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Heinz Bonfadelli | Media Use of Ethnic Minority Youth
51
2.3 Cultural Studies Perspective
The cultural studies paradigm (Hall 1980; Hepp 1999) is contrary to the
“media-centric” effects paradigm, since for the former the media user is the
focus of interest and analysis. Media use, then, is seen as a purposeful selection
of media, and the reception process is considered to be an active construction
of meaning. This perspective does not simply assume an alternative between
adapting to the new country’s culture through consuming host media on the
one hand and bonding to the old country of origin and remaining culturally
isolated by using homeland media on the other (Peeters/d’Haenens 2005).
Instead, a third possibility is also taken into consideration.
In this sense, members of ethnic minorities are seen to be able to use
varying kinds of media, their homeland media and the media of the new host
country. This dualistic position is not regarded as deficient or as a danger for
the development of a cultural identity. Being able to participate in both
cultures and using media from both countries and in both languages enables
members of ethnic minority groups to bridge the norms and values of
different cultures and to actively develop new forms of a so-called reflective
hybrid identity. To promote mutual respect, social participation, and cultural
integration, today’s pluralistic societies even seem to require that everyone
attain an understanding of the everyday life, norms and values of other cultural
groups. To this end, the mass media play a significant role by providing not
only homogeneous images of the so-called home country in a national
perspective, but by disseminating information and knowledge about the
different minority groups and their everyday culture (Barker 1997). On the
basis of these theoretical premises, new forms of cultural identities can be
postulated.
A first type of cultural identity is locally bounded and based on difference.
Distinct traditions are kept separately in time and space. For instance, Swiss
citizens perceive themselves as Swiss, or Turkish migrants living in Switzerland
perceive themselves as Turks. They live in Turkish neighborhoods and interact
and communicate mostly with Turks. A second type of cultural identity is
similar concerning local “boundedness” and difference, but the separate
traditions of Swiss and Turkish identity can be juxtaposed in the same person,
insofar as different identities are expressed, depending on the situation. For
example, the person behaves as a Turk with Turkish friends, but behaves like a
Swiss in settings with Swiss people. A third type of identity is the result of the
assimilation into a new culture and the absorption of new values and norms.
This is the case for a youngster with Turkish parents who grows up in
Switzerland, behaves like a Swiss, and has a corresponding self-image. Fourth,
besides these locally bounded identities there are translocal and shifting
Media – Migration – Integration
European and North American Perspectives
- Title
- Media – Migration – Integration
- Subtitle
- European and North American Perspectives
- Authors
- Rainer Geissler
- Horst Pöttker
- Publisher
- transcript Verlag
- Date
- 2009
- Language
- English
- License
- CC BY-NC-ND 3.0
- ISBN
- 978-3-8376-1032-1
- Size
- 15.0 x 22.4 cm
- Pages
- 250
- Keywords
- Integration, Media, Migration, Europe, North America, Sociology of Media, Sociology
- Category
- Medien