(Person) Percentage - Sabanci University Research Database

The Asian Media & Mass Communication Conference 2010 Osaka, Japan
Methodology here is of Critical Studies. Instances, observations, case studies are critically
viewed to analyze the depth of communication intricacies on societies through
globalization.
THE FINDINGS
Impact of Globalization on society
Globalization glorifies labour but with no fruits to the actual sweat of the labourer. The
farmers migrate from villages to become building construction workers in townships and
cities. Factory and industry works increased. The rich become richer. The poor even with
skills miss the profits. It widens the gap between the two. The individuals amass wealth.
This has led to rupture of democracy, its values and principles for collective living.
Technology is no doubt a boon. Today information is money. True to the Laswell’s and
the Berlo’s SMCR communication models- what message, which medium, to whom at
what time is to be decided today and that has become the right way. Hence, ‘self imposed
regulation on media functioning is also the right way in democratic situations, which along
with a socially responsible media has the capability to mould public opinion’. 7 The role of
Public Service Broadcasting is worth noting here. Healthy media gives rise to healthy
society. If social responsibility is forgotten, people may reject the message or in the long
run even the media. As Wilbur Schramm said, ‘no mass media can exist in cultural
vacuum’. That is, the support and encouragement of people is very much necessary for the
survival of any media. Negative impact of messages or repetitive deceitful messages sent
through a media may cause cognitive dissonance in and among the audience in turn
resulting in dismissing the whole media or particular networks. This is not just in India but
also true world over.
The composition of the social status including handicrafts, folk arts, behaviour of
nomadic, de-nomadic and tribes changed after globalization. The societal structure got
rather ruptured. Indian society was basically a hierarchical society with caste as a status
identifying factor. Caste is nothing but the reflection of the community. People of
different castes had their own profession, customs, beliefs and celebrations. This social
structure after globalization opened international markets by the invasion from the skies.
All products were made available to a dark society where people were never in a position
to digest messages from the media. Globalization threw open doors of international
market and posed a threat to the local products & people indirectly affecting the profession
of many groups- potters, snake charmers, etc. Then, whole families worked hard spending
much time to produce a product; now everything is machine made, beautiful, easily
available in different shapes and types. Globalization did not just hamper professions but
original inhabitants of the nation- denotified groups, wandering groups, tribal background
who lived on their professions are annihilated. Quality by strength was compromised for
external beauty. It also destroyed culture, language, literature and everything of these
groups. All these, while globalization is still a newly developing concept, not even fully
ingested by the people. International companies in HR crisis chose the developing
situation for their resources. Even the uneducated, unskilled were inducted merely because
of cheap labour. The NRIs are into vegetable growing, animal husbandry, poultry,
fisheries, etc. Floriculture is hit. Lest forgotten that human intervention alone can assure
quality and durability as against machines.
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