CHAPTER 4

“A World of Ideas”

Chapter Overview

Today, people all over the world have easy access to communicate with each other and to be aware of
the news all over the world. There are many advantages in global media. Now, people have easier access of
television, radio, internet and in fact, they have access of others countries; satellite TV channels. So, what is the
real significance of media globalization? Is it responsible for unprecedented social change, the shrinkage of time
and space, the perpetuation of global capitalism, the further hastening of cultural homogenization or sameness, or
is its importance overblown and overstated?

This chapter explores global media across different cultures. By concentrating on the effects of
globalization and new information technologies in and from different geographical regions, students will broaden
their understanding of the institutional and cultural contexts of global media.

This chapter also examines the globalization of religion by considering whether and how it might be
possible to improve the understanding and acceptance of diverse religion and cultural differences in the
contemporary world.

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the chapter, the learners are expected to demonstrate the following:

1. Analyze how various media drive various form of global integration.

2. Explain the dynamic between local and global cultural production.
3. Explain how globalization affects religious practices and beliefs
4. Analyze the relationship between religion and global conflict and conversely, global peace

Lesson Outline:

1. Global Culture and Media

2. The Globalization of Religion
Definition of Key Terms/ Concepts or Unlocking of Difficulties

Culture- refers to the unified style of human knowledge, beliefs, and behavior from which people learn, and the
ability to communicate knowledge to the next generations.

Oral communication- language allowed humans tocommunicate and share information.

Script –Knowledge, beliefs, and behaviors were written and made available for transmission to the next generation
and to other nations and cultures.

Printing press- allowed the continuous production, reproduction, and circulation of print materials.

Electronic media- The wide reach of these media continues to open up new perspectives in the economic,
political, and cultural processes of globalization.

Digital media- relies on digital codes. It can be created, modified, and stored in any digital electronic device.
Digitalized content is transmitted over the internet and computer networks.

Media- a carrier of culture. It is a tool for the interaction of people with different cultures. The real media is the
people.

Cultural differentialism – cultural differences as immutable

Cultural convergence- the globalization engenders a growing sameness of cultures.

Cultural hybridity- globalization spawns an increasing and ongoing mixing of cultures.

Glocalization – coined from globalization and localization, is a rather new concept brought about by the increased
frequency of contact among cultures. Local cultures continue to accommodate and assimilate cultures of the world
due to globalization.

Religion- plays a vital role in the lives of Filipinos for their values are anchored on it. It has affected their attitudes,
characters, and perspectives in life.

Religion- communication between humans and transcendent

Globalization- worldwide interconnectedness of all areas of contemporary social life.

Deterritorialization- is a cultural feature that blurs the lines between culture and place and thus transcends
territorial boundaries.

Vernacularization – refers to the blending of universal religions with local languages.

Indigenization -transforms a universal religion to suit the specifics of a particular ethnic group

Nationalization -constructs a link between the nation and church.

Transnationalization- focusing groups on identifying specific religious traditions of real or imagined national
homelands.

Extremists – radical measures are necessary in achieving the will of God.

Fundamentalists – men ought to return to very passages of its sacred books

Nationalists- tie their traditions with their nation or homeland.

Lesson 1: GLOBAL CULTURE AND MEDIA

CULTURE
Culture refers to the unified style of human knowledge, beliefs, and behavior from which people
learn, and the ability to communicate knowledge to the next generations.

Its development has been mainly influenced by media.

MEDIA

It is a carrier of culture. It is a tool for the interaction of people with different cultures.

WHAT IS MEDIA?

Lule defines Media as a means of conveying something, such

as a channel of communication

HOW TO CLASSIFY MEDIA?

 inly
Stages of Media and Cultural Globalization

Oral Communication
 Language allowed humans to cooperate.
 It allowed the sharing of information.
 Oral communication led to markets, trade and cross-
continental trade.
 It also allowed the spread of religious teachings.
Script
 Distance became a
strain for oral communication.
 Script allowed humans to communicate over a larger space and
much longer times.
 It allowed the written and permanent codification of
international economic, cultural, religious and political practice.
Printing press
 There was a continuous production, reproduction and circulation of reading materials.
 Written document was mass produced that anyone can access the information that they want to know.
 Reading history books of the world allowed the exchange of culture and traditions.
Electronic media
 Characterized by its use of electricity.
 Electronic media includes the telegraph, telephone, radio, film, and television.
 The wide reach of these media continues to open up new perspectives in the economic, political, and
cultural processes of globalization.

Digital media
 Relies on digital codes. It can be created, modified, and stored in any digital electronic device. Digitalized
content is transmitted over the internet and computer networks.
 In politics, election campaign has a wider reach.
 In economics, it allows promotions of products and online shopping.

Pieterse (2004) asserts that the only outcomes of the influence of globalization on culture are cultural
differentialism, cultural convergence, and cultural hybridity

CULTURAL DIFFERENTIALISM
Cultural difference as immutable. As the West and non-Western civilizations interact or are brought in contact
through globalization, clash of civilizations such as that of the West and Islam logically follows.

CULTURAL CONVERGENCE
Suggest that globalization engenders a growing sameness of cultures.However, the culture of powerful and
progressive countries becomes culture.
Ex. K-pop culture. Some teenage Filipinos prefer to dress up like their South Korean idols. A lot of them also
joined fan clubs in support of Koreanovelas, Korean boybands, among others.
Many Filipino music bands are influenced by jazz and the reggae music of the West.

Cultural Hybridity
Globalization spawns an increasing and ongoing mixing of cultures.
Ex. Chabacano, a Spanish-based creole language of the Zamboanga City and of some parts of Cavite, which
exemplifies hybridity in language prompted by the merging of two cultures.
This trend will further bring about new cultural forms, not only in language but also in food, fashion, arts, music
among others.
 GLOCALIZATION
Coined from globalization and localization, new concept brought about by the increased frequency of contact
among cultures. This reinforces the fact that local cultures are not weak, static, or fixed; they are built and
understood a new each day in globalized world (Lule, 2014). Local cultures continue to accommodate and
assimilate cultures of the world due to globalization.

SYNTHESIS

All in all, the five stages of development of media have greatly influenced the globalization of culture.
From pamphlets to Instagram, Twitter, and SnapChat, media has produced and reproduced cultural products
around the globe. Moreover, the increase in cultural interactions generated by media results in outcomes that
exhibit the vigor of local cultures influenced by the global culture.
Lesson 2: THE GLOBALIZATION OF RELIGION

Religion – plays a vital role in the lives of Filipinos for

their values are anchored on it. It has affected their
attitudes, characters and perspectives in life

Globalization - refer to the worldwide interconnectedness of all areas of contemporary social life.
One of these areas is religion which entails a personal or organized system of religious beliefs
and practices.

Globalization affects religion in many ways

1. The rise of religious nationalism

2. The return of religion into the public life
3. The proliferation of international terrorism
4. The increasing personalized individual religiosity

Globalization affects religion in many ways

1.The rise of religious nationalism

Nationalism was closely associated with a particular religious belief.

Ex. Some of the basis of passing laws in the Philippines are based on Christianity.
2. The return of religion into the public life

Religion goes beyond administration of sacraments among Catholics.

Ex. Catholic Liberation Theology
Religion becomes the sole basis of the believers’ life.
Ex. Islam Fundamentalism
Religion goes beyond the administration of sacraments for Catholics and focuses more on
the social concerns of the poor and the oppressed inside and outside the church.
3. The proliferation of international terrorism

Extremists believe that to fulfill God’s will it is their duty to achieve this through violence.
Ex. In 2017, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), a known extremist group,
triggered the locals of Mindanao to launch the Marawi Siege for five months.
4. The increasing personalized individual religiosity

Individual need to rely on his or her beliefs and relationship with the supreme being

Global migration also influences religion

1. Deterritorialization of Religion
2. Easternization of the West
 3. Global Trends

Deterritorialization of religion
 Religious traditions in places where these previously had been largely unknown or considered a minority
(Roudometof, 2014)
 A cultural feature that blurs the lines between culture and place and thus transcends territorial boundaries.

Easternization of the West

 The West, which is the starting point for the spread of world religious, is now the recipient of a new system
of beliefs from the East.
 There is also a rise in the number of believers of Asian, religions like Zoroastrianism, Confucianism,
Buddhism, and Taoism.

Global Trends

 Respond to newfound situations.

 The use of social media as a tool for evangelization.

The interaction of Religion and culture resulted in a global-local-religion. It is a global religion with a local mix.

Roudometof (2014) classify the four (4) distinct glocalization

1.Vernacularization – refers to the blending of universal religions with local languages.

2. Indigenization -transforms a universal religion to suit the specifics of a particular ethnic group

3. Nationalization -constructs a link between the nation and church.

4. Transnationalization- focusing groups on identifying specific religious traditions of real or imagined national
homelands.

Religion:

Peace & Conflict

Globalization of Religion: conflict

Persons responsible for global conflicts used religious doctrines, dogmas and even sacred books’ verses to
morally justify their actions.

Juergensmeyer (2014) Conflicts are about:

identity and economics

privilege and power

Extremists – radical measures are necessary in achieving the will of God.

Fundamentalists – men ought to return to very passages of its sacred books

Nationalists- tie their traditions with their nation or homeland.

Globalization of Religion: Peace

The teachings of great religions on moral principles and values are NECESSARY tools for the:

o Doing away with greed

o Hatred
o Misconceptions

That are the root cause of conflict.

Religious peacemakers do their task concerning about:

 Humanitarian Assistance and Faith-centered Interventions

 Humanitarian Assistance

GOAL: to help achieve peace by advancing poverty reduction and putting attention to economic equality

e.g. WORLD VISION, for example Christian humanitarian organization helping children, families and communities
overcome poverty and injustice

Faith-centered Interventions

The efforts of religious organization to mediate understanding and peace

e.g. Pope Francis of the Roman Catholic religion had an important role in the US-Cuba deal that ended the long
conflict between the two nation-states.
SYNTHESIS

In many ways, religion is affected by globalization. At the same time, it has contributed to the rise of global
conflicts and the achievement of world peace. Conflicts are caused by different interpretations of the religious
sacred texts applied in the secular world in the guise of economic and political clashes or vice versa. Either
individualized or institutionalized, religion is one of the actors of cultural globalization.

REFERENCES:

Brazalote T., and Leomardo R. (2019). The Contemporary World. C & E Publishing, Inc. Quezon City