THE IMPACT
OF WESTERN TELEVISION PROGRAMMES ON THE CULTURAL VALUES OF THE NIGERIAN
YOUTHS: A CASE STUDY OF ESUT STUDENTS, ENUGU.
ABSTRACT
This study probes the impact which TV. has on the cultural
values of the Nigerian youths. It
specifically tackles the impact of western TV. programmes on Nigerian
university students. The research posits
that the current trends in cultural behaviour of youths in Nigeria as
observed among ESUT students Enugu
is significantly associated with their perception of Western culture and
exposure to western TV. programmes.
The assumption that foreign media content has direct
powerful effects is shared by optimistic modernization theory Lerner 1962,
Rovers 1964, Schramm 1964) and the later critical perspective of cultural and
media imperialism (MCphail 1981, Pltschull
1984, Garbner 1977.
Previous studies by Payne and Peake (1977), Barnette
Mcphail (1980) Skinner (1984) have all
found western television especially U.S TV. as having levels of
influence on the cultural values of viewers in less Developed countries.
The research applies the theory of Acculturation,
along with the cultivation of
enculturation hypothesis. Defluer and
Dennies 1991, Garbner 1977, Morgan 1991).
To explain that acculturation of Nigerian youths takes place as a result
of exposure to western TV. which influence the perception of TV. reality and
alters self image. From the review of
related literature, the following hypothesis emerged for testing.
Hi more exposure to
TV will tend to load to identification of western TV stars as models.
H2 imitation of the behaviours of TV stars will tend to be
higher among those who identify with western TV stars than those who identify
with Nigerian/African TV. stars.
H3 students who prefer watching western TV will tend to approve of girls initiating love relationship with men more than those who depend more on
TV. for information and entrainment will tend to chose to migrate to western
countries more than those who depend more on other media.
Research hypothesis 1, 2, and 3 received statistical
support from the analysis of collected
data using the survey research method.
The testing of hypothesis 4 shows that there are other factors which influence choice of emigration site
along with TV. Recommendations to check the
cultural genocide for further research were preferred.
1.
Preference for media
2.
Preference between
local, foreign TV programmes
3.
Level of Television viewing
4.
Degree of use of TV. for news and current affairs and
entrainment.
5.
cross tabulation of Sex, degree of use of TV for
news and entertainment programmes
6.
identification with TV
stars
7.
Cross tabulation of TV stars identification with imitation.
8.
Reality of stars to local environment.
9.
Influences of western TV. Programmes on dressing.
10.
Approval of female students initiating love affair.
11.
expected preference of local programmes production quality
and quantity are enhanced
12.
Cross tabulation of desire to emigrate and choice of
emigration site.
13.
Cross tabulation of level of exposure and identification of
TV. stars.
14.
Cross tabulation of choice of stars with imitation scores.
15.
Preference for media and approval of female initiating love
affair.
16.
Cross tabulation of preference on media and choice of
emigration site.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title page II
Approval page III
Dedication IV
Acknowledgement V
Abstract VII
List of tables
Table of contents XI
CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION
The Roots 1
Maintaining the edge 4
Television in Nigeria 10
Background of the
study 13
Statement of the research problem 16
Objectives of the study 17
Significance of the study 18
Research questions 20
Research hypothesis 21
Conceptual and operational definition 22
Assumption 24
Limitations of the study 25
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
2.1
Sources of literature 27
2.2
The Review 28
2.3
Summary of literature Review 32
CHAPTER THREE
METHODOLOGY
3.1
Research method 47
3.2
Research Design 48
3.3
Measuring instrument 48
3.4
Data collection 49
3.5
Data Analysis 50
3.6
Expected Result 51
CHAPTER FOUR
4.1
Data analysis 54
4.2
Results 65
4.3
Discussions 71
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATION
5.1
Summary 79
5.2
Recommendation for further study 80
Bibliography 89
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
THE ROOTS
Why are we what we are? Third world!
There are two broad competiting
paradigms or models of theoretical understanding that seek to explain why some
countries are poor and other are wealthy, why some are “first world” and
others” Third world”. These broad
competiting paradigms are theory of “modernization” and the theory of
“imperialism”. Each paradigms has its
own “clue concepts” or key explanatory categories” (Hagen 1962).
For modernist theorists the determinant
of the social economic situation of any country is the concept of “modern” and
its permutation and big categories such as “institutional differentiation”
“development” “development”, “nation building”, “economic growth” “advanced
industrial societies”, “Westernized” , “backward”, “primitive”, “tribalized”
and many more.
On the other hand, those who employ
the theory of imperialism have as their concepts such terms as “dependence”,
“colonialism”, “liberation”, “Exploitation”, “late capitalist societies” or
“societies in the stage of monopoly
capitalism”.
The backbone of the theory of
modernization has been derived from a convergence of sources in the social sciences in the western societies over
a long period of time.
What modernization theorists most
often end up with is ethnocentric piratical recipes which admonish the poor
societies to imitate them all the way and they would acquire a sudden leap into
the 21st century. In order
words, join the Calvinistic cruet and you will experience a sudden leap into
modernity.
The theory of imperialism on the other
hand derives its concepts from Marxist sources.
In a nut shell, the wealth and poverty of nations result from the global
process of exploitation. This is the
situation that Andre Gunder Frank (1969) refers to as the “the development of
under development”.
The
problem of the poor countries with
particular reference to Nigeria is not the lack of technological know how,
cultural traits conducive for development, or modern institutions, as is touted
by modernists theorists, but that they have been subjected to the exploitation
of the international capitalist system and its special imperialist agents, both
domestic and alien.
The fundamental conceptual
instrumentarium of the critique of imperialism is provided in lenin’s theory of
imperialism.
“Imperialism:
the highest stage of “capitalism” (1916).
The basic pronouncement in the book seems to be that the evils
associated with foreign capitalist penetration of the poor countries are the necessary
concomitants of capitalism in its present stage.
Nevertheless modernization theorists
have also continued to argue that the present influence of the west is not the
result of their exploitation of the third world countries. They state that this particular argument
gives the poor societies” a moral legitimacy” to demand aid or trade
concessions. Sort of “reparation” from their alleged exploiters. However the agree that rich countries depend
on poor ones for certain raw materials but that this dependency is declining,
and that a great decline in this dependence is expected in view of technology
innovations and search for alternative resources nearer home.
Whatever may be the case the fact
remains that the fattest profits for developed countries come from their
overseas investments. Offiong (1980)
argues that it would be wrong to say that the industrialized nations will
decrease their dependence on raw materials on the third world nations.
“They will continue to maintain a
global policy designed to protect the sources of their crucial raw materials
and markets for their finished products”.
MAINTAINING THE EDGE
It is true that bourgeoisies social
scientists in the west (The united
states being the headquarters) and even in
third world countries have gone out of their way to discredit the
Marxist-Leninist theory, social scientists in the west must have undertaken the
actions as a sort of strategy. But for those in third world only ignorance
could answer for their action.
Indeed the Euro African connection
from it’s inception, some five centuries ago to the independence decade
(1960s), visited Africa with the holocaust of slaving, the trauma of invasion
and conquest the humiliations and complexes of occupation, and with a
systematic and continuing impoverishment:
In the 1960’s and 1970’s, it became
apparent that the west European Expansionism was retreating. The question then, according to Chinweizu
(1978) was “were the Europeans retreating forever or were they retreating to
regroup for another assault upon the rest of us”. From
the situation in the current dispensation, it is clear that the answer
to Chinweizu’s question is that the west Europeans were retreating to regroup
for another assault against us. The
difference is that today the united
states of America (who came out of the
second world victorious) is the leader of the regroup. Again the assault is now
more subtle but less no powerful than physical assault.
The genesis began with the acceptance and adopted of the
modernists solution to underdevelopment.
One of such theories which relate to this subtle method of
assault-international communication is given by Lerner (1956). In his
concept of “empathy”, Lerner states that the inhabitants of third world
nations must learn to empathize with the west for modern transformation of their societies to be
possible.
Schramm
(1964) on the other hand developed an interesting model in which he equates the
level of social development to various nations.
Access to these modern mass media (Radio, Television, Films, Telephone
and newspapers) is also linked to individual modernity.
Nigeria and
other third world countries have reacted to these findings by inventing a
substantial amount of their foreign exchange earnings to import radio and Television
transmitters and sets. Thus setting the
stage for imperialism.
Thomas L.
MC phial (1981) described this new form of imperialism through the media as
“Electronic imperialism”. He stresses
that over the years, there have been but a few major trends in empire
building. The first era which occurred
during the Greece-Foman period was characterized by military conquests. The second era which was during the middle
age involved mutant Christianity. The
third era which lasted between the 17th and middle of 20th
century was essentially mercantile colonialism fueled by industrial revolution
and a desire to both import raw materials and find export markets for the
finished products.
World war I
and II not only stopped major military expansion movement but also placed the
industries of the west in command of vial trade routes and practices.
By the
middle of the 20th century there began a shift to a service based
economy in the west which relies substantially on telecommunication systems,
which traditionally geographical borders and barriers to international
communications are being rendered obsolete.
The post
industrial society with information related services being the corner stone,
has significant implication for industrial nations alike. Military and mercantile colonialism of the
past may be replaced by “Electric colonialism” in the future. It might become possible that a nation state
may now be able to move from the stone Age to the information Age, without
having passed through the interring steps of industrialization.
From MC Phial’s explanation many countries including Nigeria could
be said to be on the with electronics.
This trend is indicated by the dependency relationship between third
world counties as Nigeria
and the industrialization countries as Japan and America. Third
world countries depends on industrialization ones for communication hardware,
produced soft wares, and related information protocols, that vicariously
establish a set of foreign norms, values, and expectations which in varying
degrees, may alter the domestic cultures and socialization processes. Essentially, Electronic colonialism of the 18th
and 19th centuries.
The above
reality has resulted in upsurges of nationalism in many third world
countries. The nationalists show
parallel concern for political, economic as well as cultural control over their
own destinies. This concerns have over
the years been typified with terms as “Non Aligment” “New international
Economic order”, and New world information order” respectively for political,
economic and cultural issues.
It is with
the cultural issues that students of journalism and telecommunication find
theoretical and research interesting for instance, two of the largest issues
international concern that link the third and west, and frequently on opposing
sides, are the performance of the major wire services, (Associate press AP,
Reuters, Agence France press Afp, united press international UPI). The major television broadcast syndicates
(Visnews and UPIIN) and direct broadcast satellites (DBS).
These big time players in the milieu of international
communications are firmly owned and controlled by western Europe and U.S to
serve their interest. It has been
sufficiently documented that western News media especially the American News
media have been consistently found.
(Schiller 1976) to portray Africans as dangerous,
unstable, non present, non active, unproductive and therefore always in need of
help. Little wonder why a little
European boy, when he saw an elegantly dressed African gentlemen in the
international City of Geneva,
said to his mother “mummy he’s hungry
him some money”. This shows the
power if the media to shape perceptions especially when there are no
alternative sources of information.
Likewise
individuals and groups in Africa are exposed to the media of the west. If news about Africa
in the Western news media is all about confusion, backwardness, then Africans
will logically have negative perceptions about themselves and their African
neighbours. Such a situation is what
structurelist call a disgussed form of cultural imperialism. In this type of set up, where the developed
nations dominate the flow of news or mediate the flow of news to and fro, to
and among the developing nations, there is created a state of dependency, a
desire and ability to develop and think more like the developed nations.
TELEVISION IN NIGERIA
“It is simply impossible to exaggerate the impact of
television on our lives and the lives of our children. It is often said but nonetheless worthy
of repetition that television has
altered our consciousness, our manner of relating to other people and world,
our decisions about the expenditure of our wealth and the use if our leisure
reordered our lives that we do not yet
recognize the change”. Television, that
which has occupied the central position in the issue of international
communication especially intercultural and cross cultural communication issues, came into being in 1884
with the perception of the scanning disk
by Paul Nikpow. The scanning disk was a
forerunner of modern Television.
In 1923 Vlodimir Zworkin, a Russian resident America
invested the picture tube-conoscope
which he later perfected in 1929 by developing the catholery tube
–Kinescope. Television broadcasting
began first in Britain
in 1936, and followed by United
states of America in 1939.
Television
and Television broadcasting in Nigeria
developed along regional lines. In 1959,
the Western Nigerian Television INNTV was
established by the western region government. The Eastern Nigerian government followed suit in 1960 with the
establishment of Eastern Nigeria Television (ENTV) Enugu and so it continued.
As at 1997, there were two privately owned satellite
television stations in Nigeria. African independent television AIT Lagos and many broadcast
international MBI one partial satellite television transmission station (NTA
Network); 42 cable television stations, II private radio stations, 23 state
television stations, 28 NTA stations; and nine private television
stations. Television is now obviously
the most important medium for entertainment in most parts of the world. It most obviously involves the content of the
screen –programs, actions, people and places.
Many social scientists agree that all of the interesting
effects of television can be traced to the images on the screen. The exclusive cause of changes in
perceptions, judgments, evaluations, emotions and even bodily functions is
thought to be information in two-dimensional florescent light that appears within the boundaries of the tube.
The government of the federal republic of Nigeria
understands the ability of television to affect peoples ways if life that it set out in the cultural policy
documents to keep Nigerian television Nigerian.
Processing the roles which television should play and
policy states that Television should be used to project Nigeria arts
and culture and value system.
b.
At least 70% of television programmes should be produced
locally.
c.
The programme content of television should be made relevant to Nigerian realities
history and achievements. The extent to
which these aims can be achieved is
limited by very many factors bordering on globalization of information and
privatization and commercialization of the broadcast industry.
With the introduction of Direct
Broadcast satellite (DBS), the government owned stations had easy access to
foreign produced programmes coming mainly foreign from Europe
and America.
Also by commercialization and
privatizing the industry, it became difficult for government owned television
stations to continue to carry out their social obligations with out government
funding. The private television provided
very stiff completion and were attracting more advertising revenue than
government owned media houses.
It is an effort to attract advert
revenue which is ensured by packaging programmes that will attract a lot if
viewers that the major government television stations NTA broadcasts foreign
programmes such as soap operas, music
videos, cartoons movies etc.
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The last ten years have witnessed the
privatization and commercialization of the broadcast medium. It has witnessed
the most pervasive period of foreign television programmes and films into Nigeria. The foreign television programmes states and
western Europe and even when they are not from these places as the cases with
soap operas from Mexico,
they are only local variations of international capitalism.
American made programmes particularly
are seen in practically every country
where television exists. It is believed
to exert influential power in various countries. There is no question that one of the more
remarkable phenomena of the 21st century is the widespread diffusion
and accompanying popularity of American films and television entertainment
programmes throughout the world Guback (1969), Lee (1980); Tunshall (1977);
Wells (1972).
It is my belief in line with that if
most local critics of American television industry (Hamelink 1983; Schiller
1989, 1976; Mattelert 1970) that the United states and western Europe
hold sway over the economics as well as the cultures of third would countries.
In Nigeria as exemplified by trends in
Enugu metropolis and use where, western exports of television entertainment are
shown in NTA Enugu, ESBSTV, minaj systems, channels, MGM, Cartoon Network, CNN
international, TNT classical movies, ESPN – Expanded sports programme Network)
channels provided by various satellite transmission operators as DSTV, Multi
choice, music television, Euro sports etc.
I am aware that the inclusion of NTA
Enugu and ESBS in course of foreign television programmes might raise
eyebrows. There inclusion is due to the
fact that most of their programmes which have been documented to be viewed most
by youths, expose youths to foreign cultures.
Such programmes include soap operas, movies and youths programmes as
“our generation” and defunct youth perspectives.
“Our Generation “ is shown on NTA
Enugu while “Youth perspectives” is shown on ESBS. The two programmes are presented by youth and
are regrettably replete with music video of western origin dominated by rap
stars as Tupac shakur (late) Beyonce Ashanti, 50 – cent, Sean Paul, Kell
Rowland big, Queen Latita, Eeline Dion
etc.
it is my belle that western television
especially American television exports is conscious/strategic “weapons” aimed
at subduing the cultural values of less developed countries.
There could be no more explicit
admission of this strategic communication they one made byu sig Mickelson,
president Radio free Europ/Radio liberty in Jan 21, 1977, about the move by the
solviet union and third world countries for balanced flow of introduction in
defence of indigenous interests and culture against the dominance of the west. Mictleson states that success of this
campaign would have effect of moving the philosophy and practices of the third
world societies further away from those of the western world, alienating and
isolating our own philosophy and practices.
1.2 STATEMENT
OF THE RESEARITY PROBLEMS
The average Nigerian youth, it is
oberserved is always eager to be associated with the developed nations the Europe and north America. He sees the western countries as a
model. He “thinks” western while earnestly hoping that one day he will be in
the white works.
Many Nigerian youths tend to imitate
western cultures especially American
cultures. Nigerian youths either talk”
or dress American. The Nigeria youth
appears to see everything America
western in a positive light at the expense
of local cultures, norms and values.
Nigeria university student have low
me a set of brain washed youths who
think more of the trancient and canal ideals of
western cultures, rather than their own.
This has led top increase in the rate of violence, rape, gengsterism,
weird dressing, juveniles delinquency, drug addition, excessive desire for
foreign products, sexual perversion unpatriotism, burning desire to migrate to
the U.S and western European countries etc.
All of which have tremendous negative effect on our bid for national
development.
1.3 OBJECTIVE
OF THE TSUDY
1. To
isolate western television and examine its pervasive impact on the
cultural values of Nigerian University Students
2. To show how the contents of western TV.
Programmes effects Nigerian university
students.
3. To show if their perspection of the west
affects their attitude towards western TV. Programmes.
4. To show the relationship between exposure
and the desire to migrate to the U.S and Western Europe.
5. To show the implications of the western
TV culture on Nigeria
as a state.
6. To make recommendations based on the
findings of this research.
1.4 SIGNIFICANCE
OF THE TSUDY
It has been observed and stated
severally that moral bankruptcy among Nigerian youth especially university
students is growing in leaps and bounds.
Local cultures, values, tradition, norms and mores are sacrificed at the
alter of modernity. Excessive positive
perception of the western world by Nigerian youths may translate to
umpatriotism for their own country.
This study is an offshoot of the concern for the possible dilution, domination
and finally absorption of the African/Nigerian culture which until the present
has been characterized with good neighbourliness, respect for elders, virtuousness,
group or community orientation and collectivism.
The Nigerian youths perception of
western especially, American behavioural norms and values as better than their
own, is a key element in preparing them for acculturation leading to low
Nigeria self-image, high projected self image and a flaring desire to migrate
to the west especially to the united states of America.
It will not be unusual in a visit of
any university in Nigeria
to find individuals imitating behavioural modes of dress, attitudes, and mannerisms of the personalities they admire including fictional characters with
whom they identify on TV. Idolized and imitated international, are modes of
dressing, and often personal idiosyncratic behaviours of popular stars as
notorious Big (Late), 50 Cent, Sean Paul, Michael Jackson, late Tupec-Shakur, Ashanti, Kelli,
Rowland, Celine Dion, and such characters as Van Damm, Schwarzenegger,
Silverster Stallon, Leonardo Decaprio, Jennifer Lopez, Chuck Noris etc.
It has been observed and disturbingly that
NigerianUniversity students in increasingly
greater numbers, adopt and imitate behaviours aid life styles portrayed by
dominant cultures of countries outside their own to the influence of which they
have become exposed.
Such a situation is not healthy for a
developing country as Nigeria
especially now that genuine attempts are being made at putting in place a
credible democratic process. The conduct of this research at this time will
enable the government to know what role the media can play in the development of any country
and therefore enable them harness the mass media especially TV to help in the
democratic process, and the development process in general.
The research is also particularly
timely because as a result of technological developments process and economic
pressures, international programmes movements especially from U.S and western
European countries are likely to increase.
The result of this research will enable the government and other policy
makers to put adequate measures in place to check the movements and its
effects.
Most research on emigration in
economic and demography has concentrated not on the role of information but on
economic and political conditions. From
the result of this research, the government will understand if a fine-turning
of international broadcast industry could help
tackle the issue of brain drain.