On Mon, 5 Jan 1998, Gareth Barkin wrote:
> Andy et al,
>
> What do you mean by "contextualizing consumerist propaganda,"
> specifically? Contextualizing it against what? Other forms of
> propaganda?
Sure. And ideological structures generally. But, more importantly, looking
at the overall structure of production, distribution, and consumption. By
contextualizing I mean putting in sociohistorical context.
> Also, with regard to the comparative analysis, I'm sure the study you
> described -- between consumption levels in nations and their levels of
> media saturation -- has been done as well. But such a study would have
> to deal with a potentially unbearable load of confounding variables
> derived from other differences (economic, political, cultural) between
> those countries.
All research has unbearable loads of confounding variables derived from
other difference. You just have to grin and bear it and move on. However,
economic, political, and cultural variables are not confounding
variables--they are THE variables to study.
> At any rate, I'm in anthropology, so my interest is more at the local
> level; comparative analysis, if done at all, would probably between one
> village with a satellite dish and another without one.
I don't associate anthropology with the sort of exclusionary scientific
practices you imply here, so I am not sure the point you are making.
> The idea being not so much a quantifiable study, but one which
> examines how the media achieves its hegemonic goals, particularly in
> areas which have virtually no previous contact with the West. How are
> traditions incompatible with consumerism undermined? I guess part of the
> question would be: Is the consumerist 'instinct' for more and more goods
> and services innate, requiring only the opportunity to be released, or
> must it be cultivated? In other words -- is there any hope?
There is always hope. The question you are asking is a question about
global structures and forces.
Andy