Understanding the Notions of Communication and Culture

The notion of culture and communication are important in understanding society and further comprehend its problems. Different theoretical paradigms of mass culture and mass media are never coequal viewing the matter antagonistically with another. Some theoretical approach regards the notion of communication positively whereas other considers it as having a negative impact on culture. Three of the most significant theoretical ideas on the subject are the liberal-democratic, Althusserian and governmental approaches in viewing mass communication and its impact on mass culture. This essay will seek to examine and differentiate the different perspectives in understanding communications and culture.

In the liberal-democratic theoretical paradigm, mass communication, mass media and mass culture are by-products of gradual evolvement thence communication is one of the factors assisting positive cultural liberation. Through mass communication, a mass culture follows as the media the world consumes shares similar attributes, a result of capitalism. Fukuyama promoted the idea of linkage between capitalism and liberal-democracy as the continuous more of being, ‘the final form of human government’ (Barker, 2008:170).

The liberal perspective demonstrates the individual’s freedom from dominion through power restraint, whereas the democratic perspective promotes the individual’s rights to determine their ‘collective fate’ hence amplifying the power of the people (Purcell, 2008:40). Mill as quoted by Purcell, democracy may be appeased through liberal values ergo the liberal-democratic concern for ‘the need for individuals to limit their power over themselves’ (Purcell, 2008:40). To ensure further understanding of the concept of individualism,...

... middle of paper ...

...istory of media effect research and theory’, in Mass Communication Theory: An Introduction, 3rd edn., London, Sage.

McQuail, D. (1997), ‘A Functionalist Model: The Uses and Gratifications Approach’, in Audience Analysi, Sage, London.

O’Shaughnessy, M. & Stadler, J. (2002), “Where is ideology found” and “Dominant ideology, RSAs and ISAs’, in Media and Society: An Introduction, 2nd edn.

Purcell, M. H. (2008). Recapturing democracy: neoliberalization and the struggle for alternative urban futures. New York: Routledge.

Thwaites, T., Davis, L. & Mules, W. (2002), ‘Ideology’, in Introducing Cultural and Media Studies: A Semiotic Approach, Hampshire & New York, Palgrave.

Tolson, A. (1986), ‘Popular culture: practice and institution’, in C. MacCabe (ed.), High Theory/ Low Culture: Analysing popular television & film, Manchester, Manchester University Press.