We need collective wisdom to form sustainable anti-structures to creatively develop approaches to re-name the world, to provide new meanings. We need new symbolic universes that promote spirituality and sustainability and that appeal to the young.

1. Social
Communication
for
Change
By
M. Nadarajah
amanibana@gmail.com
(Based on a session presented in June 2004)

2. Media and the
Production of Meaning
PMA/GCSSFS/2004/2013

3. Communication
is
Transfer
of Meaning
Levels:
Individual. Group. Society.
PMA/GCSSFS/2004/2013

4. All Culture
is
Communication
and
Signification.
Our “significative systems” (system of interconnected signs)
gives us meanings That is important in our
communication. Otherwise we will not be understood.
PMA/GCSSFS/2004/2013

5. What is
Meaning?
Comes from culture. Helps us to understand
what is that we are experiencing and helps us
relate to the others in society and to objects in
the world. We must know the meaning of
something before we respond.
PMA/GCSSFS/2004/2013

6. Meaning Makes Us
Human Beings.
Meaning is the
Centre of
Our Being Human.
PMA/GCSSFS/2004/2013

7. Narrative:
Another way we make meaning. Consists
of understanding complex nets of deeds
and attitudes. Human beings perceive
any current action within a large
temporal envelope…as part of an
unfolding story. All cultures tell stories to
make sense of themselves. They make
the world meaningful.
PMA/GCSSFS/2004/2013

8. We live within in a
Symbolic Universe
which makes the social
and natural world
meaningful to us.
PMA/GCSSFS/2004/2013

9. Aspects of The Chinese Symbolic Universe
• Food Systems
• Relationship With Nature
• Relationship System
• How the Outsiders
Are Seen. • The Sacred World
• Value System
• Language System
• Dress System
• Emotions
PMA/GCSSFS/2004/2013

10. We Live in Multiple Symbolic Universes.
Some Symbolic Universes are Threatened by Others.
Our Culture Our National Culture
(eg. Our Ethnic Culture) (eg. Being a Malaysian in
A Multicultural Context)
Global Culture
(eg. Signs/Meanings
Brought to Us Largely
Through the Media. Has
Both Positive and Negative
Aspects. Part of being
A Global Citizen.)
PMA/GCSSFS/2004/2013

11. Production
Of Meanings:
Traditional
Institutions
PMA/GCSSFS/2004/2013

12. We lived in a symbolic universe which we and our community
had control over and produced. It gave us a significative system
produced over long periods of time. This gave meaning. Even when
we borrowed we most of the time consciously borrowed.
Religious Institutions
Family &
Clan
Other Locally Grown Institutions
PMA/GCSSFS/2004/2013

13. The Contemporary Situation
Production
of Meanings:
Mass Media
PMA/GCSSFS/2004/2013

14. The World We Live In Is Crowded By Global Media
PMA/GCSSFS/2004/2013

15. You and
Your Community
Global Media
MNCs/TNCs
(In A Global Society)
This is the World
We Live In Today PMA/GCSSFS/2004/2013

16. The Power of the MNCs/TNCs and Global Media
“The global media is the province of some 70 or 80 firms that
provide the Vast majority the world’s media fare. There are two
distinct tiers to this Hierarchy. The first tier is comprised of
eight transnational media conglomerates (AOL-Time Warner,
Disney, Bertelsmann, News
Corporation, Viacom, Sony, AT&T, and Vivendi Universal) that all
collect between USD10 Billion and USD 30 billion per year in
annual media-related
revenues. These Firms tend to be dominant players in
numerous media sectors and to do business all across the
world. The remaining sixty or seventy firms are smaller tend to
concentrate more upon one or more media sectors, and are
more Likely to be national or regional power-houses.”
John Nicols & Robert W. McChesney
PMA/GCSSFS/2004/2013

17. The production of meaning
is controlled by global media
MNCs/TNCs ((means of symbolic
production). They produce
meaning that promotes
a particular view/experience
and this is NOT done thorough
participatory democratic
approaches but by economic,
political and cultural domination.
PMA/GCSSFS/2004/2013

18. Our Local Cultural
Symbolic Universes
Global Symbolic Universe
Controlled by
Global Media
Firms. (One Major Tendency
Towards
Americanisation of the
World.)
PMA/GCSSFS/2004/2013

19. Hegemonic
Media-tion
This promotes a media-ted society that
aggressively sustains a pro-free
market, pro-youth, entertainment-centric
world. Global Media puts stories/tales into
your head, “helps” you understand or
explain the world.
PMA/GCSSFS/2004/2013

20. Media-ted
Narratives
• Helps you find meaning in the world.
• Helps You make sense of the World.
• Helps you read the „signs of the times‟.
A Profit-Motivated Global Media Helps You Read the
“Signs of the Time” Not your Church.
PMA/GCSSFS/2004/2013

21. Powerful Social/Political/Economic Interests
Hegemonic Mediated Articulation
(Entertainment-Centric World)
Narratives (Meaningful “Stories” in Your Head)
“Media-ted” Making Sense of World
PMA/GCSSFS/2004/2013

22. “Tales” Held By the American Public
(Created By The American Media)
• “Israel has been attacked time and again by its enemies and is
only defending itself.”
• “Israel wants peace with the Palestinians and its generous
offers have been rebuffed at every turn.”
• “The Palestinians don‟t recognise Israel‟s right to exist.”
• “It is unreasonable for the Palestinians to insist on the right of
return because this would endanger Israel‟s security.”
• “The Palestinians really don‟t want peace with Israel.”
• “The Israel government wants peace.”
• “The Palestinians are just a bunch of terrorists.”
• “The characterisation that Jews control the media is but another
manifestation of anti-Semitism.”
• “The responsibility for the Palestinians rests with their Arab
brothers.”
• “Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East.”
PMA/GCSSFS/2004/2013

23. Some “Tales” Promoted By Global Media
That Influences Us
•“The „Good Life‟ is buying and owning possessions that cost
lots of money.”
• “Having is better than Being.”
• “Entertainment is the only meaningful experience in the
world.”
• “Happiness, satisfaction and sex appeal, just to name a
few, are imminent-and-available with the next consumer
purchase.”
• “Your body is not good enough. You are not good enough..
Need to be improved.”
• “Businesses/corporations are really concerned for the public
welfare.”
•“The West is Best.”
•“The world is a dangerous place and we need guns, police
and the military to protect us.”
PMA/GCSSFS/2004/2013

24. Impacts of Mediated Narratives
• Removes Critical Thinking.
• Reduces the Quality of Public Debate.
• De-sensitises (to violence, war, poverty, etc.)
• Encourages “Commodified” Mentalities
(Every thing has a price tag. What will I materially
gain? What is it in for me?)
• Builds Consensus Hegemonically.
• Sets our Social or Cultural Agenda.
• Massifies (Builds „Negative Unity‟)
• Produces an Apolitical, Spectator Society.
PMA/GCSSFS/2004/2013

25. Is There
No Way Out?
PMA/GCSSFS/2004/2013

26. Making Sense of Social and Historical Dynamics
Oppositional/
Traditional
Forces
Dominant Progressive/
Radical Forces
Forces
Society
PMA/GCSSFS/2004/2013

27. Anti-Structures/Counter-Hegemony
The oppositional/progressive/radical
forces have the role and responsibility
to face, analyse, network, mobilise and
change societal growth/progress that
push it in the direction of spiritual crisis
and unsustainable development. The
oppositional/progressive/radical forces
promote a culture of life.
PMA/GCSSFS/2004/2013

28. We Need
Counter-Hegemonic
Significative System…
New Meanings.
We need collective wisdom to
form sustainable anti-structures
to creatively develop approaches
to re-name the world, to provide new meanings.
We need new symbolic universes that
promote spirituality and sustainability
and that appeal to the young.
PMA/GCSSFS/2004/2013