As part of writing my essay for Context of Practice, one
source I found particularly useful was that of Art in the Age of Mass Media by J. Walker. I discovered that there
were many interesting points and factors to aid me in writing the essay and
seeing as the topic of this book is closely connected with that of my work, I
felt it was only appropriate to read it and cite some quotes to back up my
points.
The chapter I enjoyed the most was The Mass Media and Mass Culture. I found it was very opinionated
yet factual and accurate in its discourse. This chapter talked about how
although globalisation and Americanisation are considered a negative influence
on outside cultures by so many of us, without it there would be many problems
that would affect our day to day lives. It mentioned briefly that there are
definitely positives to the mass spread of American culture and technology as
it has done plenty of good.
‘Billions of people have become consumers of culture’ is an
interesting quote used to describe how globalisation has lead us into a world
and way of life that when something new and unusual is done by say, a
television show, a ‘celebrity’, or even a new trend on the internet, millions
of us will actively endorse this and spend money to become part of that culture
and trend as a means of gaining popularity and notoriety. Sadly, this is very
wrong and wipes out our sense of self completely as any form of true identity
is taken away from us in our feeble attempt to become known by becoming ‘one of
the crowd’.
‘On the positive side, technology and mechanical reproduction
have brought about a tremendous democratization of culture’ is indeed very
true. Globalisation has, in a way, brought us together and although this has
come at the cost of our identities and cultural expression, it has allowed us
to mass communicate and share ideas on a global scale. We have been able to do
things that would have been impossible hundreds of years ago where even towns only
a several few hundred miles away from each other had completely different
identities.
The book goes on to talk about the impact it could have on us
in the future and whether or not Americanisation may not even be a part of our
lives anymore due to another culture taking over and forcing us into a
completely new set of ideals and ways to run our lives around. I find the book
a fantastic read as it has helped immensely with my essay. It has opened my
eyes to the world in a different light and allows me to think about the future
of globalisation and how it will affect the entire world’s population and not
just myself. I highly recommend this to anyone who wishes to write about such
an interesting topic.
