MEDIA AND SOCIETAL ACCULTURATION: CONTINUING THE DISCOURSE

Abstract

The question as to whether or not media acculturate society has since been answered in the affirmative by a number of earlier works. Consequently, the matter has been placed beyond reasonable doubt. Nonetheless, since media acculturation is a never-ending process which presents changes in intensity and manifestation from period to period, as well as place to place, contemporary discourse in this subject matter cannot but be continuing.
This paper takes the discussion further, and tries to situate it in time and space. It places culture, society and media in context by seeking a clearer understanding of the concepts for the purpose of this particular paper. Their distinct features and interrelationships have also been dealt with. Whereas society is the macro factor, both culture and media are micros situate within the megastructure.
Using a descriptive methodology which embraces the focus group and observation techniques, it also avails a couple of community-based local and localized instances of undelayed media acculturation. The paper observes and affirms that media acculturation continues to remain a reality, whilst noting that the questions of how exactly this takes place, and to what specific measurable degree, are yet to be sufficiently and satisfactorily answered. It has succeeded in keeping the on-going discourse alive. In addition, it offers local and localized insights for further debate and scholarly activity.