Media Reaction : Diversity and Multiculturalism - Term Paper Example

Media Reaction Paper: Diversity and Multiculturalism Number Media Reaction Paper: Diversity and Multiculturalism The emergence of new media technologies such as the cable, satellite and the Internet has a tremendous impact on the traditional forms of mass media. In a book on Media and Cultural Theory, Freedman wrote that “a combination of technological innovations (concerning digitization) and cultural shifts (towards a more individualistic consumer society) appear to have handed new media technologies a competitive advantage over their predecessors” (“Internet Transformations”, 275). With more and more people utilizing the Internet for various purposes, there had been significant declines in primetime viewing of broadcast networks and circulations in magazines and broadsheets. The objective of this essay is to proffer diversity in media using the Internet as its contemporary form with a selected material duly summarized. A close examination of the contents of the material would delve into the concepts of diversity and multiculturalism in societies today. Initially, the terms of diversity and multiculturalism would be defined and explained and related to their applications in media. Likewise, the concept of stereotypes would be defined and explained in terms of its impact on media forms. Finally, the theory of multiculturalism would be expounded relating to Butcher’s five myths and to capitalize on diversity. A summary of the points discussed would be presented as finale. Diversity and Multiculturalism Diversity The American Heritage Dictionary defines diversity as the fact or quality of being diverse or different. An organization, being composed of different people should take into account the following diversity attributes: race, ethnicity, gender, class, sexual orientation, physical abilities, age and generation, region, industry, occupation, function, department, project, educational background, work experience, dominant/non-dominant culture and religion, from among others. Given the cultural diversity inherent in the generation and maintenance of values and mental programs, it is inevitable that cultural groups with different mental programs will hold different values, leading them to frame work related experience in different ways. (Martires & Fule 2000: 233) Multiculturalism The Citizen Warrior defines multiculturalism as “a philosophy that appreciates ethnic diversity within a society and that encourages people to learn from the contributions of those of diverse ethnic backgrounds” (Citizen Warrior, 2008, par. 1). An article on multiculturalism written by Caleb Rosado defined it as “a system of beliefs and behaviors that recognizes and respects the presence of all diverse groups in an organization or society, acknowledges and values their socio-cultural differences, and encourages and enables their continued contribution within an inclusive cultural context which empowers all within the organization or society” (Rosado, 1997, 2). Portrayal of Diversity in Media In a book by Kiesler (1997), she acknowledged that “what makes the Internet special is not the technology per se, but the social interactions it is inspiring”. Sproull and Faraj, who wrote a chapter in Kiesler’s book, examined the perspective that “the net is a social technology that allows people with common interests to find each other, gather, and sustain connections over time”. It is interesting to note that Sproull and Faraj distinguished real world social gatherings versus electronic gatherings through the Internet. According to them, electronic gatherings are marked by three distinct social attributes: (1) location or distance is not a barrier for communications through the Internet; (2) physical presence is not visible; and (3) the costs associated with this type of social gathering are considerably low. However, the Internet promoted diversity by encouraging people from different walks of life to express their thoughts, artistic tendencies freely. Pareles averred that “in past eras, most self-expression stayed close to home. Users generated traditional cultures and honed regional styles, concentrated by geographical isolation”. With the technology provide by the Internet, even amateur talents are given the opportunity to share their creativity and “invite the world to see” (ibid). Practically, there have been stories where aspiring singers record their craft and show their talent through YouTube. Lo and behold! They become famous. They get to be invited by celebrities to flaunt their creative skills and even to join professional groups and bands. An example of this is: Arnel Pineda, a Filipino, who uploaded his singing skills through YouTube was eventually “discovered” by the famous singing group, Journey. He was then officially hired as the group’s lead singer. Stereotypes The American Heritage Dictionary (2000) define stereotype as “a conventional, formulaic, and oversimplified conception, opinion, or image.” It is likewise defined as “something agreeing with a pattern; especially: an idea that many people have about a thing or a group and that may often be untrue or only partly true.” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 1997, 711). Stereotypes are therefore generalized and confined according to distinct characteristics of persons or members of certain groups. As such, stereotyping distorts perceptions of people since once these traits are activated; those are the ones that come immediately to one’s mind – without justified warrant. Media forms such as movies have manifested several actors who were stereotyped into roles performed in films such as Christopher Reeves as Superman, Toby Maguire as Spiderman, and prominent actors as James Bond. Stereotyping, whether positive or negative are both harmful in such as way that they become “self-confirming” (Ferguson, 2004), confining and distorting; and affect social judgments we have of others. As such, even positive stereotypes could have true characteristics not revealed to those who generalized them. Therefore, whatever relationships or interactions one has would be distorted due to stereotyping, eventually leading to prejudice (even positive or negative). The ability of stereotyping to give illusionary impacts makes them harmful despite their positive characteristics. The Theory of Multiculturalism and its Relation to Bucher’s Myths Multiculturalism, as defined by Rosado, encompasses beliefs and behaviors, recognition and respect, acknowledges and values, encourages and enables, and finally, empowers various contributions of diverse cultural orientations in society. Thereby, it dispels Bucher’s myths that focuses on diversity as equating only to women and minorities, new phonemenon, deficiency, divisiveness, and is to be feared. As such, Rosado averred that “multiculturalism is thus an inclusive process where no one is left out. Diversity, in its essence, then is a “safeguard against idolatry”—the making of one group as the norm for all groups.” (Rosado, 1999, 10) Conclusion The essay achieved its objective of proffering diversity in media using the Internet as its form with a selected book and article which examined the concepts of diversity and multiculturalism in societies today. The terms of diversity and multiculturalism were defined and explained as well as the concept of stereotypes as it impacts media forms. Finally, the theory of multiculturalism was expounded relating to Butcher’s five myths which capitalized on diversity. The Internet was proven to have a tremendous impact on the traditional forms of media. But needless to say, the old forms are not totally replaced nor eradicated by this electronic medium. Our culture has adapted to the utilization of both the old and new forms of media simultaneously. Being aware of both the positive and negative effects of the Internet would enable the individual to decide a balancing of time and effort spent browsing or surfing this electronic source despite its promotion of diversity and multiculturalism. Computers create risks of intrusion and abuse of power simply by making large amounts of information available quickly and at very low cost. In the end, the benefits one would derive from this medium should always be weighed against the costs associated with utilizing it to achieve one’s goals. References Ferguson, T.J. (2004). Chapter 5: Perceiving Groups (Prejudice, Stereotyping, and Discrimination). Retrieved 22 March 2010, From < http://www.usu.edu/psy3510/prejudice.html> Freedman, D. (2006). “Internet Transformations”. Media and Cultural Theory in Curran, J. & Morley, D. (ed.) Media and Cultural Theory. London: Routledge. Kiesler, S. (1997). Culture of the Internet. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Martires, C.R. & Fule,G.S. (2000). Management of Human Behavior in Organizations. National Bookstore. Philippines. Merriam-Webster Dictionary. (1997). Definition of Stereotype. Merriam-Webster, Incorporated Pareles, J. (2006). “2006, Brought to You, by You”. The New York Times. Retrieved 22 March 2010, from Rosado, C. (1997). Toward a Definition of Multiculturalism. Retrieved 22 March 2010, fro, < http://www.rosado.net/pdf/Def_of_Multiculturalism.pdf> Sproull, L. & Samer, F. (1997). “Atheism, Sex and Databases: The Net as a Social Technology”. Culture of the Internet. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. The American Heritage Dictionary. (2009). Definition of Diversity. Houghton Mifflin Company. The American Heritage Dictionary. (2000). Definition of Stereotype. Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company. Read More