CULTURAL STUDIES APPROACH TO MASS MEDIA AS A FACTOR OF MANKIND’S SOCIO-CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT IN NASARAWA LOCAL GOVERNMENT

CULTURAL STUDIES APPROACH TO MASS MEDIA AS A FACTOR OF MANKIND’S SOCIO-CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT IN NASARAWA LOCAL GOVERNMENT

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1     Background of the Study

In recent years, cultural studies have emerged as a set of approaches to the study of culture and society. It focuses on the interplay of representations and ideologies of class, gender, race, ethnicity, and nationality in cultural texts, including media culture. Cultural studies are approach to study the effects of newspapers, radio, television, film, and other popular cultural forms on audiences. They also focused on how various audiences interpreted and used media culture differently, analyzing the factors that made different audiences respond in contrasting ways to various media texts.

Cultural studies insists that culture must be studied within the social relations and system through which culture is produced and consumed, and that thus study of culture is intimately bound up with the study of society, politics, and economics. Cultural studies show how media culture articulates the dominant values, political ideologies, and social developments and novelties of the era.

Cultural studies are valuable because it provides some tools that enable one to read and interpret one’s culture critically. It also subverts distinctions between “high” and “low” culture by considering a wide continuum of cultural artifacts ranging from novels to television and by refusing to erect any specific cultural hierarchies or canons. Previous approaches to culture tended to be primarily literary and elitist, dismissing media culture as banal, trashy, and not worthy of serious attention. The project of cultural studies, by contrast, avoids cutting the field of culture into high and low, or popular against elite. Such distinctions are difficult to maintain and generally serve as a front for normative aesthetic valuations and, often, a political program (i.e. either dismissing mass culture for high culture, or celebrating what is deemed “popular” while scorning “elitist” high culture).

The mass media play an important role of shaping public image of the masses and in so doing pressure them to behave according to cultural norms of their country and this is achieved with communication which plays a vital role in development, bringing about behavior and lifestyle changes, (Oyekan, 2009). Any activity to be successfully accomplished requires communication, and effective communication will be achieved when a person is able to convey what he wants to say clearly and precisely and is able to understand correctly what the other person is saying. The cultural and lifestyle of citizens in a community is learned and passed from generation to generation and the culture of a particular society is dynamic, people learn and embrace new ideas, new ways of behaving and new and emerging trends, (Ubgaja, 2011).

Every culture should be preserved for it is a society’s distinct way of life. Cultural education is done through communication channels like telecommunication and the mass media since everyone engage in intrapersonal, dyadic, small lgroup, public, mass communication and computer-assisted or online communication (Gamble & Gamble, 2010). The mass media is an important factor in Nigeria. They have important roles to play in the area of cultural education and national development. The mass media support and enhance development programmes in the country. The media offers a learning ground for people, and are used to learn about what is happening around the world (Turow, 2009). The masses learn from the media, and rely on the media for I nformation getting educated in the process.

Among the various functions of mass media in the society is the promotion, and transmission of cultural heritage from one generation to another. In this perspective, radio programme arguably becomes the most appropriate channel and route to execute the function of promoting culture, (Ahmed, 2013).The Radio is believed to have the capacity which can cut through the barrier of illiteracy and is the overall development of the socigety. This perspective has been accepted by different authorities in mass communication, from the long standing traditional change, this suggest that Radio station is relevant in power distribution and watching over the extent at which the power is negatively or positively being impacted on the people.

As a channel of mass media, Radio station recognizes their obligation to the society especially in the area of culture and promoting.

1.2     Statement of Problem

It has been observed that culture studies determines the developmental pace of a society because the traditional values of a people are related to the pace with which they accept or reject the demands of socio-economic development, (Oyekan, 2009). The culture of every nation is an important aspect of that nation and should be preserved especially by the media which exposes the masses to the activities happening around them. To this light, federal government commissions number of mass media (radio and Television stations among others) across the country for this purpose. But the socio-cultural impact of cultural studies approach to mass media as a factor of mankind socio-cultural development has been subject of argument. In the light of the foregoing, this study seeks to examine cultural studies approach to mass media as a factor of mankind socio-cultural development in Nasarawa local government.

1.3     Objectives of the Study

The main objective of this study is to examine cultural studies approach to mass media as a factor of mankind socio-cultural development in Nasarawa local government.

The specific objectives include the following

1. To access the level at which the mass media propagate culture.
2. To know if the cultural studies through the mass media has any effect on the audience.
3. To know the impact of cultural studies and mass media on the socio-cultural development in Nasarawa Local Government.

1.4     Research Questions

In the course of this research work, the following questions were raised as it is relevant to the study.

1. To what extent does Mass media propagate culture in Nasarawa local government?
2. How does the cultural studies through mass media affect the audience?
3. How does cultural studies and mass media impact on social cultural development in Nasarawa?

1.5     Scope of the Study

This study is centered on cultural studies approach to mass media as a factor of mankind socio-cultural development in Nasarawa local government.

1.6     Significance of the Study

This research work is expected to serve as an eye opener for all categories of people to learn about the impact of cultural studies and mass media on mankind socio-cultural development. The work is significant because it will explain indetails why people need to be conversant with their culture. In this research work, ways and manners by which people can learn about their culture are identified and explained. Also the relevance of mass media will be examined as a medium through which cultural knowledge and awareness can be acquired. A mass media promotes cultural norms, values and ethics just as it serves as a means of acquiring cultural education which will aid and promote societal decency. The research becomes significant because it is one of the ways of exposing and promoting Nigerians cultural heritage among her citizens. The study is also expected to benefit diverse sectors of the economy as follows:

• Media house: mass media organizations will benefit from this work because it will enable them to pay more attention to cultural preservation and promotion, aside serving as a veritable agent of socialisation.
• Citizens: Nigerians will through this study know the benefit of mass media in the area of socialization and teach their children what and when to watch television.
• Government: government at all levels will benefit from this study especially by partnering with community media to showcase and boost cultural values of the society. In the light of the above, this research draws attention to the need to assiduously harmonize the cultural elements of the Nigeria people, and in most specific terms examine the working of Radio state in the area of cultural promotion.

1.7     Definitions of Term

The researcher used operational definitions.

Cultural Studies: Cultural studies is a field of theoretically, politically, and empirically engaged cultural analysis that concentrates upon the political dynamics of contemporary culture, its historical foundations, defining traits, conflicts, and contingencies.

Culture:  Taylor (2009), defined culture as a complex whole, which includes knowledge, beliefs, morals, customs, and habits or any other capabilities acquired by man as a member of society.