To what extent does contemporary critical media theory illuminate the Essay

To what extent does contemporary critical media theory illuminate the recent mass media coverage of the local government led mil - Essay Example Advancement in communication technologies have worked towards changing the very connotation of power play in global politics, the strategies used in global politics for achieving objectives, and the type and number of players in the global political processes. Owing to the transformations brought in by the new age media, governments worldwide have been deprived of their monopolist control on dissemination of information, while individuals, activists and various other non-state actors have sprung into prominence within international relations, as regards conflict or warfare resolution. At present both state and non-state actor are looking towards using soft power that amalgamates diplomacy with soft power, and works towards changing the advantages of soft power into tangible activities (Nye, 2004, 4-5). In the contemporary form of media communication, the critical theory plays an important role in criticising the applied principles in any unfolding event (like the role played by the n ational government during a civil war), in order to judge the situation and bring about a positive change. Despite, the importance of critical media during the time of conflict/warfare and peace resolution, the area remains neglected by modern researchers, with major focus being given to the adverse effects of media in starting a conflict (Hume, 2000). This is owing to the fact that mass media, like television, radio played a major role in fomenting violent conflicts in various parts of the world like, Bosnia and Rwanda (Malley, 2009). The negative effects were also observed in the Danish cartoon controversy where media gave rise to a violent conflict within the Islamic world. A majority of the researchers have observed that the media tends to aggravate conflict situations with recommendations that media must reverse its role and contribute positively towards conflict resolution and transitional justice phase (Gilboa, 2009). In this context, we will examine the role of media, during times of conflict and during the post-civil war transitional phase, and examine it under the lens of contemporary critical media theory, with special focus on the recently concluded government led military warfare in Sri Lanka. Discussion Critical theories in human communication The classical theory of Marxism: In the twentieth century political realms, Marxism based social theory (loosely based on notions theorised by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels) formed to be one of the most important pillars of social sciences, that in theory defied the controlling social order (as regards, the contemporary ideological, political and economic orders). This is evident in The Communist Manifesto  published in 1848 where Marx contended that within the realms of society, the ways of production decides the nature of the social order. They further theorised that economy (along with its institutions) forms to be the basic social structure (simple-base superstructure). In capitalist social orders ec onomic profits motivates production and those that make profits control the worker classes. To obtain liberation the workers must rise against the prevailing economic order, the associated institutions and the dominant

Term Paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Assignment - Term Paper Example The political sphere today is male dominated, as shown by the high numbers of males participating in politics (Lawless & Fox 2012). In the USA, women account for only 16.6 percent of congress. On the other hand, women make up only 8 percent of the mayors of the nation’s largest cities. Similarly, Britain registers lower representation of women in politics, compared to the U.S.A. (PressTVGlobalNews 2011). Globally, in July 2006, women accounted for 17 percent of parliamentarians worldwide, and a woman headed the government in only seven countries (UNICEF, 2007). According to Anne, Deckman, and Swers (2011), the under-representation of women in politics is not blamed on legal restrictions, but probably on the bias of voters and parties, which favor the male politicians. Nonetheless, despite women under-representation in politics, a number of women in different countries have risen in the political scene, with impeccable performance, which is responsible for their influence in th e politics of their countries and the world. In 2011, the Forbes Magazine published a list of the most powerful women in the world. Among the first top five most powerful women in the list, three were female politicians. The most powerful woman in politics was considered to be Angela Merkel, who â€Å". . . directly controls the $2.9 trillion GDP of Germany and influences the $14.8 trillion economy of the European Union† (Goudreau 2011, para. 2). Besides being the first female chancellor of Germany, Merkel is also the party leader of Christian Democratic Union in Germany. She has held this political office in Germany since 2005, and re-elected in 2009. Merkel is also responsible for overseeing the operations of the Eurozone, ensuring stability, and unification of the members. In addition, the stabilization of the European Union is one of her core duties. This makes Germany the only country among the top largest economies of the world to be headed by a female leader (Gedmin