Beyond normative dewesternization: Examining media culture from the vantage point of the Global South | Culture and communication in digital worlds

Author(s): Wendy Willems

Year of publication: 2014

Keywords: Global South, Decolonizing media studies, Comparative media, International communication, Development communication, Media cultures, Global North critique, Media agency, Neoliberalization

Methodology/Sample: _/_

Reference: Willems, W. (2014). Beyond normative dewesternization: Examining media culture from the vantage point of the Global South. The Global South, 8(1), 7-23. https://doi.org/10.2979/globalsouth.8.1.7

Abstract

This article examines five dominant conceptualizations of “the Global South” in the field of media and communication studies, and more specifically in the subfields of (1) comparative media studies, (2) international communication or global media studies, and (3) development communication. Engaging with the broader calls made by a number of scholars since the early 2000s to “dewesternize,” “decolonize,” or “internationalize” the field, I argue that the Global South continues to be theorized from the vantage point of the Global North. Instead of understanding the Global South on its own terms, scholarship frequently appreciates the role of media and communication only insofar as it emerges from, represents the negative imprint of, or features the active intervention of the Global North. Such accounts have failed to acknowledge the agency of the Global South in the production, consumption, and circulation of a much richer spectrum of media culture that is not a priori defined in opposition to or in conjunction with media from the Global North. In advocating for a shift from media systems to media cultures, I hope to contribute to an approach that practices media and communication studies from the Global South, grounded in the everyday life experiences of ordinary people but always situated against the background of crucial processes such as neoliberalization, which have not only had drastic implications for the division of labor between the state and market in the area of media and communication but have also produced radical changes in the lives of the majority of people living in the Global South

> Summary

The paper examines five dominant conceptualizations of the Global South in media and communication studies.
It critiques the Eurocentric perspective and advocates for a dewesternized approach.
The author emphasizes understanding the Global South on its own terms, rather than through a Western lens.
The article highlights the need for ethnographically-oriented studies to connect with broader processes like neoliberalization.
It argues for a shift from normative comparative media systems to a contextual comparative media cultures approach.

> Problem statement

The paper critiques how the Global South is theorized primarily from the Global North’s perspective, neglecting its agency in media culture.
It highlights the need to dewesternize and internationalize media studies to better reflect the Global South’s realities.
The article argues that existing frameworks often overlook the diverse experiences and power dynamics within the Global South.
It emphasizes the importance of understanding media culture in the context of broader processes like neoliberalization.
The paper calls for a shift from normative comparative media systems to a more descriptive approach that captures local contexts.

> Methods used

The paper advocates for a grounded, inductive methodology associated with ethnographic work for cross-cultural comparisons.
It emphasizes examining media culture through the lens of broader processes like neoliberalization.
The author proposes a shift from normative comparative media systems to descriptive comparative media cultures.
The study critiques existing Eurocentric approaches in media and communication studies.
The focus is on the everyday life experiences of ordinary people in the Global South.

> Practical implications

The paper advocates for a shift from media systems to media cultures, emphasizing local experiences in the Global South.
It highlights the need to connect media culture studies with broader processes like neoliberalization.
The research calls for a critical reflection on how the Global South is represented in media studies.
It suggests that understanding media in the Global South should not solely rely on perspectives from the Global North.
The paper emphasizes the importance of acknowledging the agency of the Global South in media production and consumption.