Media and political transformations: Revolutionary changes of the world's cultures

This essay posits that a relationship exists between the dominant communication technology of a nation-state and the controlling political structure and process of a nation-state. In other words, we suggest that how a nation-state acquires and processes information is directly related to the type of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Communication quarterly 2003-03, Vol.51 (2), p.126-153
Main Authors: McMahan, David T., Chesebro, James W.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Communication
communication technologies
conservative
Cultural change
culture
Electronic Equipment
Interactive computer systems
Interpersonal Relationship
liberal
Literacy
Mass media
orality
Political Attitudes
Political systems
radical
reactionary
Social Organizations
telecommunication systems
Telecommunications
Telecommunications systems
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Summary:This essay posits that a relationship exists between the dominant communication technology of a nation-state and the controlling political structure and process of a nation-state. In other words, we suggest that how a nation-state acquires and processes information is directly related to the type of political system employed to make and implement societal decisions. The ten-year period from 1985 through 1994 provides an excellent opportunity to explore such a relationship, because it is the period when profound transformations occurred in the political identity, geographic boundaries, and power of nation-states (such as the U.S.S.R. and Germany) while these same nation-states also underwent an equally profound set of changes in their dominant communication technologies. Media profiles of 169 nation-states in 1985 and 181 nation-states in 1994 are compared and correlated to changes in their subsequent political orientations. In general, it is concluded that nation-states are likely to adopt increasingly liberal political structures and processes as they shift toward the use of more individualistic and participatory communication technologies. A profound change in either the dominant communication technology or political structure and process can set off the cultural transformation.
ISSN:0146-3373
1746-4102
DOI:10.1080/01463370309370147