A Study on the Role of the Media and Its Effects on the Identity of Muslims (Part 52)
Social Harms of Media
Media and Cyberspace
In addition to the individual harms already mentioned, media also contributes to various social harms. Among these, one of the most significant is:
A: Cultural Invasion
Cultural invasion represents one of the most critical social harms associated with media and cyberspace. The culture of a society is its soul and identity; if this culture undergoes transformation, the identity and direction of that society will inevitably change.
Before discussing cultural invasion in detail, it is pertinent to provide a brief explanation of culture and its types.
Definition of Culture
There are many definitions of culture. Here are a few:
Dictionaries define culture as a combination of the prefix “فر” and the suffix “هنگ,” relating to education, training, and upbringing, along with matters pertaining to schools and colleges, as noted in Persian dictionaries.
Some scholars define culture as follows: “In its broadest sense, culture is a shared system of beliefs, values, customs, behaviors, and artifacts that members of a society utilize to adapt to their environment and relate to one another, passed down from one generation to another.”
Fazil Abul-Nasr describes culture as “an innate way of life and a way of thinking, distinguishing one society from other societies.”
Thus, culture encompasses the values, beliefs, customs, traditions, behaviors, and habits that define the identity of a society or nation. Based on the aforementioned definitions, culture can be understood as consisting of two essential elements: one primary and the other secondary.
The primary element and pillar of culture are the beliefs, values, and ideologies that govern individuals and society, serving as the root and foundation. The secondary element consists of the customs, traditions, behaviors, and habits that generally align with the prevailing beliefs and values of society.
Definition of Cultural Invasion
Cultural invasion has been defined in various ways. For the sake of conciseness, we will present a singular definition followed by a more general one. Cultural invasion can be defined as a scenario in which a political or economic group attacks the cultural foundations of a nation for its own political purposes, seeking to dominate and capture that nation. This group forcibly introduces new elements into the country and the minds of its people, aiming to replace the national culture and collective beliefs.
Therefore, cultural invasion refers to the effort to transform other cultures, promoting and imposing one’s own culture to achieve specific goals and interests.
In the context of cultural invasion, the imposed culture is often not accepted voluntarily by people; rather, it is introduced through coercion and force. Such invasions are typically orchestrated by dominant powers and pose a significant danger as they alter the identity of a society, exposing its genuine beliefs to transformation and destruction. This process can lead to societal deviation and individuals straying from the path of truth and righteousness.
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