Detailed Outline #13

CH 13: CULTURE AND COMMUNICATION

* How the West Dominates in Production of Culture (Part II)

- Researchers have little information on how Western cultural products influence people in their taste in food and music, and behavior and attitudes.

* To find out:

- Conduct of ethnographic studies at how popular culture has influenced people in their attitudes and behavior by focusing on a particular program, product, etc.
- Analyze volume of texts exported from the U.S. and Europe on film or in television programs.

- Power of media:

- The power of media to change any ethnic group is limited since “local resistance and persistence” prevent imported media from having powerful effects on their culture.
- Media in ethnic groups is not powerful to cause cognitive, affective, or behavioral changes.

* Satellite and cable television:

- Satellite and cable television have extended the reach of national channels and privately owned transnational channels to television markets in every part of the world.
- People living abroad receive channels from their home country so as to stay up to date.
- Satellite culture in Europe; neighborhoods full of satellite dishes.

* What Cultures Do to Defend Cultural Autonomy

The international diffusion of television programs, films, and other media is not new; silent films were easier to export films; there were no language barriers.

Several strategies for maintaining one’s culture:

- Quotas
- Subsidies and grants
- Regional Alliances, including co-productions
- Adaptations
- Resistance Measures

Quotas

* Example of the European Union

- E.U.: policy for supporting domestic television production aka “Television Without Frontiers”.
- Half of the schedules of the countries in the E.U. are scheduled to broadcast European programs; i.o.w. countries in the E.U. should not only broadcast programs that were produced in their country.

* France

- Protectionist cultural policy (no foreign product and language)
- Wants its television stations and film distributors to import European products.
- No more than 40% of foreign films screened in France; 40% of broadcasts French in origin.

* U.S.

- Cultural trades should be treated like any other goods traded in the market, yet has opposed quotas on film and television imports, viewing such quotas as trade barriers.
- Other countries: cultural exception for audiovisual products in the GATT (General Agreement of Trade Tariffs)
- No protection for cultural expression, no survival for those industries.

Subsidies

* U.S.

- Use of government subsidies provided for development of films and television programs

* E.U.

- Working together to harmonize their national subsidies, in order to protect their film and television industries.
- However, European made films are not as popular as films from abroad, especially from the U.S.

MEDIA (Measures to Encourage Development of the Audiovisual Industry)

- supplies grants for new media products
- provides training and stimulates the distribution and development of European audiovisual works and to boost production companies.

- Feigenbaum: subsidies offer the most promise for boosting production of cultural products, and he argues that government aid to film and television production should not have to be justified on an economic basis. “Culture is its own reward”.

Regional Alliances, including co-productions

* National Subsidies

- guarded and opened up only in the case of co-productions

* Co-productions

- the combination of talents and resources of 2 film production companies in 2 countries.

Advantages:

- Larger domestic market (two or more countries)
- Appeal across cultures; not one particular culture.
- Wider name recognition (actors, directors, etc.)

* European MEDIA (=regional alliance)

- Loans and subsidies are the main support for local projects.
- Because of regional organization, more moral support is given for local ventures.

* E.U.

- Restriction for European governments to link industry subsidies to domestic production.

Adaptations

- For countries with smaller markets and fewer resources, film and television program production is too expensive to release many new products.
- Local programs are preferred (own language, own cultural settings).
- Programs that are broadcasted internationally, but adapted in terms of language and culture (Weekend Millionaire, Who Wants to Be A Millionaire, Man sa yarbah al-malyoon, Wer wird Millionär? Qui Veut Gagner des Millions? ¿Quién quiere ser Millonario?) (American Idol, Pop Idols, Idols, Deutschland sucht den Superstar, Super Star).

* Reality Television

- Low cost
- Easily exportable
- Fit in any cultural environment through local adaptation (Big Brother, Star Academy).

Resistance

* Cultural Groups

In order to not get overwhelmed with products from abroad, they produce more products about themselves.

Brazil
- Kayapo Indians record their tradition and broadcast them.

Punjabi
- watch Indian movies together; the BBC is developing station/channels that target Blacks and Asians.

Israel
- Mizrahi Jews; broadcast channels that interest them as a minority.

Canada
- Ministry of Canadian heritage proposed a bill that would make it a criminal offense for Canadians to buy advertising in the U.S. that is initially meant for the American market.

Others
- E.g. ban on direct broadcast satellite and the associated subscription fees.