The Nation State And Its Evolution

The concept of the nation state is something that we often characterise as being something that is beginning to change in the context of modern society. Globalisation in other words taking hold of communities that once would have merely constructed themselves as something other or different from other nations, and better connects them internationally giving a greater sense of global community and homogenisation.

However in understanding why we think of nation states as moving away from their traditional importance- it is also vital that you take into consideration where the construct of the nation state initially emerged from, and how that had similar importance at the time, as Globalisation does to us now in the year 2012.

So where does the concept of a nation state come from? Well usually it tends to be an economic and social phenomenon in which a group of ethnic or geographically located people begin to see themselves as something different from those around them whether or not differences are that noticeable to external viewers. This is quite a broad definition to make however it is most evident within Europe as borders have changed countless times in response to rise in nationalism and patriotism in the wake of particular circumstances. The Nation state also developed in times where people constructed themselves against the threat of the 'other' which speaks for why the complex mix of economic and social circumstances during war serves to unite people under a single banner. This is flushed out by John Green in his crash course video about Japan and the rise of nationalism that the restructuring of the country was similar to what was also happening in Germany and Egypt where external pressures upon the countries lead to the base need for greater national consolidation (2012, Crash Course World History).

This original rise of the nation state which took place across various time frames depending on the country can arguably be paralleled with the much larger transition of the nation state into something better resembling a larger globalised international community. Just like for example, the American war of Independence had sown the seeds for uniting the American people as a nation in response to meet particular social and economic pressures, I would argue that in the same token large corporations saw fit to expand internationally in order to reach more people with their products/services and create predominately economic links. Thus the foundation of Nationalism and by extension of that its modern evolution into a more homogenised international society can be viewed as responding to not just what's happening inside the nation, but more importantly what is occurring outside of it.

The reach of Globalisation, while it may have originally been predominately about international markets and trade, inevitably became also heavily cultural with ever improving technology such as the Internet and then later social media which not only makes cross-cultural interaction possible but also in fact quite easy and sometimes even hard to avoid. The suggestion of the decreasing importance of the nation state while having positive and negative elements I see as having two very important aspects separate from economical concerns; it a) reduces imperialist desires in so far as governments are concerned  and b) it strips away the concept of 'otherness' with which foreign nations are often seen. The site Omegle for example allows users to anonymously chat to people from anywhere in the world and is just one small isolated case of how the Internet allows cross-cultural interaction and indeed links to be formed between people based on personal preference and ideals rather then national ones. Art, music, film, writing, religion, political views and a wide range of other factors can link people of different nations together irrespective of their geographical location in the world and thus transcends differences based on nationality.

One such contrary view to the aforementioned however, is Halikiopoulou's view that it is too simplistic to just  say that nationalism and globalisation are undoubtedly linked, and that it is directly responsible for the decline of nationalism within nation states(2011, pg 17). She also goes on to mention that if anything international trade is much more stable now than in the period of the 19th century leading into the 20th as the European imperial powers trading was fairly rigid and in effect lead to the circumstances that made the World Wars a reality (pg 17-18). This tends to suggest while nation states aren't as culturally isolated they are specifically more economically stable when it comes to international trade and in this they are if anything stronger than before. I see this as an important thing to keep in mind, however Kalikiopoulou does concede that; 'intense geopolitical struggles tend to demand unitary, homogenised states...' (pg, 25) hinting to the fact there's some validity to this interpretation even if it goes hand-in-hand with 'the worst excesses of nationalism'.

While it is great to discuss the positive elements of new technology and Globalisation has on aspects such as; freer trade, economical efficiency and a more actively interacting global society- it's also necessary to consider the potential negative outcomes. The strongest argument opposing Globalisation is the idea that instead of moving away from the Imperialist culture of the 19th and 20th centuries, it has merely adapted into a new form of Imperialism- one which achieves its aims through large oligopolistic corporations that acquire and organise their various companies into empires (particularly media empires.) Smith has characterised the main points that scholars bring up when reflecting this point of view as due to the rapid process and increasing of globalising trends; economic interdependence, total militarisation, mass migration, global communications, and the diffusion of consumerism (2007, pg 16). Indeed whenever radical change occurs rapidly there are those that question the potential detriments to society and globalisation in this token, is no different.

Taking this into account we are faced with a few questions, first is it inherently bad that a large scale of media outlets worldwide are run by major corporations- or does it further a sense of international community, and secondly; what does the future hold for these oligarchies? If you think extensively on this you find yourself in an interesting position- there have been countless empires stretching back to antiquity all of which have fallen due to social and economic tensions- but what about the global media empires of the 21st century, there has been a new precedent set in which it is no longer one particular national group asserting their dominance over others, but rather a multinational entity that transcends individual notions and binds the world together.

What will ultimately happen to these international corporations (taking this into consideration) is hard to say, but one thing is certain; that they will not be going anywhere in the foreseeable future and as such its tangible positive and negative effects on the nation state will become more apparent as time goes on.


References
-Smith A, edt by Young, Zeulow & Sturm, Nationalisation in a Global Era, Routledge, New York, 2007, pg 16
-Halikiopoulou & Vasilopoulou, Nationalism and Globalisation, Routledge, New York, 2011, pg 17-18, 25
-Samurai, Daimyo, Matthew Perry, and Nationalism: Crash Course World History #34, Crash Course- Green J, Meyers, R, accessed 5/10/12
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nosq94oCl_M&feature=relmfu

Week 8- Celebrities and Celebrity Culture

Celebrity culture and the construction of 'the celebrity' appears to be a most interesting subject of inquiry, after all it is them who are responsible for selling certain types of media, ideas, concepts, business etc and for that reason, they must be seen by the public as larger-than-life figures of interest.

Sternheimer states that much of American celebrity culture stems from the notions of the 'American Dream' and the idea that anyone can achieve wealth regardless of their demographics or social standing (Pg XIII, 2011) and this i believe while not the case for every culture and how the treat celebrities, certainly has a ripple effect that endures with America being the world superpower that it is, and  as having the dominant contribution to Western culture.

Another point for observation in celebrity culture is the particular attention to lifestyle excesses and the paparazzi; important in determining the key differences between the 'ordinary citizen' an the 'celebrity' as an idealistic figure. There tend to be a gap in my mind between the lives lead by celebrities and those who do not, this seems to be related to media coverage of both negative stories and positive stories which indeed strips the celebrity figure of any of their personal and relatable human characteristics and places them up on a pedestal separate from the community at large.

Sternheimer contends what constitutes a 'celebrity' has been opened up in the wake of social network sites (pg 2, 2011) and the benefit (and subsequent 'explosion') of such social media networks such as Facebook and Twitter is that it allows connection to celebrity culture in a way that both is not filtered or placed in context by the media and provides people to the humanising details of everyday life that are not usually heard by regular citizens.

References-
Sternheimer, K, Celebrity Culture and the American Dream, Routledge, 2011, New York, pg XIII, pg 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TARRfE4DDWw Prince Harry naked Photo Scandal!

Week 7- Diasporic Marketing

The media has a big role to play in the foundation and creation of diasporic cultures, and can ultimately shape   the varying diasporic cultures and identities; although these  large number of forms are quite numerous and are constantly shifting  through everyday life- the media gives the means for self-imagining and identity building. (Youna, K pg 135, 2011)

Breaking this down I would say that media (and of course new media) is the dominate platform in which diasporic identities are able to form and achieve a coherent sense of self within the new host nation, and as such also are subject to marketing based on certain assumptions of the host nation at large on their transnational identities and how they can therefore be appealed to.

Diaspora within the media is viewed by Youna as a site of contest between transnational identities relating to nation, race, gender, class, culture, and language- and how they are built upon continuing interaction and re imagining (pg 136, 2011). Taking this into consideration it is easy to see that such identities are complex and constantly in opposition to what as perceived as the traditional culture of the state.

Examine this example of diasporic media; the YouTube sensation SuperWog, who while the content of his videos can be quite crude, both represents a form of cultural diaspora and also interestingly in the context of this discussion- parodies what it means to be a part of a certain transnational group.

In terms of how this has adapted I would contend that online social media platforms allow greater access for diasporic communities to communicate and share ideals and sense of self- and hence it makes it so that it is easier for companies to target what they believe will interest certain groups. I have heard for example that the ads you see on Facebook are presented to you largely based on your interests based off page 'likes'-

It is little wonder they appear to be surprisingly relevant most of the time!

References-

Youna KimInternational Journal of Cultural Studies, Mar 01, 2011; Vol. 14, No. 2, p. 133-151

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkJgRbW2cWk&feature=relmfu Superwog: How to Fight

Week 6- The Blogosphere

The Blogosphere and how it sites in relation to the public sphere is quite an interesting topic for discussion; in some ways has it taken over as a voice for the people which was once contained within much more rigid and hierarchical bounds. The main issue concerned with online forms of personal expression/opinion as Barlow & Leston state is that the sheer supply of information available impairs our ability to critically evaluate what is useful, and what isn't (2012, pg 195)

The Twittersphere, and indeed the blogs (which we are contributing to) offer up public interaction in ways not possible before; whereas as public debate was once confined to things such as talkback radio, rare public interaction on television debates, and letter to the editor type of input- current technology allows for any individual to present an opinion or point of view in a dynamic, well thought out and unfiltered manner. But perhaps the filtering system of traditional media is a necessity for

Say for example I wanted to make a statement on the upcomng U.S elections, depending on my point of view i could easily provide such a humerous video such as this which makes U.S presidential candidate hopeful Mitt Romney look ignorant and out of touch with the voters he hopes to win over-

indeed quite amusing and may even with some over to my particular way of thinking, however concise, accurate and non-biased information hardly. In combining however, with my personal opinion imagery and video footage it creates a very diverse form of communication that is attention grabbing across many platforms and which has the potential to research far greater numbers of people relevant to the topic of discussion.

So in the end, how exactly does one see the point in which the value of free and individualised thought, meets the problems associated with online saturation and misinformed content? Always a point to consider while in the Blogosphere/Twittersphere.

References-
Barlow & Leston, Beyond the Blogosphere, ANC- CLIO, California, 2012, pg 195
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQwrB1vu74c&feature=related Still voting for Mitt Romney?

Week 5- Making Culture

Making culture, each of us in our own way does it on a daily basis depending on our personal interests, beliefs, ideologies, practices and so on. Regardless of how exactly you do this, everything you do has the potential to influence culture both on a local and international scale.

How i would characterize my impact on local and international culture, would be through musical consumption, preference, creation, etc. There are numerous ways in which one is able to contribute to culture in this manner; through the bands/artists you choose to support locally and internationally, playing/recording and sharing music yourself, contributing to online forums and discussions via social media, and even by following causes that come to attention within certain social circles.

I like to write and record music myself, play and go see gigs of local and international bands and just in a broad sense engage in music in general. Online platforms provide great opportunity to get immersed in the sharing of musical culture and can even provide positive aspects such as the sharing of noteworthy causes;
Australian band, The Amity Affliction for example, often has anti-suicide messages in their lyrics and thus has a strong affinity with BeyondBlue and HeadSpace which helps to raise awareness of depression.

Fortunati et al would characterise the aforementioned kind of cultural response and sharing of musical ideas as intercultural that is with the pluralistic and open; allowing the crossing of borders from all directions to contribute. (pg 23, 2012)

So in concluding, i'll just end with a last few thoughts; has music always been a source of intercultural culture and to what extent? And does it have power to build upon cultural ideas beyond what is just physically heard?

References-
Fortunati, L et al, Migration, Diaspora and information technology in Global Societies, Routledge, New York, 2012, pg 23
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3v0om8Yi2IA The Amity Affliction// Chasing Ghosts, Roadrunner, 2012

Week 4- The Olympics as a Global event

The Olympics is truly a global event in every regard whether you view it from a broadcast perspective, a participation perspective or an events perspective- collectively capturing the imagination of the world and instilling a sense of national pride in people of all nations.

In the current day, the occurrences during the Olympics games are heavily publicized not simply just in the host nation but worldwide across all platforms; Television and radio, print blogs, webpages and across social media. It is truly by definition; a global spectacle with representatives of every nation on earth invited to come and compete in a wide array of athletic and physically demanding events for international recognition in their fields.

The expected amount of tourists who will be visiting England this year for the London 2012 games being double the usual amount at around 500,000 shows the spread and invitation for global participation so much so, that it adds certain environmental concerns and practical domestic and transport issues to be taken into consideration in the planning of an event on the scale of this one (Mair, 2012).

Certainly when you consider in a much more tangible way- the exposure you have to the Olympics in the course of your everyday life it's something hard to escape in the weeks leading up to, and over the course of the competition. Even if it was not something that particularly holds interest for you, you would be unable to go without any word of the Olympic phenomenon; even if the means word reaches you is through the age-old method; word of mouth.

http://theconversation.edu.au/london-2012-locally-green-but-what-about-globally-8138

Week 3- My Media Empire

Media Empires it seems, are all around us shaping the ways in which we live, communicate, and consume media. Many function in a variety of ways but nonetheless are able to manage making an impact on an international scale.

Mass Media is usually the termed used when describing the emergence of media empires and the influence they harbour so when it comes to deciding what kind of media would be best- it should be assumed that it should spread across a variety of mediums and particularly the ever-growing resource of the Internet- which can be utilized most effectively if one possesses entrepreneurial traits. Many forms of traditional media are already combining elements of old and new media formats to stay relevant on into the 21st century so any media empire can't underestimate or overlook the power of offering mixed media services and presentation (in the forms of news blogs, videos, podcasts, Twitter and Facebook updates and so on)

Encompassing a broad range of mediums (Film, television, radio, newspaper, online services etc) helps fulfill modern mass media's role as a kind of cultural industry with the associated driving economic factors backing it up (Steven P, 2003, pg 55) and this is integral to the successful running of a media empire

An expanding, cross-sectional oligarchy seems to be the format that the main media giants have accumulated their power and it appears that they have proven to be the most effective methods of acquiring power and influence not just in the nation of the company/ies origin, but also internationally.


Steven, P 2003, The no-nonsense guide to the global media,
New Internationalist, Oxford, pp. 37–59.