Lecture 6 / Globalisation, Sustainability and The Media

21 / 11 / 13

DESIGN CONTEXT / OUGD501
GLOBALISATION, SUSTAINABILITY AND THE MEDIA.
LECTURE 6.

One unified culture is taking over.
Definitions of Globalisation - Socialist / Capitalist

Globalisation was a desirable aim, to encourage everybody to work together.
Capitalism is when****

Globalisation  is about consciousness and awareness on things outside of your direct environment. America is the Global heart of Capitalism.

This logical conclusion of Globalisation is the idea of recognising one single culture.

Cultural Globalisation - A byproduct of capital market expanding that has spread across all countries.

'Mcdonaldisation' - Multi layer concept
The idea that these big companies are present in all countries all over the world. Reflects the idea of fast food vs. slow food with out care of time or family mea time or health. It also refuses to the work in American culture which is a job that no body else want to do as there is not much gain personally or financially.

tHE PROCCESS OF A SPREAD OF a SPECIFIC FORM OF SOCIETY


Marshall McLuhan (1964)

New technologies will have a massive effect on society in the way we interact with each other. They are extensions of our seances. We can now here stuff that is on the other side of the world as distance and time is no longer an issue (The global embrace) The ability to relate to everybody in the world gives a great sense of Harmony. It is an implosion as the world has suddenly shrunk to become a global village.

He wrote these philosophies before the internet was event bought about which almost makes him a prophesy as he had already predicted that something like this would occur as technology developed.

There is some things that suggest that this has not really happened. It seems that we have become desensitised from the harsh images and stores we hear. We are not a Global tribe and technology has not succeeded to this prophesy as we are now competitive and this caused a cultural war. Radical islam is an example of this as they feel that their whole life system has been destroyed by the strive to have a global society that are of the same culture.

Under this system you have a lot of problems such as national identity (what is it to be British?). There is also accountability. The government used to have control over companies and industries. However when these companies gained more power this was no longer the case of companies in other countries were regulated differently and perhaps not a strictly. If you stop restrictions on companies, a lot of money is made however not distributed.

With the spread of business around the globe, this one culture is also being spread around the globe.


CULTURAL IMPERIALISM
Everyone has the same stuff as well access to the same information.
- Media Conglomerted operate as olipolies (A giant cluster of businesses)
All of these are derived form America.

Time Warner - American company
This company is an umbrella to hundreds of other companies that run form internet servers, telecom and television channels etc. all this media is controlled by this one company which in turn implies that they are in control to what is delivered through these medias that are very influential to peoples lives.


News corporation divide up countries in consideration of there market importance.
There is not as much money to be made in the least influential countries and their markets such as Africa and india. Because of this people that are with in these less influential countries are subject to values that are portrayed by the countries that offer more money through the media. 

The american culture of 'you are what you own' has been delivered to not only western culture but also to countries like africa wholes people are now taking in and taking on this culture even though that are some of the poorest people on the planet.

Big Brother
Markets use the same ideas and subject and rebrand it every year.

The biggest growth industry in India is skin whitening cream. this is because through the Media the american appearance is seen as desirable were people that are not originally from this culture have been overwhelmed by this western influence.

Chomsky & Herman (1998)
Manufacturing consent
Who ever has been exposed to popular culture have had this influence of being told what you should look like and how life should be.

We watch the news - this is how we no whats going on. However the news system are perhaps one of the biggest part of the capitalist system.

OWNERSHIP
A large percentage of out news paper asre dominated by one man (Rupert urdoch) His agenda is to make as much money as possible. most of these papers are very self serving rather than talking about things that are going on in the world. They promote services and companies that Murdoch also owns and makes money from.

If you newspaper back us - we will slacken the restrictions on legislation in the media.
These people have an emence power in how society works.

SOURCING
Journalists cannot be free with what they report as they are controlled by the political systemms that are in place. if they ask questions that are too harsh or report on something that is not approved, they will loose their jobs and credibility. 

FLAK - Founding in lobby groups that come up with funding and laws to get what they want and to spread there take on the world. 

THE GLOBAL CLIMATE COALITION
Seems like an activist company, however they are a lobby group for large oil and energy firms that get stories into newspapers and tv to help destroy voices of decent that would slag off the way in which tha larger oil and energy companies work.

Propaganda disguised as news.

Relating to creatives, Big businesses have realised that the visual image is a big influence on every bodies live. A lot of compaign groups are using visual medias to inform and  influence people and the views they could have.

'An inconvenient Truth' - Documentary film on the effects of global warming.

Even though there are many surveys and studies that prove global warming is happening, many people still deny this is happening.
The richer countries have the most influence on Global warming as we use more factories, oil and power.

To save the planet its not to over throw the richer planets, we have to release less O2 and plant more greenery. These troubles that have been caused by capitalism and these issues are now trying to be resolved by capitalism as they are making people buy new products in order for the evrey-man to 'play their part'.

An attempt to sustainable design, however it is more expensive to buy due to this larger investment. Companies are not bothered about larger influences of the world.

These plants are usually placed on cheap land and really effects communities surrounding it in a negative way.

GREEN WASHING
There is now utilisation of people that are concerned about the effects of Global warming and it has turned into its own market were buyers are made to think they are banking a choice that is beneficial to the world.

McDonalds changed the background of its logo to green to indicate that they are a globally, environmentally aware product and company so as to draw people in.

Sustainable design that has no impact on the environment as well as insuring there is now unfair layout through out manufacture.

The way to solve the environmental issues is not to buy more, it is to challenge the companies that have created this issue in the first place.