Ge3 2

Metalanguage
Hi there student, this form of learning will be a journey for you since we will start from understanding
the basic terms to help you understand the globalization of religion. In this particular part, you will be
exposed to essential terms that will be used to understand the content discussions:
1. Religion - is a term used to denote the sacred. It adheres with Holy Scriptures, and preconceives
the idea of a possibility of communication between humans and deities.
2. Globalism – is a term use to denote value on material wealth. It focuses on the laws made by
human beings, and purports the idea that the ultimate satisfaction in this world can be made through
conscious actions of people living in a certain society.
3. Religious Person – is the person whose duty is to live a life with integrity, without sin, and with
assurance that when he dies, he will have a destined place called heaven.
4. Globalist – is a person with strong social and political command. He does not worry about going to
heaven or hell. He is more focused on establishing communication, making profits, adherence to
government laws to protect his business, and contribute to worldwide economy.
Essential Knowledge
To be able to grasp the big picture (unit learning outcomes) for weeks 6-7 of the courses, you need to
fully understand the following essential knowledge that will be discussed in succeeding pages. Please
note that you may view other resource to have an enhanced understanding of the content. Thus, you
are expected to utilize other books, research articles and other resources that are available in the
university’s library e.g. ebrary, search.proquest.com etc.
Realities
There are lots of things to understand as far as religion and its link to globalism/globalization is
concerned. Several theories have been laid down for scholars to fully grasp its relevant connection. In
the idea implicated by Peter Berger, he emphasized that most of the political and government
foundations are based on indigenous and popular religion/religious practices. For instance, the
government of Malaysia emphasizes their adherence to the Islam religion as the basic foundation of
their republic. Furthermore, Ayatollah Ruholla Khomeini bragged that the foundations of Islam are by
far more potent than other religions/religious practices used as basis for political ascendancy.
Another concrete example is the “moderate Muslim association Nahdlatul Ulama” in Indonesia that
has Islamic Schools that teaches varied fields of science, technology, and society to its students aside
from the theology of the Islam religion. Finally, the “Church of England”, was shaped by “the
rationality of modern democratic culture”, a clear manifestation that secular and religious concepts,
theories, and principles overlap as it affects the system of the society in general (Claudio et al., 2018).
Religion: for or against Globalization?

In this part of the discussion, we shall assess if religion is for or against the influx of globalization the
present world. This inquiry is difficult to resolve as it involves several idealisms that might affirm or
negate the idea of absolute or tentative adherence of religion to the complicated arena of
globalism/globalization. For instance, two of the most popular/old religions in the world – Christianity
and Islam – see globalization as an essential channel for propagation of beliefs and practices (Claudio
et al., 2018). Both religions use modern ways to share the gospel, and influence peoples’ beliefs to
cope with present scenarios and alleviate traditional ways of practicing religion.
However, for other “conservative” religions, the concept of globalization’s adherence to materialism
might not be viable. This is evident in the existence of movements like ISIS (Islamic State in Iraq and
Syria) that have been organize to protect religious interest from that of globalization. With this in
mind, we cannot really say that if a certain religion benefits from the effects of globalization, it will
continue to embrace the system and neglect issues arising from it. Conflicts and discrepancies on the
influence of globalization to religion will always take place. For instance, the “Lutheran World
Federation 10th-assembly’s 292-page declaration message”, highlights the movement’s opposition
against the effects of globalization to the members of the church (Claudio et al., 2018).
Conclusion
To fully understand the issue between globalization and religion, we should first understand several
idealism about the issues. First, religion is here to stay. Whether the globalists do not like the idea of
its existence as fundamental factor of most governments and economies, they could not single out and
separate it from the big picture. For instance, there is a philosophy that has developed from a
protestant perspective called “inner world asceticism”, a modern religious system used by protestants
that paved way to the introduction of modern capitalism (Claudio, et.al, 2018). Second, religion has
always been the way by which people justify their course of actions. Whether they make economic,
social and political decisions, they always adhere primarily to existing divine laws and/or religious
beliefs (Claudio, et.al, 2018). Finally, the practice of religion all over the world has been consistent
over time. Religion has arrived even before the influx of the modern ways of globalization, and the
globalist therefore have no choice but to dwell with the idea of religion as part of the process (Claudio,
et.al, 2018).
Metalanguage
This form of learning will be a journey for you since we will start from understanding the basic terms
to help you understand media in relation to globalization. In this particular part, you will be exposed
to essential terms that will be used to understand the content discussions:
1. Media – according to Lule, is a means of conveying something, such as a channel of
communication. It also means technologies of mass communication.
2. Globalism – is a term use to denote value on material wealth. It focuses on the laws made by
human beings, and purports the idea that the ultimate satisfaction in this world can be made through
conscious actions of people living in a certain society.
Essential Knowledge
To be able to grasp the big picture (unit learning outcomes) for weeks 6-7 of the course, you need to
fully understand the following essential knowledge that will be discussed in succeeding pages. Please
note that you may view other resource to have an enhanced understanding of the content. Thus, you
are expected to utilize other books, research articles and other resources that are available in the
university’s library e.g. ebrary, search.proquest.com etc.
Media and its Functions

While technically, Lule thinks that media is a means to convey something in various channels of
communication; other people might just think of it a channel of information for the benefit of the
general public. From merely understanding the denotation of the term, to how it is being understood,
media has gained its popularity as contributory factor enhancing the spread of globalization
worldwide. According to the media theorist Marshall McLuhan, “the medium is the message”, this
tenders an understanding of the media being a technology used to reshape the society. He explained
that the existence of media can bring the general mass dual effect. It can either enhance something,
or dull something on the other hand. For instance, in the medieval period, people used different
channels to communicate like oral and written sources to transfer knowledge. However, with the
influx of technology pertaining to communication, like cellular phones, its enhanced communication
activity between communities, but it dulled the people’s ability to focus on the communication process
due to distractions of multitask using the technology (Claudio et al., 2018).
The Global Village and Cultural Imperialism

In the works of McLuhan, he emphasized the role of technology pertaining to media in reshaping the
society and in influencing other people’s culture. For instance, he used the “television” as a tool that
shapes or turns the society into a “global village” (Claudio et al., 2018). Since time immemorial, people
from across society, used varied channels of communication to transfer knowledge and/or stories
from one generation to another. At present times where technology is dominating, people would just
sit in front of “bright boxes”, to get information worldwide. This has led to McLuhan’s assumption
that, these forms of technology can facilitate homogeneity of culture, which might cause “cultural
imperialism” later on. For instance, ever since the television become a popular media influencing the
cultural practices of the people around the world, which is dominated by American programs in the
year 1960, it somehow “Americanized” the practices of people who have access to the technology
(Claudio et al., 2018). This form of cultural imperialism has devastated local cultural practices, as
people from other countries embrace “American Culture”, during those times.
Critiques of Cultural Imperialism

Advocates of the idea of cultural imperialism singled out the fact that media and its messages are not
just created by media creators; they are also absorbed completely by the receivers. In the 1980s,
people who study media started to understand the paths of how people interpreted the messages thru
varied media platforms. In the works of Ien Ang, he emphasized the idea on how people from the
Netherlands, interpreted the messages depicted by “Americal Soap Operas”. He discovered that the
people watching the soaps, did not just passively accepted the “American Culture”, but related the
experience they saw to their local experiences, tendering the impossibility of the definite effect of
cultural imperialism (Claudio et al., 2018). Other scholars, Elihu Katz and Tamar Liebes, enhanced
the idea of Ang, through doing similar study in different cultures. They found out that people from
across countries vary in their reaction and understanding towards the programs aired by the
American producers. Others view the programs as a sort of propaganda, while others treat them as
shows for entertainment purposes only. These complexities in the absorption of the “direct message”
from various media channels, fuel the idea that may be, though there may exists such idea as cultural
imperialism, there is more to it than meets the eye. For the most part, we might just consider these
phenomena, as part of the period of cross-cultural forms of culture sharing.
Conclusion
This lesson presented that diverse media have diverse effects on globalization processes. At a glance, it
looked that global television was generating a “global monoculture” (Claudio et al., 2018). Now, it is
more likely that social media will fragment cultures and ideas into lathers of people who do not
interrelate. Societies can never be entirely equipped for the quick changes in the schemes of
communication. Each technological modification, after all, makes numerous unpremeditated
significances. Consumers and users of media will have a inflexible time revolving the clock. Though
individuals may independently try to keep out of Facebook or Twitter, for example, these media will
linger to stimulate social changes. Instead of dreading these deviations or entering a state of moral
panic, everyone must cooperatively discover ways of dealing with them correctly and decently.

Ge3 2

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Ge3 2

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Ge3 2

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Metalanguage

Religion: for or against Globalization?

Media and its Functions

The Global Village and Cultural Imperialism

Critiques of Cultural Imperialism

You might also like