Kai Hafez, The Myth Of Media Globalization

摘要

In 1964, McLuhan famously claimed that 'we now live in a global village ... a simultaneous happening', where people around the world have a better understanding of each other, with the aid of new media technologies, and conflict will be diminished as a consequence. Theoretically, this would enable a global civil society and a global public sphere. Obviously, this has not eventuated, and the idea of the 'global village' has since been challenged, particularly by theories of media and cultural imperialism that indicate western-imposed global capitalism in an uneven process of globalization. In contrast, some advocate theories of hybridization where different cultures travel across borders and influence one another to create a new culture; or of localization where cross-borders communication is tailored with local elements to cater for local audiences. Others still see the world as divided by western and emerging eastern powers.