Learning Culture Through Media
Learning
Culture Through Media
By: Karolay Araya Leiva
People
acquire culture since birth through many different ways. Some of the most
common ways are proverbs; folktales, legends, and myths; and through art.
However, nowadays people are acquiring cultural aspects through an innovative
way called media.
Media is unquestionably influencing people and the world in
general. Social media are affecting cultures because it links people from
different places and permits them to interact and learn about their habits and
beliefs. Even though, it was after the 2000´s that media started to expand
around the world and being available for more people in more diverse ways,
television, which is a medium of communication, has being an influencing factor
in culture acquisition for many years. Through television, individuals have
access to a variety of products such as movies.
Societies
have used movies in order to communicate cultural and historical features to
their individuals as well as to other societies. Many movies contain worldviews
and values that characterize specific groups of people and so they act as
teachers and communicators of culture. In the class, our professor presented a
video that shows how movies teach values and lessons. Often we are not
conscious about the messages that movies are giving to us; but they are always
there. It could be about loyalty, respect, courage, and even about appreciation
for nature. It’s amazing to see how movies can add to a person´s life. Not all
times movies provide positive messages of course; all things in this world have
their good and bad side. Nonetheless, it´s role in shaping human´s cultures is
unquestionable.
One
example of a lesson I learned from a movie was actually mentioned in the video:
“There is always another adventure” (Movie: Up). Sometimes we plan something
for our lives, but we can´t achieve it the way we expected. That does not mean
that is the end. There is always sometime more waiting for us, and maybe what we
planned was just not appropriate for us. Movies have the power of enriching the
world, so they should be seem as significant intercultural communicators.
Images retrieved from:
https://outcomm.es/como-disenar-un-plan-de-social-media-2/social-media-2014-lauradospuntocero/
https://www.pocket-lint.com/tv/news/147842-pixar-theory-timeline-best-pixar-movie-viewing-order
I agree with you, it is clear that mass media influence somehow the way in which a society behave, in other words, media affects culture. In front of us, we have a lot of information about everything and it includes information about cultures. It makes us aware of many differences that we can find in other cultures, as you said in your post, media is teaching us. Some years ago, when technology and media were not as important as today, people could only get information from their environment, I mean, people surrounding them, their teachers, and maybe a radio. But nowadays we can get in contact with people from the other side of the world or obtain information about a specific culture just by googling it. Thanks to media we get informed about proverbs folktales, legends, and myths that come from different parts on earth and it is simply amazing.
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