The word ‘literature’ has evolved through various meanings over its time in the English lexicon. According to Raymond Williams literature “came into English, from C14 [the fourteenth century], in the sense of polite learning through reading” (Williams 182) and in Marx’s time usually “referred to the whole body of books and writing; or if distinction was made it was in terms of falling below the level of polite learning” (Williams 183). These definitions, specifically regarding the distinction of polite learning, are likely those Marx used when he wrote about the rise of a world literature in The Communist Manifesto. Yet somehow Marx was able to predict the negative impact a world literature would have on the working class decades before the rise of mass media and the global domination of western values. In this paper I will demonstrate how a world literature, or globally dominant set of values, is presently used by the ruling class to exert control over the working class by ensuring opposition can only occur from within existing ideological and repressive state apparatus.
Currently, in the schools throughout the western world, children are taught democracy – and by extension capitalism – is the only system of government in which a free and just society can exist. Furthermore, students are taught that democratic values are unquestionable, universal truths and it is the duty of all democratic nations to stand up for the basic human rights of every human being living in our
According to Raymond Williams, “In a class society, all beliefs are founded on class position, and the systems of belief of all classes …” (Rice and Waugh 122). His work titled, Marxism and Literature expounded on the conflict between social classes to bridge the political ideals of Marxism with the implicit comments rendered through the text of a novel. “For the practical links,” he states “between ‘ideas’ and ‘theories’ and the ‘production of real life’ are all in this material social process of signification itself” (133). Williams asserts that a Marxist approach to literature introduces a cross-cultural universality, ensuingly adding a timeless value to text by connecting creative and artistic processes with the material products that
In our everyday lives, people are exposed to all kinds of media. Many people around the world watch movies, read cartoons and glance at the television. Although they may not realize it, they are under the influence of the images that they see. In fact, these sources may make people have negative assumptions about Middle East. Every so often, there are stereotypical judgments and comments in the media. Exaggerated Hollywood action movies, cartoons and opinionated news emphasize the negative side of Middle East, which indirectly compels audiences to believe that the combinations of images may even be true.
With the coming of television and the internet, are we or are we not a more informed community? (Orwell, 1984) Essentially, this statement requires a profound study in order to determine the impact of news media ability to control the agenda and ultimately impact our view of the world.
Mass media has experienced many major developments over the past hundred years. As the manner in which media is communicated to the world evolves a definite shift to American culture has occurred in the process. Mass media has undergone numerous changes in the way it is distributed to the general public, going from newspapers, to radio, to television, and now to the World Wide Web. American culture is so ingrained in technology, that distributing mass media in this format seems like a natural step in the evolutionary process of distribution.
Mass media is communication that reaches a large audience. This includes television, advertisement, the Internet, newspapers, and so on. Mass media is a significant effect in modern culture in America. It creates ideas and sustained within society not only send ideological messages out to the public but to advertise this ideas which are tend to manipulate our mantalities.
The new era of technology led to major developments in the evolution of mass media, worldwide. In our society, we originally communicated orally before the Internet and wireless devices existed. Individuals relied on traditional forms of mass media, such as the television, radio, newspapers, and magazines, to attain knowledge of the outside world. Thereafter, the development of new forms mass media evolved, and we were introduced to the Internet and other wireless communication devices such as IPads and tablets, smart phones and social media sites. Regardless of the rise and fall in popularity of certain forms of mass media, the evolution of mass media influenced the American culture greatly.
Literature, as a crucial part of culture, functions as the reflection of reality. According to Marx, “the mode of production in material life determines the general character of the social, political and spiritual processes of life” (Williams 266). Superstructure, as the product of men’s spiritual processes, containing various ideological forms one of which is literature, is not determined by “the consciousness of men”, but by “the social existence” (266). Concerning working-class literature, it follows this rule as well—“the whole class produces and shapes these out of its material foundation and out of the corresponding social conditions” (267). Thus, working-class literature is created upon the contemporary status quo of the class
A diseased representation of women, advocated by the media, is detrimental to the American culture (Chittom, N. Page). The National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA), asserts an upsurge in eating disorders, inadequate self-esteem, and depression cases are attributed to this illustration (Chittom, N. Page). The portrait of American beauty has transformed greatly over the years (Chittom, N. Page). At the dawn of the twentieth century, beauty centered around abundant chests and minuscule waists, accentuated with tight corsets, but in the 1920’s, this image changed to glorify flat chested “flappers” (Chittom, N. Page). By the 1950’s, the shapely figures were once again popular, but in the 1960’s, with models like Lesley “Twiggy” Hornby, thin was
Beauty is defined in American culture by the dominate ideology of white middle class males. Hegemonic ideology is promoted by online media outlets with femininity communicated as a way to serve the sexual desire of men (pp. 449). The pressure on women to look and behave certain ways is deeply imbedded in our everyday life. I will use two online media stories; the PBS online video, Merchants of Cool, and Yahoo Style as the basis of this essay.
Media includes broadcasting mediums such as newspapers, magazines, TV, radio, billboards, direct mail, telephone, fax, and internet. The Business Dictionary defines media as, “communication channels through which news, entertainment, education, data, or promotional messages are disseminated” (“Media.”). With the right instruments, media has had a very sizable impact on American society and culture. Media has grown immensely popular and has remarkably gained influence that it’s altered the way we judge each other. American culture has exposed young children to many varieties of media; they watch TV more than once a day, some have smartphones to search the web, a few are even on Facebook; media’s become a vast component of American culture. Unfortunately, media exposes youngsters to exaggerated stereotypes, which subconsciously changes the way they perceive their peers. The media’s inaccurate illustrations of racial and gender stereotypes have done a very poor job in creating gender and race equality; they constructed the building blocks that produce repudiate feelings, which leads to discrimination. This underlying violence is a systemic violence, so as victims, we are incapable of comprehending the detrimental repercussions. American racism has evolved from this hidden violence; the media initiates the production of negative observations regarding different races through wrong representations of stereotypes..
Former SIS agent and novelist David Cornwell once said, “I suffer from the same frustration that every decent American suffers from. That is, that you begin to wonder whether decent liberal instincts, decent humanitarian instincts, can actually penetrate the right-wing voice, get through the steering of American opinion by the mass media.” In this weeks reading we read about the events happening after the cold war and beyond. These being subjects like the NATO expansion to internal reform. However in one section of the reading it talk about the events of the Somalia and Bosnian humanitarian effort and the shocking reality of America’s view on it. Being born in America, we have all have heard and influenced by the idea of America being a peace keeping and leading Humanitarian force in the world. Yet the history of America is anything but. With fights only
The media play an expansive and developing part in current American culture. In 1997, grown-up Americans spent around thirty hours seven days sitting in front of the TV, and kids invested considerably more energy viewing television. The general accord that the media affect popular assessment covers banters about the way of that effect. Take, for instance, socialization—the procedure by which people secure data and frame states of mind and values. The media are one essential wellspring of socialization as in individuals gain data and states of mind from the media. The conventional mass media have played a vital in "mediating" amongst people and the government.
The United States of America has greatly influenced the cultures of many other countries. Perhaps the most noticeable area of this influence is from the United States media. Disney cartoon characters are known worldwide, and popular movies produced in the United States are popular all around the world. These movies often directly show a clear example of American social life, religion, entertainment, food, and politics. Many American businesses flourish in these other countries since the countries are already familiar with the businesses from movies or other media. For example, McDonald’s is a popular restaurant in numerous countries, and Marvel’s Captain America movies are amongst the most popular movies in China. American pop culture is also prevalent in several other countries.
With actors dramatizing the reaction of frightening audience members after the “War of World’s” reinforces American’s being terrorized by the radio in 1938. After listening to both broadcasts NPR’s radio lab and the original 1938 broadcast of the “War of World’s” I heard fear in their screams, and concern for children who attended schools leaving me to believe listeners would panic. Contrary to that many disputed questions came to mind. For example, how could the mass media deceive people the way they did?
If we talk about the role of media in globalization process we should firstly say that what the media is. The media is media technologies that are intended to reach a large audience by mass communication. Today the media play a key role in enhancing globalization. And the media also play important role in facilitating culture exchange flows of information between countries. The media spreads through international news broadcasts, new technologies, television programming, film and music. There are a lot of broadcasts of media. Foe example: We can say about internet, TV, radio, newspapers, books, billboards and etc. The media connects the world to a network of information easily accessible for all of us. In this discussion arises a question: Which role has media in globalization process? I think the role of media in globalization process is very important. And my point of view is that the media is a part of the globalization process, it is like “pen” of the globalization process, because media shares everything that the globalization process dictates. The important role in globalization process has Internet, which connects all the countries around the world. Internet is called “world wide web”. So if we say about the globalization process we should remind that the developed countries globalize enough. However, there are some countries which do not globalize enough. For example, states of 3rd world, hungry states and others.