Rethinking Identity in the Age of Mass Communication - Essay Example

152651 INTRODUCTION Mass media is a force for change and currently, it has attained its most powerful form. Identities that are displayed or represented in various forms of media could be one of the longest lasting images that people could endure. Today mass media has created such a powerful, almost dangerous place in the lives of mankind, that anything and everything that is presented through media will definitely have a long-standing effect. Hence, a responsible media has to be very careful how it presents diversities in its various branches. It is impossible to negate global media effect even in the farthest corners of earth today. Media that could educate and inform people, could also destroy and set up dangerous precedents. Identity is more fluid today and is in a transformable stage because of media and the impressions it creates in society. There was no question of identities and their repercussions in earlier days when mobility, migration were limited. There was no mass media to reckon with and people lived in their own regions without much exposure. Today with modernity and media exposure, identities are showing the signs of internal merging and this has created panic in people who want to preserve their own identities and separateness. Even the most resistant of cultures are changing and going through slow metamorphosis and this has set panic bells ringing. Most of the cultures and religions resist change and try to push people back into norms and regulations of yore, fearing that people might grow beyond those boundaries and become uncontrollable, which would tear the social, rather rigid fabric. The need to rethink about cultural identities and present them as diversities in media has made media studies imperative. Cultural and media studies aim at critical investigations that have come up due to the mass media and its unprecedented power that makes it an extremely important area of study. Continuous academic research had been necessitated due to current struggle for diversity and identity and the grievances of not getting enough of it. These have brought up issues of new ethnicities to the surface, as people have woken up to their separateness all of a sudden in recent years and have been highly vocal about it. It has necessitated questions of race relations, racism, racialization and new identities. It is about more of diversities and less of assimilation. Studies on identity depend on cultures, languages, myths, beliefs, narratives, discourses and the popular prejudices. Over the past thirty years, race, ethnicity, culture and identities have overlapped one another in fast succession and had been the issues of research attention, along with the all-encompassing media. This myopia had been addressed by thousands of research strategies and solutions had been offered. Revived concepts of ethnicity, diversity, race and identity in their most dynamic forms had been presented by various studies. Demographic changes, migration, globalization, economic outreach and information explosion have created many unforeseen problems and representation of cultural diversity and racial identities in the media had been one of them. MEDIA AND GENDER People, masculinity and femininity had been research topics for a long time now from various angles of psychology, sociology, anthropology, biology, journalism and mass media. Feminists had been researching and commenting on the way masculine and feminine stereotypes had been shown and written on media. The social acceptance of men and women is usually culture based and is diverse. Their roles in Western societies could differ very much from their role in Eastern societies, especially Muslim societies, where women are not highly visible. Still, there are certain inherent regulations that could be part of any society. Women as house makers, playing second fiddle to men, full of compassion, understanding and pity, fortitude, love and loyalty are the same in every society, just as men, the decision makers, the dominant sex, guiding lights of women folk, earning members, educated, travelled, well-informed and social. Media, for centuries have represented both the sexes in these accepted roles and only now, questions are being raised about masculinity and feminity. "Masculinity is what a culture expects of its menMen who find it difficult or objectionable to fit into the patterns of traditional masculinity often fid themselves castigated and alienated," Craig (1992, p.3). Gender imaging had been done not only by sociologists, but also by media researchers. This does not mean that socially appropriate roles of men and women are identical to that of a century ago. Naturally, society has evolved and principles, values and beliefs of people have changed while rigidity has dropped down to a large extent. These changes are highly visible in certain societies and less visible in the rigid societies. Definitely there is no society that has not undergone at least some amount of change. In the same way, media too has changed while representing societies. Today's popular images are in total contrast with the popular images of decades ago. Women, the low paid worker, or a housewife (mostly battered), the child bearer and the child minder and nothing else has been replaced by the most modern, educated, freed, independent, exclusively sophisticated, definitely confidence, high-powered and authoritative role models. Naturally it is every young girl's dream to be the same and that shows how media power could make and unmake societies if atmosphere is conducive. At the same time, absolutely domineering and patriarchal male stereotypes have given way to sensitive, emotional, psychologically weak, affected, sometimes uncertain and indecisive images of once strong men, who look more normal than the earlier autocrats have started appearing on media, showing the vulnerability and weakness of men. One cannot say that these images had been very popular; but they are definitely nearer to truth. "Although gender categories have not been shattered, these alternative ideas and images have at least created space for a greater diversity of identities" http://theoryhead.com/gender/extract.htm In earlier days, men had not been always shown in highly flattering way. They were also shown in unpopular light, as more dominant, aggressive, accompanied by many cultural myths like philandering, cruel, insensitive, greedy, unkind, wrongly in possession of power and status, power and wealth grabbing, violent towards women, etc. there is also a definite sexual angle into media presentation. While more of face visuals are shown of men, women are shown as body visuals with female sexuality played up. This is perhaps because men are supposed to be represented by face, whereas women are represented by body as sexual objects. As opposed to this unflattering images, men are also shown as more business minded, athletic, with most of the technical knowledge, plans for future, driving, smoking, drinking, commanding business empires. They are more powerful, successful totally in control of every move and always majestic and capable. They are usually shown in outdoor business, while women are shown in small, household, or petty business. Boys are shown as playing outdoor, aggressive games, while girls are shown helping in household work, quieter, indulging in art or reading, shy and sober helping mothers or sisters, getting ready for the future role of subservient and biddable house maker. "Furthermore, boys are initiated into the community of men by their ability to drink. Men who are sensitive, thoughtful, scholarly, gay or complex are not present in beer commercials," Steve Craig (4rp.14). As the society changed and evolved, definitely there was a dire necessity for these identities to change as well and become more general losing their sharp contrasts. MEDIA AND SEXUAL ORIENTATION Another area where identities have to change in great haste is sexual orientation. In most of the countries today homosexuality and lesbianism have been accepted, legally and socially as ways of life. People have also realised that sexual diversities do exist, whether society accepts it or not. In advanced societies the discrimination has become illegal now. In less advanced societies, they are yet to be accepted; but at least it is not a punishable crime, other than in Muslim societies, where Muslim law is applied. Hence, media identities too have to change along with the society. But we see that there are many unbroken myths and difficulties in doing so. Canada had been very keen on showing heterosexual masculine images of World Champion skaters (Kurt Browing and Elvis Stojko) during 1990s. Women skaters were asked to lose weight and try to look more feminine and lady like1. "The bottom line is that images of male heterosexuality sell to a broader, and hence more lucrative, spectator demographic" ibid. When advanced countries like Canada could be so rigid, one can simply imagine how the other countries must be presenting these sexual orientations. With the introduction of new identities, one cannot agree that even the advanced societies are highly comfortable. It is not the case. They feel threatened because most of the religions are against homosexuality. It will definitely take a longer time to change these prejudices. Today masculinity is supposed to be in crisis as a result. Usually, very few gay men and lesbian women are shown on media, although the trend is changing to some extent now. Even when they are shown, they are never shows as capable of controlling their lives. Instead they are always shown as problems, or in need of help and this means, it will take some more time for societies and media to arrive at a compromise where sexual orientation is concerned. MEDIA AND RACE/ETHNICITY Usually television representation is of white, male, middleclass and had been so, for a very long time, because popular media had mainly been owned by white people. This has given way to grievances by minorities that they are rarely represented on media. Ethnic minorities and media nowadays examine how the minority cultures are represented in the media, are they ridiculed, or is it just healthy fun, or are there harmful undercurrents. "Particular attention is devoted to the forces that currently shape and constrain their inflection across the media sphere, and how ethnic minorities themselves respond to, use and deploy media within their everyday lives, cultures and identities," Cottle (2000, p.4). Even though idea of race was connected with differentiation between one region/look from another, history has shown that it could be an effective weapon in the hands of an usurper and how slave trade, holocaust, colonialism and imperialism sprang out of this disability. Race had been misused historically, socially and politically from various angles and even today, it could be closely connected with cultural representation that could have very serious effects. A natural differentiation based on a common and collective ancestry could be a highly sensitive issue leading to terrible outcome. So, it is necessary to apply sensitive analytical tools to the hidden meanings, cultural peculiarities, languages, images, dress code, intellectuality, narrations while producing anything remotely connected with issues of race and ethnicity. A comparative study of cultural politics and ethnical contexts of transnational communities is important. Minority ethnic media access to represent their concerns, priorities and definitions is significant here. There is no doubt that racism is a destructively poisonous policy and almost all the countries swear against it. Still, it had been difficult to practice it in all fields that had been stereotyped for a long time. "If racism is a formally unacceptable means of defining and constituting collective identities, then we may also conclude that ethnicity is currently a ubiquitous and valued form of group formation. In developed Western societies multi-culturism has emerged as a necessary political negotiation" Downing (p.79). Hence, race remains perhaps the main topic of rethought identity, closely followed by ethnicity. MEDIA AND RELIGION Religion, that pacifying, yet most destructive force on earth influences every part of life. It is believed that religion killed more people than wars, diseases, and rebellions all put together and so, religion is one of the biggest topics here too. Religion and media can use each other very effectively. In Iran, in Shah Reza Pahlavi days, Ayatollah Khomeini depended on audio-cassettes to keep in touch with Iranian religious lot and influence people against the modernism of Shah and ultimately to stage coupe. If both work together it could be a threatening combination and the misuse of this power could be disastrous. Also there are ways where media could misrepresent the religion either due to ignorance or to make an effect or to purposely condemn the other religion. Over-representing one religion and ignoring the rest too could result in a backlash as the present one by Islam. Media, especially TV can resort to powerful myth making and this will have mental effect on the gullible lot. We all hear about mass conversion into another religion rather too often nowadays. TV is accused of being religious, pseudo-religious, atheist, functionally religious, secular, pseudo-secular and also as hurtful to religious feelings of viewers. "Media mythologies are inextricably intertwined with the ideals and principles of the nations in which they emerge. Depending upon one's national perspective, the questions raised are answered in different ways," Arthur (1993, p.29). Medieval and Renaissance church leaders used all kinds of mediums and culture, artists and artisans to spread and consolidate the religion. Today, iconoclasts and iconofiers have different priorities. But explaining the good points, ethical composition and importance of sacrifice and service to the now highly materialistic world could have beneficial effect. "Both understand that in cultural forms, as in all life, is an ever-present possibility of redemption and renewal. While conscious of the destructive dimensions of human creativity, they affirm the goodness of creation and its continuing overflow into human experience," Arthur (1993, p.37). Religion either should not be represented by media or should be represented with equality. Religion need not be a mass movement as it is personal and states need not sponsor it. But if they are doing so, they must grant equal and unbiased attention to all religions, big or small. MEDIA AND CULTURE "The mass media, both nationally and internationally, are rapidly becoming not just an aspect of social cultures, but through their increasing ubiquity across cultures, their functional interrelationship, and their place within the international market and economic system, are becoming the vanguard of a new international culture whose web touches and influences almost every other cultural system," Arthur (1993, p.41). Every continent and every country is facing the problem of minority and majority cultures. Even Australia, which kept itself secluded and separated for decades today, has become a multi-cultural society now, with demanding and vocal minorities. Researches and studies are being conducted there for improving media so that it could represent all cultures. "Australian media studies have begun to examine the issues of racism and the media, though seldom with any direct attack. They do not place social power and the role of the media in sustaining that power in a context of conflict and struggle but offer instead an endless plain of opportunities and choices," Jakabowicz (1994, p.14). Sometimes it is very difficult to erase the historical baggage and prejudice as its outcome. Talking about similar sensitivities, Lenny Henry says: "As a British black person, having to relate to American blackness is quite difficult; very tough. I mean, four hundred years of slavery doesn't make it any better over there" Pines, (1992, p.219). Diverse cultures are delightful and their contribution to the multi-coloured world's surprises is immense. But diversity could also be used in a dangerous way. Migration, colonisation, slavery and employment have made almost every region a multi-cultured place. Corporate leaders, governments and majority populations always have a way of dominating the media, making the minorities feel neglected and marginalised. Sometimes there could be other reasons for feeling highly sensitive about the media issues and this being very apparent, becomes a target of frictions. There also exists a wrong notion that culture should be nourished by the media and this need not be the case. Culture can never be a stagnant pool; it keeps evolving and changing. Even in cultures that resist any kind of alteration, ultimately change is inevitable, although it comes in a muted way. It is not possible to keep generations unchanged and tied to the old culture. Hence, new identities and new definitions for cultures and people are absolutely necessary. MEDIA AND POWER Media and power affect each other; they argue for one another and to a large extent are interdependent. "Integral to these struggles are demands that relate specifically to the cultural-politics of representation based on calls for enhanced media access and recognition, whether in mainstream and/or via minority media and outlets," Cottle (2000, p.3). Varieties like neo-Marxism, feminism, post-colonial ethnicities and shrill new groups of power pockets are demanding attention and competing for media representation for sometime now. There are also criticisms that unmasking the media of racism and mass mentality is a favourite past time of political power. They are of the opinion that race in the right sense is not a harming phenomena unless it becomes an extremist like new-Nazi or KKK. If it limits itself to country's origin and cultural uniqueness, it is a healthy force. There is always a saying that racism is inherent and everyone, including the victims of racism, is capable of racism. Still, it does not make racism a completely good force. Identifying all subtle codes of identity cannot be very easy and some of the cultural markings could not be very clear. Comprehending these subtleties that do not have historical backing could be very difficult and media could not be always blaming for not observing them. There is another fact that identities could change according to whims and fancies of cultural leaders. It could also change according to sub cultures and regional compulsions. "We regard a multi-disciplinary approach to analysing the relationships between ethnicity and the media as essential. A social psychological insight into the subjective existential nature of ethnicity as a facet of personal identity is necessary to examining the partisan engagement of audiences, and professionals, with ethnicity in the media," Downing and Husband (2005, p.23). There are many results of political power including nationalism, nation states and national identity and politics and power have always used media to the best advantage. "These global conditions have relatedly provided an important backdrop to the rise of religious fundamentalism, which in turn has prompted a reassertion of western, liberal values," Gabriel (1998, p.23). Arguing that the Amazigh people of North Africa are threatened by Arabo-Islamic ideology, because the schooling and majority culture is slowly obscuring their language and ethnicity, Amar Almasude says: "it does provide a means for the expression of oppressed voices that is less subject to government control than newspapers, magazines, radio, television, and movies that needed to be shown in theatres" and Hargreaves writes, "what we are witnessing here is the emergence, in the context of postmodernity, of the voices of those who have previously been unheard, neglected, rejected, ignored--the voices of those who have been marginalized and dispossessed" (1994, p. 10) http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/jar/RIL_10.html There is no media that has not been at least slightly controlled by political power even in free democracies. To say that media could defy all political compulsions is a myth. MEDIA AND OWNERSHIP Sometimes journalist and proprietor prejudices show in reporting or news policy. This is more apparent in political leanings and party loyalties. And sometimes, they are so strong that the media becomes a mouthpiece of a certain party, or race or region. Another problem that might make a difference is ethnic composition and the training of journalist. Professional training, cultural background, on-the-job socialisation, class and domestic backdrop, educational institutions, middleclass values, prejudices inherited from parents/peers/teachers all count in reporting and production. Sometimes they are so strong that they undermine professionalism and internationalism that should be possessed by media personnel. Personal jealousy with other members of media and professional rivalry with other media companies or personalities also count here. Ideology is another area that makes a lot of difference. Competition and marketplace pressures and deep-seated news values too could be difficult to deal with. Media organisation makes a lot of difference. Its ideology, mission, and its set up, if it is a democratic or bureaucratic organisation and the way it treats its employees could effect on media presentation. Rigidly set news forms and news genres sometimes find it difficult to adapt to changing cultures of identity. If the media is owned by Government or if it is a quasi government organisation as it happens if the government is communist or a military junta or a dictatorship, then media cannot be called fully independent and cannot be blamed for not showing right identities. It is ruled by government ideology and is helpless in the hands of such dictatorships that keep encroaching into media supremacy. Under these circumstances, media cannot be blamed for not showing the cultural or racial diversities. CONCLUSION It is difficult to call modern media conventional or traditional. It has tried to create new and different roll models defying the past. History has proved that sticking to past is not absolutely necessary because any culture has to move forward. Wisdom of past culture could always be retained; but retaining every part of old tradition is neither possible nor advisable. Media only tries to hasten this process. Even without media, there would certainly be transformation and with media's guidance, that transformation is faster and more acceptable as media helps in moulding people's mindsets and thinking process. With the onslaught of modernism, life has become more individualistic and more focussed on self-gratification than concern for community or society. In most of the western societies this trend exists and the rest of the societies are fast approaching this goal. With the current trend, it is the material mindedness and capitalism that rules the societies, identities and media. Most of the media is in the hands of capitalists and they are parts of vast empires. Cultures that complain about being not represented in media properly do not own media power. Globalisation has brought up various issues of local identities and ethnic realities. The attack of globalised media is so intense that people of diverse background became defensive about their own cultures and identities. Media too have seen the necessity of recognising these special identities and rethinking about their approach. It is necessary for the media to grow multi-cultural awareness. It is also necessary for people coming from diverse background to be tolerant about others' cultures. A well-intentioned fun or an ordinary joke should never be taken as a great calamity, but should be taken with the right spirit of fun and happiness. Finding one's own identity does not mean to be intolerant of another's, or to be prickly about one's own. There is no fun in any culture that loses its elasticity of ridiculing itself. Touch-me-not attitude that some cultures achieve makes them irritants and nuisances. Only if there are extreme and purposely intended harm by a certain media production, criticism of it becomes necessary and this is always better if done in a dignified manner. Communication between cultures, ethnicities and media will make a great difference. Also knowledge of other cultures helps a lot. Role of the media can be changed in areas of news making, news structures, topics, quotes, local meanings, forms, formulations and expressions. Globalisation has also brought up resistance against the local and global relationships and this sensitive issue should be understood by media in the right spirit. Mass media affect modern social drama in more ways than one. It is not healthy to show a stereotyped identity in gender, sex, society, culture, religion, race, ethnicity, caste, creed and colour. With intellectuality and information all these identities have to attain new forms and hues. As long as they are properly represented and fully evolved, resentment should not exist on petty matters that will have the potential of alienating such societies. Acutely diverse identities can lead to friction and aggression. They will also lead to separateness and segregation. BIBLIOGRAPHY: 1. Arthur, Chris (1993), Religion and the Media, University of Wales, Cardiff. 2. Craig, Steve (1992), Men, Masculinity, and the Media, Sage Publications, London. 3. Cottle, Simon (2000) ed., Ethnic Minorities and The Media, Open University Press, Buckingham. 4. Downing, John and Husband, Charles (2005), Representing Race, Sage Publications, London. 5. Diawara, Manthia (1992), African Cinema, Indiana University Press, Bloomington. 6. Gabriel, John (1998), Whitewash, Routledge, London. 7. Jakubowicz, Andrew (1994), Racism, Ethnicity and the media, Allen & Unwin, Australia. 8. Pines, Jim (1992), Black and White in Colour, BFI Publishing, London. ONLINE SOURCES: 1. http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/jar/RIL_10.html 2. http://www.thesportjournal.org/2005Journal/Vol8-No1/karen_mcgarry.asp 3. http://theoryhead.com/gender/extract.htm 4. Read More