Korean, China, Taiwan, Mexico, etc. The world more
integrated based on market in capitalism market circle.
More countries compete
for marketing its television. Indonesian television to be more colorful with
involvement of TV programs from other country. They are TV serial from Japan
and Korean, Telenovela from America and film from Indian. Is it negative or
positive? Like a coin, everything has positive and negative side. In the
positive side, we know about other culture and increase our knowledge, while in
the negative side our local culture is more faded because of the influence of
foreign culture. This is a practice of cultural imperialism added by this
problem, it can be happen because we less appreciate our culture.
In the contexts of
third world, it is very known that until now this inferiority still dominate so
everything that come from West country always considered more beautiful, more
interactive, more advance compare with everything from East country.
The involvement of
internet and television which is act as bridge for almost countries in the
Earth makes distributing culture more quick, the leak of one culture from
countries that consider superior enter to countries that inferior
unconsciously. In the television, many people in behind the screen, such as the
employees of home production, producer, director, until the owner of television
station usually only people who chase financial profit for themselves, so they
showing many programs from countries that consider the superior, for interest
more audience, it means that it will increase the rating, it means that the
entering of advertisement is increase, without caring that this problem means
that they did a real act for shatter nation culture itself slowly.
By looking all
problems, Have we blame our young generation who may more appreciate if they
called as MTV generation? Have we blame them who don’t know each local
language, leather puppet, traditional dances, etc? Have we blame them who
prefer spend their spare time to window shopping at the malls, eating in fast
food restaurant which is franchise product from foreign country? Is it them
actually the victims of the modal owner egoism, and older generation from them
who try foreign culture by media?
Nowadays, globalization
more feel than Americanization, because information and media trend are not
monopolized by US. Now, all countries in the world can participation in
marketing the information. Although in fact AS and other west countries still
dominate the information trend. Globalization of media ownership that really
show up showing practice the high culture imperialism (Morley, 2006;
Straubhaar,et. al, 2009).
Indonesian culture
can’t incontrovertible was contaminated global culture from America. As the
result there are stresses because of smashing inter advance global culture,
with local culture that representative of nationalism spirit or regionalism,
but also the traditional impressed. That should be note is that the worry or
refuse of globalization usually called Americanization; it is show up not only
in advance country or third world country.
By showing the study of
cultural imperialism in the same manner as said by Tomlinson (2002) was proper
we must increase the alertness to cultural imperialism. Moreover main thesis
from this study that is said that more power the penetration and hegemony
culture of society advance country (west county) to advance society culture or
third world so this problem is global capitalism success. It means
globalization processes in fact it was strengthen hegemony capitalism circle,
which in the next the fact carry economic systems neo-liberalism that pointed
on subordination, exploitation, poverty and alienation in the society of
advance world.
Alternative
Solution
As expressed by Gramsci
that is well known with the hegemony theory that said that to escape from
foreign culture grip, the participation of the intellectuals who have to give
the clear understanding for the society, especially the rising generation, not
class traditional intellectuals who exactly legitimate the foreign cultures
(Gramsci in Bocock, 2007: 39-40).
However it is not so
easy to make competitor product to shifted import presentations from outside,
so that more interesting the rising generation if they don’t have capital
enough strong? According to my observation during the time, this organic
intellectual class is slimmer, so that the load extradite to watch over the
young generation from globalization negative influence are not wise.
At least the
alternative way is needed to quickly socialize and realize the media literacy
movement to take over the bad effect of media globalization. James Potter
definite media literacy as : ”A perspective that we actively use when exploring
ourselves to the media in order to interpret the meaning of the messages when
we counter. We build our perspective from knowledge structure. To build our
knowledge structures, we need tools and raw material. The tools are our skills.
The raw material is information from the media and the real world. Active use
means we are aware of the messages and are consciously with them” (Potter, 2001).
It is important because it will push individual to actively transferred the
message and confirm individual in face or access media.
The one of positive or
negative effects from globalization is definite from our attitude in using
media. Because of that, it needs media literacy, in order to we can see good
side and bad side from media content so we flow in globalization current.
Bibliography
Bocock, Robert.
Hegemoni. Terj. Ikramullah Mahyuddin. Yogyakarta dan Bandung:
Jalasutra.
Briggs, Asa dan Peter
Burke. 2006. A Social History of the Media. Terj. A.
Rahman Zainuddin.
Jakarta: Yayasan Obor Indonesia.
DeFleur, Melvin L. and
Sandra J. Ball-Rokeach. 1989. Theories of Mass
Communication, fifth
edition. New York: Longman.
Fakih, Mansour. 2006. Runtuhnya
Teori Pembangunan dan Globalisasi. Cet. 4.
Yogyakarta: Insist
Press dan Pustaka Pelajar.
Ferguson, Marjorie.
2002. “The Mythology About Globalization” dalam Denis
McQuail (ed.) McQuail’s
Reader in Mass Communication Theory. London:
Sage Publication.
Hidayat, Dedy N,
“Globalisasi, Pascamodernisme dan Dunia Ketiga”, Kompas, 18 Desember 1992.
McQuail, Denis. 2000.
Mass Communication Theories, Fourth edition. London: Sage
Publication.
McLuhan, Marshall.
1994. Understanding Media: The Extension of Man. London: The MIT Press.
Morley, David. 2006.
“Globalisation and Cultural Imperialism Reconsidered: Old Question in New
Guide” dalam James Curran and David Morley (ed.). Media and Cultural Theory.
New York: Routledge.
Nurudin. 2007. Pengantar
Komunikasi Massa. Jakarta: RajaGrafindo Persada.
Pawito. 2010. Media
Massa, Globalisasi dan Identitas Nasional. Pidato Pengukuhan
Guru Besar disampaikan
di Surakarta 7 Januari 2010. Surakarta: Universitas
Sebelas Maret
Surakarta.
Potter, James W. 2001.
Media Literacy. New Delhi: Sage Publication.
Straubhaar, Joseph D;
Robert LaRose and Lucinda Davenport. 2009. Media Now:
Understanting Media,
Culture and Technology. Belmont: Wadsworth.
Tomlinson, John. 2002.
“The Discourse of Cultural Imperialism” dalam Denis
McQuail (ed.) McQuail’s
Reader in Mass Communication Theory. London:
Sage Publication.
0 comments:
Post a Comment