Culture, Globalization, Mediation

One can identify that there is a cultural crisis during the 1970’s-1990’s as we read in Mazzarella’s article, Culture, Globalization, Mediation. Anthropologists studying culture were confused by the concept in the eighties to nineties, just as the world starts to become interested in the culture concept, thanks to globalization. As the culture concept becomes popular among the public, anthropology starts avoiding the essentialist and substantialist ideologies that make up this concept. Mazzarella sees that culture is being mediated for the world to see and globalization becomes common during this time period. Anthropologists become worried about these widespread ideas and Mazzarella believes that culture needs to be protected.

Mazzarella would argue that media can be seen as a tool for comparative studies among culture. Through mediation we are able to observe and contrast one culture with our own. The visuals put right in front of the view make this task easy and almost inevitable. Mazzarella would further argue that we use these comparisons to make up and decipher our own identity. For example, when seeing a culture that is foreign to you, you will know what you are not; therefore you must be the opposite. The problem that comes up in the study of mediation and globalization is the accuracy of the cultural representation. Producers have creative freedom when creating their work and the viewer is left to believe that there is a truth in their work. But producers are not anthropologists who have studied cultures and studied how to study cultures in the least bias way possible and then write about them and share them with the world. So how much trust can we put in the producers of media? I, along with Mazzarella, am sceptical.

The question I wonder is whether viewers are aware that there may be bias and untruths in the media they observe. If not, this could be very damaging to a culture. These lies and misrepresentations are exactly what anthropologists have tried so hard to avoid in their academic discipline and this is why Mazzarella believes globalization can only be bad news for cultures and cultural anthropologists in general.

While mediation can harm a culture, it can also become beneficial for them. Good representations and proper mediation for a community can open up the globe to a world they never knew much about. This is after all what anthropologists attempt to do. Mediation can be a fast, visual, informative and efficient way to do this. Thus, Mazzarella acknowledges the advantages and positives of mediation as well as the negatives. In turn, with mediation and good care, the world will be alright. Without it? Well, anthropologists cross your fingers and hope this won’t be the case.

References Cited

Mazzarella, William

2004 Culture, Globalization, Mediation. Annual Review of Anthropology 33:345-367