CRESCENT UNIVERSITY, ABEOKUTA

KM 5, AYETORO ROAD, LAFENWA, ABEOKUTA, OGUN STATE.

(UNIVERSITY OF THE ISLAMIC MISSION FOR AFRICA)

IMPACT OF WESTERN TELEVISION PROGRAMMES ON THE CULTURAL

VALUES OF NIGERIAN YOUTHS

(A STUDY OF ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE CLUBS SUPPORTERS IN

ABEOKUTA-NORTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, OGUN STATE)

ADAGUN, Azeez Akanni

S90303001

A LONG ESSAY TO THE DEPARTMENT OF MASS COMMUNICATION,

COLLEGE OF SOCIAL AND MANAGEMENT SCIENCES IN PARTIAL

FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF BACHELOR OF

SCIENCE (B.Sc.) DEGREE IN MASS COMMUNICATION OF CRESCENT

UNIVERSITY, ABEOKUTA

AUGUST, 2013
 DECLARATION

I sincerely declare that I am the sole writer of this research project; and that all the

information contained in this project is certain and correct to the knowledge of the

author.

Signature: ________________________

Name: ADAGUN, Azeez Akanni

Matric No. : S90303001

Date: ________________________

i
 CERTIFICATION

This is to certify that this long essay by Adagun Azeez Akanni titled I pa t of Weste

Television Programmes on the Cultural Values of Nigerian Youths: A study of English

Premier League Clubs Suppo te s has been read and approved by the Department of

Mass Communication, College of Social and Management Sciences, in partial

fulfilment of the requirements for the award of Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) degree in

Mass Communication of Crescent University.

____________________________ ____________________________

Kola Adesina Date

Project Supervisor

____________________________ ____________________________

Kola Adesina Date

H.O.D Mass Communication

____________________________ ____________________________

Prof. R.O.C Somoye Date

Dean, COSMAS

____________________________ ____________________________

Prof. Idowu Sobowale, OON Date

External Examiner

ii
 DEDICATION

I sincerely dedicate this research project to my family and many friends.

A special feeling of gratitude to my loving mother whose words of encouragement and

push for tenacity ring in my ears.

I also dedicate this piece to my many friends and family members who have supported

me throughout the process of my academic pursuit. I will always appreciate all they

have done; my father, Akeem Adagun, for bearing the financial burden of my Bachelor

program and Safuriat Johnson, for helping me realise that I can reach great heights no

matter how difficult the circumstances.

Finally, I dedicate this work and give special thanks to my very dear grandmother,

Alhaja Ramotallahi Folami, for being there for me throughout my entire life. You have

never left my side and are very special. Thank you.

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

It is always a pleasure to appreciate the fine people from whom I received their

sincere guidance to uphold my theoretical as well as research skills in sociology of

mass communication.

Firstly, the author would like to express his utmost gratitude to Crescent University

Abeokuta for providing him the opportunity to pursue the degree of Bachelor of

Science, Mass Communication.

Secondly, I would like to thank my dear lecturer, Gbenga Ariba, for the positive

attitude he showed towards my academic endeavours, always allowing me to

question him and giving prompt replies for my uncertainties.

Thirdly, I would like to thank Kola Adesina, H.O.D Mass Communication, for extending

his friendship towards me and for providing a pleasurable learning environment for

my colleagues and me. A paper is not enough for me to express the support and

guidance I received from him for all the knowledge I harnessed in my time at the

institution.

I would also like to thank all my colleagues, with whom I enrolled for the degree

program, for the mutual support I received from them. It would be insolent to ignore

the vital contributions of all unnamed lecturers who imparted their fine knowledge on

me right from my first year in the institution.

My utmost appreciation goes to my parents Mr. and Mrs Adagun for their strong

financial and moral support in my quest to become a university graduate. I would also

like to thank my dear grandmother, Alhaja Ramotallahi Folami, for the support and

guidance she provided me throughout my entire life.

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Finally, I apologise to all other unnamed who helped me in various ways to have a

good and unforgettable undergraduate experience.

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION .................................................................................................................... i

CERTIFICATION ................................................................................................................. ii

DEDICATION..................................................................................................................... iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................... iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS ....................................................................................................... vi

LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................................ ix

ABSTRACT ......................................................................................................................... x

CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................ 1

1.1 Background to the Study ............................................................................................ 2

1.1.1 Why Youths Watch Television? .................................................................. 3

1.1.2 Exposure to Western Values Through TV ................................................... 6

1.1.3 It s Effe t o Ide tit a d Taste.................................................................. 9

1.2 Statement of Research Problems ............................................................................. 11

1.3 Purpose of the Study ................................................................................................ 12

1.4 Research Questions .................................................................................................. 13

1.5 Research Hypothesis ................................................................................................. 13

1.6 Significance of the Study........................................................................................... 14

1.7 Scope of the Study .................................................................................................... 15

1.8 Limitations to the Study............................................................................................ 15

1.9 Operational Definitions ............................................................................................ 16

CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW....................................................................................................... 17

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 2.0 Introduction .............................................................................................................. 17

2.1 Empirical Review ....................................................................................................... 18

2.2 Theoretical Framework ............................................................................................. 22

2.2.1 Reviewing Cultural Imperialism ................................................................ 22

2.2.2 A Glance at Globalisation ......................................................................... 25

2.2.3 The Globalisation Debate ......................................................................... 28

2.2.4 The Concept of Culture............................................................................. 30

2.2.5 Impact of Globalisation on Culture .......................................................... 33

2.2.6 The Global Media ..................................................................................... 34

2.2.7 The Destruction of Nigeria ....................................................................... 36

2.2.8 Nige ia s Tele isio La ds ape: A Case “tud App oa h ......................... 42

CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................ 47

3.0 Introduction .............................................................................................................. 47

3.1 Research Approach and Design ................................................................................ 47

3.2 Research Setting ....................................................................................................... 48

3.3 Study Population ....................................................................................................... 49

3.4 Sample Size and Sampling Technique....................................................................... 49

3.4.1 Sampling Criteria ...................................................................................... 51

3.5 Data Collection .......................................................................................................... 52

3.5.1 Data Collection Method ........................................................................... 52

3.5.2 Data Collection Instrument ...................................................................... 53

3.5.3 Data Collection Procedure........................................................................ 55

3.6 Reliability and Validity .............................................................................................. 57

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 3.6.1 Credibility.................................................................................................. 58

3.6.2 Transferability........................................................................................... 60

3.6.3 Dependability ........................................................................................... 61

3.6.4 Confirmability ........................................................................................... 62

3.7 Data Analysis ............................................................................................................. 63

3.8 Conclusion................................................................................................................. 64

CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS ............................................................ 65

4.0 Introduction .............................................................................................................. 65

4.1 Why the English Football Premier League? .............................................................. 67

4.2 The Construction of Identity ..................................................................................... 72

4.3 Manufacturing Needs ............................................................................................... 77

4.4 Cultural Imperialism: resisting the tide .................................................................... 80

CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATIONS ....................................................... 88

5.0 Report Summary ....................................................................................................... 88

5.1 Summary of Findings ................................................................................................ 90

5.1.1 Challenging Media Imperialism Thesis ..................................................... 91

5.2 Recommendations .................................................................................................... 93

REFERENCES.................................................................................................................... 95

APPENDIX A ................................................................................................................. 100

THEMATIC QUESTIONS ................................................................................................. 100

viii
 LIST OF TABLES

Ta le : I te ie ees Details ................................................................................................. 66

ix
 ABSTRACT

Considering the prominence of TV as a visual medium, this study sought to know the

influence of media imperialism and the claim that it has affected and undermined local

Nigerian norms and values. It specifically examines the influence of Western media

content on the cultural values of Nigerian youths using English Premier League (EPL)

clubs supporters in Abeokuta-North Local Government Area (LGA) as a case study.

The accelerating process of globalisation and the increasing interconnections between

cultures involve an unprecedented challenge to modern sociology. The explosion of

Western products (particularly American) across the globe has rocked the culture and

values of several societies. The spread of these products has raised questions and

concerns regarding United States dominance in the cultural sphere. Consequently, it

has prompted many to charge the U.“. ith a e fo of olo ialis − ultu al

imperialism. Thus, the need to apply cultural imperialism thesis as the underlying

theoretical framework for the study.

Finding out the Influence of Western TV programmes on the cultural values of Nigerian

Youths would be impossible unless the investigation uses meticulous procedures that

are systematic, imaginative, logical and accurate.For this study, the survey method

was adopted because it provides the best means of collecting the views of youths

regarding the influence of TV on their perceptions, ideologies and behaviours.

The study sample comprising 30 youths in Abeokuta-North LGA was selected using

three sampling techniques: stratified sampling, simple random sampling and

convenience sampling. Interviews were conducted personally by the researcher to

gather data from the field. In the process of the data analysis the researcher engaged

in memoing and transcription of the data. The researcher then embarked on coding

and developing category systems.

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 CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Culture refers to the full range of learned, socially transmitted human behaviour

patterns such as language, beliefs, values and norms, customs, dress, diet, roles,

k o ledge a d skills, a d all the othe thi gs that people lea that ake up the a

of life of a so iet . It is a patte of hu a a ti ities a d the s ols that gi e

these activities significance. It is what people eat, how they dress, beliefs they hold

and activities they engage in.

Society was formed under an agreement would need a hold of morality that must be

executed in a common life among members of the public. Consensus will be the rules

of morality that will be done with a guide for all members of the community in

conducting the various activities of life together. Rules of morality are embodied in the

form of values and norms of society. In everyday life human interaction is guided by

values and constrained by norms of social life. Norms and values at first birth was not

accidental; because humans exist as social beings and must interact with the other.

Culture is a powerful human tool for survival passed on from one generation to the

e t th ough the p o ess of so ialisatio . The p o ess of e pa di g ultu e has ee

under way for many centuries, but technologies have increased the speed and have

also broadened the distribution of cultural elements beyond communities and

atio s te ito ial f o tie s. N eg u et al

Notable amongst the wide spectrum of information and communication technologies

that have redefined the cultural identity of several societies are mass media

technologies. The mass media, most especially Television (TV), have become a part of

our daily lives, as well as important sources of information, education, entertainment

and correlation of the various parts of the society.

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1.1 Background to the Study

Each mass medium has unique characteristics, which places it at advantage over other

media. Television, for instance, has a wide range of advantages over other media

structures as a result of its audio visual component. In fact, despite the unprecedented

development of so many new media technologies over the past decade, television

remains the most global and powerful of all media. Undeniably, television content are

encompassing nowadays – from sitcoms and soap operas to reality shows, from

sporting events to music video countdowns, and from our favourite blockbusters to

animal documentaries. As anyone who knows a youth can attest, television is among

the most powerful forces in adolescents li es toda . It is a i po ta t ediu of

communication in the 21st century and is used for several reasons including

information acquisition, education, preservation of cultural heritage, surveillance of

the society, and entertainment as it provides millions with a constant stream of free

leisure strategies and opportunities; family matters; messages about peers,

relationships, gender, sex, violence, religion, food, values and cloths just to mention a

few. In fact, besides (maybe) sleeping, a study by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF,

2010) revealed that youths spend more time with media than with any other activity

— an average of more than 7½ hours a day, seven days a week.

Despite the overwhelming qualities (light, colour, sound and motion) which empower

television to command a major proportion of media consumption, the audience may

reject its programmes if its content derails from their cultural traits. The multicultural

nature of our society today exists as the effect of global media and the emergence of

new technologies have paved way for access to diverse and remote cultures via our

television, radio, internet, supermarkets and shopping centres. A society like Nigeria

which is culturally, ethnically and linguistically diverse may recognise the enriching

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value of diverse cultures and values, and use them in its own way. But then, discussion

of this scenario normally emphasises on the negative effects rather than positive.

While it can not be argued that media imperialism has attracted the attention of many

21st century social science scholars, it should be pointed out that the issue is still very

alien to Africans because scholarly works have been very limited on it.

This study focuses on the influence of media imperialism and the claim that it has

affected and undermined local Nigerian norms and values. It specifically examines the

influence of Western media content on the cultural values of Nigerian youths using

English Premier League (EPL) clubs supporters in Abeokuta-North LGA as a case study.

There are various types of media but this paper will only focus on television

programmes, as the exposure is somewhat worldwide.

1.1.1 Why Youths Watch Television?

The advent of so many new media technologies have powered the worldwide

explosion of media usage among youths in the last decade. Today, so many

technologies are competing for their attention and the only way to get it is to provide

them with something very relevant to their lives. Broadcasters acknowledge the fact

that ouths split thei e o ous edia ti e a o g a a ti ities – social

networking, viewing video, exchanging Instant Messages, viewing graphics and

photos, listening to music, watching TV, playing games, looking up things, even

catching up on the news – often simultaneously, (Vahlberg, 2010) . Hence, they tailor

their programmes for so many platforms – TV, the internet, mobile devices, and

desktop computers. Developments with mobile media and the global expansion of the

internet have driven much of the growth in consumption of television programmes.

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So, why do adolescents expose themselves to TV at least seven hours a day? The

obvious is that it is easily accessible and effortless to digest. The pictures as well as the

sounds that go along with it are undoubtedly the major appeal of television. Hanson

(2005: 256), in Akpan and Ihechu (2012), discloses that although people were limited

to face-to-face communication in the past, people equally interact with television

nowadays.

The researcher believes however that there is more to television than just pictures

and sound. According to Signorielli and Kahlenberg (2003), in Obono and Madu (2010),

television is the fi st centralised cultural influence to permeate both the initial and

fi al ea s of life as ell as the ea s et ee . The pair highlighted the fact that most

infants are exposed to watching TV long before they are able to read. They observed

that television is the e to keep the elde l o pa he all else fails, addi g that it

is toda s ajo sto telle . P o eedi g, the ad a e that television is o e of the

primary socialisation agents in society. Television cultivates, like parents, peers, the

clergy and teachers through its stories, common world views, common values and

common perspective on how men and women should think, behave and act .

Similar to Keilhacker on film (n.d.), in Mass Communication Techniques Division

(MCTD) of UNESCO (n.d.), the researcher resolves that the principal reasons for going

to the cinema are psychological. First, he clinches that movie lovers go to the cinema

to escape from the real world – for entertainment; and secondly, the desire to know

the real world better – information acquisition. Corroborating, Himmelweit et al (n.d.:

15), in MCTD of UNESCO, finalise that television s appeal fo hild e o sists of gi i g

the the ha e to go ehi d the s e es , p o idi g the ith i ages of the eal

world and about people. Adding that, it provides escape from the harsh world with

audio isuals of lighthea ted ess, gla ou , a d o a e, a d pe its the hild to

identify himself with different romantic heroes (n.d.).

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Buttressing, Schramm et al (n.d.: 57-58), in MCTD of UNESCO identified two main

classes of reason: first, escapism –the obvious reason – the passi e pleasu e of ei g

entertained, living a fantasy, taking part vicariously in thrill play, identifying with

exciting and attractive people, getting away from real-life problems, and escaping real-

life boredom –in other words, all the gratifications that come from having a

superlative means of entertainment in one's living room, at one's command . The

other, but usually passive reason for watching television, is the information

component –realism – the desire to know and understand the world they live in.

Cla if i g, the suggest that the gi ls sa the lea so ethi g a out ho to ea

their hair, how to walk and speak, how to choose garments for a tall or a short or a

plump girl, by observing the well-groomed creatures on TV. They learn some details of

a e s a d usto s… “o e of the o s sa the lea ho ou g e d ess i

California or New York. Some of them say they learn a lot by watching the good

athletes … Child e ill sa of tele isio : e s is o e eal he ou see where it

happens. (n.d.)

While most studies have concentrated on the entertainment and information reasons

for watching television, these same authors [Schramm et al (p.59)] propose a

subsidiary factor – its social utility, (MCTD of UNESCO, n.d.). Fo e a ple, youths find

that television is a useful tool in providing an excuse for boys and girls to enjoy each

othe 's o pa , o fu ishi g so ethi g to do o dates … The p e ious evening's

television programmes provide an excellent common ground of shared experiences

fo o e satio s … This so ial use of tele isio is ot esse tiall diffe e t f o so ial

use of an automobile or any other instrument that bulks large in a child's world.

(MCTD of UNESCO, n.d.)

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1.1.2 Exposure to Western Values Through TV

Before anything else, the researcher argues that slave trade, colonialism, and the

missionaries are the citadel of Western civilisation and culture in Africa. He is unable

to ignore the fact that colonialism is the root of cultural imperialism and all other

derivatives, including media imperialism, in Africa. The unstoppable wave of

globalisation in Africa is a result of Western interference on the pace and tempo of

cultural growth and civilisation in the continent. Though colonialism is now a thing of

the past, Africa remains subjugated and dominated by the commodities and cultures

of the colonial powers. It is lamentable that the Western culture continues to thrive

and outgrow African cultural heritage. Traditional African cultural practices continue

to pa e a fo Weste a of doi g thi gs as Af i a s ea fo Weste isatio .

Regrettably, African ways of doing things are no longer in the public domain.

Colonialism has indeed robbed the continent of opportunities: opportunities of self-

development, of self-government, and of self-styled technological development pace

so much so that when youths engage with the media they crave for Western norms

and values.

While it is easily said that penetration of western values into African societies has

diminished local cultural values it is imperative to note that the multicultural nature of

our society has been ignored. Most African countries have been failing to recognise

the enriching value of diverse cultures. Nigeria, for example, is culturally, ethnically

a d li guisti all di e se. Cultu al di e sit e ists i toda s glo al illage as the effe t

of global media and the emergence of contemporary new media technologies. Diverse

and remote cultures are becoming accessible via our television, radio and the internet.

I spite of the egati e effe ts of olo ialis i Af i a, the o ld e ai s a olourful

landscape of different languages, skin colours, and different cultures, (wiseGeek,

n.d.) . Developing an appreciation for different cultures will go a long way in

6
transforming an individual into a well-rounded person who is sensitive to the unique

qualities of others. One way to develop this appreciation is to try to learn about other

cultures around the world.

Humans have always tried to connect with each other and with future generations in

one way or the other. Speaking, painting on cave walls or using the smoke of the fire

are some instances of how humans have tried to share their experiences with present

as well as future generations. These examples definitely underline the fact that

communication is a necessary and vital tool for survival. With time however, these

communication channels developed as mankind evolved. First was the pen and paper

– the first means of mass publishing, then came radio – the first modernised electronic

facility, then television, satellite and the internet etc. These technologies have without

a doubt revolutionised the lives of people and the way humans shares their

experiences with one another.

Watching television programmes originating from other societies or produced by

autho s ho ha e a lose elatio ship ith a fo eig ultu e allo s people to gai a

authentic glimpse into the food, music, language, religion, and way of life of a

pa ti ula g oup of people. Fo e a ple, at hi g a tele isio a too like Captai

A e i a offe s hild e a d ouths the ha e to look fo A e i a he oes a ou d

them and celebrate them.

Another way youths are exposed to Western culture is to learn a Western language. A

variety of language-learning programmes are available on television. Many of these

programmes often accompany audio interpretations and/or subtitles to make the

learning experience more comfortable and easier for the viewer/listener to

understand.

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Furthermore, a person can become exposed to other cultures if he/she samples

authentic food from a specific cultural group. Food is an important part of different

cultures and allows people to gain insight into a particular cultural group's way of life.

Again, one can seek out television programmes that feature authentic food from a

variety of countries.

People who love to meet people in distant or remote areas of the world may not be

able to travel in person, but they can always connect with them through electronic

means. The Internet has made it possible for people to correspond with others from

different countries just by logging on to the World Wide Web (www). Likewise, various

television programmes offer pen pal services, offering to connect individuals with pen

friends located around the world. Corresponding with people from other countries

through television is another way by which youths become familiar with western

cultures.

As the parent of a youngster, you may be concerned with how various television

programmes affect your youth since it has been established that adolescents devote

as much as 7½ hours a day to television. The content of most television programmes is

ofte li d to a ou g pe so s ultu al, e o o i a d edu atio al a kg ou d.

Violence, sexuality, race and gender stereotypes, drug and alcohol abuse are common

themes of television programmes. Young children are most vulnerable to messages

dispersed on television. They may assume that what they see on television is typical,

safe, and acceptable. As a result, they may be exposed to behaviours and attitudes

that may be overwhelming and difficult to understand. Several studies have verified

that the information and exposure provided by television can influence a wide range

of attitudes and behaviour. Gentzkow and Shapiro (2004), in Jensen and Oster (n.d.),

find that TV viewership in the Muslim world affects attitudes towards the West. As

already stated, television is the most prominent of contemporary communication

8
technologies and its influence on society is somewhat alarming. While television can

entertain, inform, and keep our children and youths company, it may also influence

them in undesirable ways.

1.1.3 It’s Effect on Identity and Taste

To begin, let me recap the pre-globalisation era – an era before globalisation wherein

the e e isted lo al, auto o ous, disti t a d ell-defined, robust and culturally

sustaining connections between geographical place and cultural experience,

(Tomlinson, 2003) . According to To li so these o e tio s o stituted o e s –

a do es o u it s – ultu al ide tit . This ide tit as so ethi g people si pl

had as a u distu ed e iste tial possessio , a i he ita e, a benefit of traditional

long dwelling, of continuity with the past. Identity, then, like language, was not just a

description of cultural belonging; it was a sort of collective treasure of local

o u ities. U de li i g the o osi e po e of glo alisation, he advances that

glo alisatio has s ept like a flood tide th ough the o ld s di e se ultu es,

destroying stable localities, displacing peoples, bringing a market-d i e , a ded

homogenisation of cultural experience, thus obliterating the differences between

locality-defined cultures which had constituted our identities . Buttressing, he argues

that hile those ultu es i the West sa a standardised version of their cultures

e po ted o ld ide, it as the eake ultu es of the de elopi g orld that have

been most threatened . Contradictory to his claim that globalisation has threatened

lo al ultu al ide tities, he o te ds that glo alisatio , fa f o dest o i g it, has

been perhaps the most significant force in creating and proliferating cultural identity .

Westernisation of the media has raised concerns over the increasing connection of the

world and its people. Its effect upon culture is perhaps more visible in the changing

atu e of the elatio ship et ee the o ld s outh a d thei sense of identity so

9
much so that it has become a commonplace to stereotype youths as the most

receptive consumers of foreign cultural practices exported through the media,

(Heaven and Tubridy, n.d. citing Solomon and Scuderi 2002:13).

The implication of understanding identity as a powerful, yet complex phenomenon,

requires an elaboration on two opposing ideologies: on one hand – the rational idea

that globalisation destroys identity; and on the other, the stronger claim that

globalisation actually generates identity – and, indeed, the danger that, in some

circumstances, it produces too much identity.

The effect of Western television programmes may vary for different types of viewers

in different Nigerian communities due to factors relating to choice of programmes to

watch. Factors such as age, gender, educational background and language, patterns of

o k, leisu e a d p og a i g s hedules i flue e ie e s taste he the a e

offered a mixed menu of foreign and local content. Given that hild e a d outh s

consume a large chunk of television content alien to their cultural content, critics have

questioned whether television demeans their taste for entertainment.

Without a doubt, television plays a significant role in the socialisation process of

toda s hild. Most hild e a e e posed to at hi g tele isio lo g efo e the a e

able to read. According to the MCTD of UNESCO, when a child begins to watch

television at an early age, they usually begin with children programmes – revolving

around puppets, animals, story-telli g, a d hild e s so gs et . With ti e ho e e ,

they discover adult programmes, and develop a liking for them. More importantly,

they prefer the more violent adult programmes often originating from the West,

including the adventure, crime and drama programme types. Above all, by the time

they are in elementary school, global statistics indicate that they watch more adult

programmes than children programmes, (n.d.). Citing the Schramm, Parker and Lyle

10
study in the United States, the MCTD of UNESCO highlighted that as much as two-

thi ds of hild e s ie i g as of p og a es i hi h adults ake up the ajo it

of the audience, (n.d.).

With that said, it can be gathered that exposure to western media from an early age

will g eatl affe t a outh s taste patte . Co o o ati g, the MCTD of UNESCO submit

that a child who likes a given kind of content on television will be likely to enjoy

corresponding content in popular magazines or in movies, (n.d.). Tastes for content

are related to age, sex, intelligence, and family norms and tastes. Further on, they

po e hethe hild e see hat the like o like hat the see , (n.d.). Citing

Himmelweit et al (n.d.), they revealed that when only one channel was available in

England, and children had the option of ceasing to view, or viewing a programme

which they did not expect to find very interesting, they often chose to see that

programme and become interested in it, (n.d.). Consequently, their tastes broaden

and may be raised in average level (MCTD of UNESCO, n.d.). Ho e e , he hoi es

are available at the same time, children tend to choose the type of programme which

they have previously found interesting, and thus their tastes are hardened and

narrowed. (n.d.)

1.2 Statement of Research Problems

It cannot be over-emphasised that television has become a part of our daily activities.

The list of notable broadcast, cable/satellite TV stations and distributors in Nigeria is

endless. Every state in Nigeria has a TV station; and each is popular in its state. Add

the NTA s e l lau hed te est ial broadcasting outfit – Star-Time as well those

e edded i Multi hoi e s D“TV, ou ill ealise that ie e s a e o a dail asis

bombarded with programmes that erode local values and impose alien cultural traits

which eventually become part of our heritage.

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While it is true that viewers have indigenous alternatives, most Nigerians prefer

foreign TV content. One of the reasons behind this could be the fact that local

producers imitate their Western counterparts. Consequently the programmes become

tattered; this in turn prompts the audience to develop enthusiasm for Western

oriented programmes. In other words, while the local cultural values diminish,

Western traits thrive – cultural imperialism.

As a matter of fact, the researcher identified the following as reasons for the endemic

effects of cultural imperialism in Nigerian societies today:

 The avalanche of Western content invading our TV screens.

 Inadequate policies by government and regulatory bodies like Nigeria

Broadcast Corporation (NBC) to guard Nigerian youths from the negative

effects of internalisation of the media.

 The imitation of Western cultures spearheaded by producers (TV and Film).

 The unchallenged brainwashing of Nigerian youths through messages of crime,

violence, sex and other social vices.

1.3 Purpose of the Study

Aside from generate knowledge for further studies in this area, the purposes of this

study are to:

a) Discover if Nigerian youths prefer Western TV programmes to locally produced

ones; if they do, the researcher aims to know why.

b) Ascertain if these young people accept and practice or resist Western cultural

values exposed to through Western TV content at the expense of Nigerian

cultural values.

12
 c) Identify how to curtail the incessant influx of Western programmes from TV

screens in Nigeria.

1.4 Research Questions

In achieving his aim, the researcher had to answer the following well-structured

questions:

a) Do Nigerian youths prefer Western TV programmes to locally produced ones,

and if yes, why?

b) Do Nigerian youths accept and practice Western cultural values exposed to

through Western TV content at the expense of Nigerian cultural values or do

they resist them in favour of their indigenous cultural values?

c) What can be done to curtail the incessant influx of Western programmes from

TV screens in Nigeria?

1.5 Research Hypothesis

According to Adaramola (2001), hypotheses are statements of arguable assertions

formulated about the characteristics of a defined population which may be accepted

or rejected after critical investigation and tests. Every research work must be hinged

on two forms of hypotheses namely: null hypotheses (H0) and alternative hypotheses

(H1).

The testable hypotheses for this study are:

1. H0: Mass media exerts insignificant influence in shaping cultural traits exhibited by

Nigerian youths.

H1: Mass media exerts significant influence in shaping cultural traits exhibited by

Nigerian youths.

13
2. H0: I p o e e t of Nige ia s TV/E te tai e t i dust will unlikely increase

Nigerian youths preference for locally produced television programmes.

H1: I p o e e t of Nige ia s TV/E te tai e t i dust ill most likely increase

Nigerian youths preference for locally produced television programmes.

1.6 Significance of the Study

The influence of television on humanity is encompassing. Several works have observed

the psychological aspects of watching television. People are affected differently,

depending on the information type and exposure level, (Obono and Madu, 2010)

citing (Bandura, 1973; Van, 1990).

Ma studies te d to iti ize the edia fo the egati e i flue es o audie e s

attitude and morality. Television is said to be the cause of violence among youths and

children. Moreover, cartoons such as Popeye, Superman, Scooby and Scrappy Doo are

said to have many violent scenes and proved to influence children in their lives, like

the way they play and the clothes they wear (CAP, 1983, in Norsiah, n.d.).

This study therefore sought to draw the attention of broadcast practitioners and

owners to the vital role television plays as an agent of socialisation. Bearing this in

mind, broadcast practitioners and owners will be mindful of the kind and content of

programmes they air, most especially at prime time, knowing fully the susceptible

nature of adolescents.

By embarking on this study the researcher hopes to contribute to possible dilution,

domination and absorption of the Nigerian culture from exposure to western

television. Yet, his aspirations do not end there. He is optimistic that his investigation

will prompt the government and policy makers to put adequate measures in place to

check the inflow of Western television programmes and films into Nigeria.

14
1.7 Scope of the Study

The scope of this study is to investigate the influence of media imperialism and the

claim it has affected and undermined local Nigerian values. It specifically examines the

influence of Western media content on the cultural values of Nigerian youths using

English Premier League (EPL) clubs supporters in Abeokuta-North LGA as a case study.

The respondents for this study are restricted to 13 - 25 year olds in Abeokuta-North

LGA. The research sample was deliberately designated because they are mostly

affected by mass media messages. The research environment (Abeokuta-North LGA) is

home to a TV station (OGTV) and radio station (Gateway Radio). Besides, Abeokuta

boasts a rich cultural heritage and multi-diverse society. For this reason it was chosen

as a suitable research environment.

For this research, oral interviews will be conducted to gather relevant information

from dwellers in the research environment. The researcher will also consult some

textbooks, newspapers, journals, and the internet all of which provide a lot of

information pertaining to the study.

Finally, giving the nature of the research it is imperative that the researcher does

some content analysis and unobtrusive observation that will provide in-depth

information concerning media contents of public and private television stations.

1.8 Limitations to the Study

This research like every other study before it has its own limitations. The shortcomings

of this study are:

a) Although there are sufficient relevant materials (journals, books, etc.) for the

literature review, some journals are not accessible online and acquiring them

15
 could prove impossible considering the tedious procedure involved (especially

through online purchase).

b) The fact that the study is about the influence of Westernisation of the media

and the claim it has affected and undermined local Nigerian values. The sample

population for the study was taken from Abeokuta-North LGA. The

representativeness of this sample may affect external validity and also the

findings of the study cannot be easily generalised beyond the population of

study (Abeokuta-North LGA). Lagos would have been a better area of study

because it is the economic core of the country and it is also home to people of

varying ethnicities and social strata.

1.9 Operational Definitions

a) Cultural identity: refers to those commonly shared socio-political cultural traits

relating to beliefs, norms, values, attitudes and behaviours that fits individuals

into the Nigerian society.

b) Media: refers to television. In this study media, mass media and mass

communication tools are used interchangeably.

c) West: used interchangeably with Western, refers to American and European

societies operating under democratic and capitalist systems.

d) Westernisation: refers to conscious and unconscious domination by Western

TV p odu ts o Nige ia s media systems.

e) Youth: it refers to a group of people (from ages 13 to 30) who pass through the

transitional stage of physical and mental development that occurs between

childhood and adulthood. In this study, adolescents, youths and young people

are used interchangeably.

16
 CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.0 Introduction

Television as an electronic medium has indubitably transformed the media and its

main traditional functions of information, education, entertainment and correlation of

the society. There is no gainsaying that today, television has become a part of

everyday life which was not so between the 1920s when it was invented and the

1960s when it lost its novelty. As a result of commercialisation, the number of

television stations have greatly increased, so also the number of TV sets available in

homes.

The growth of television globally over the last two decades has been extraordinary.

Statistics reveal that more than 95 per cent of households in America own at least one

TV set and on an average, television occupies about seven hours a day in those

households which translates into 2,400 hours per year – the most consuming activity

besides sleep, (Wilson and Wilson, 2001; Dominick, 2005; Vivian, 2009). The medium

has been of tremendous influence whether positive or negative as it has changed the

way we socialise across all strata in the society. Novak (n.d.), in Vivian (2009:211),

comments that tele isio is a oulde of the soul s geog aph . It uilds up

incrementally a psychic structure of expectations. It does so in much the same way

that school lessons slowly, over the years, tutor the unformed mind and teach it how

to thi k. Corroborating, Comstock, also in Vivian submits that television has become

an unavoidable and unremitting factor in shaping what we are and what we will

become (2009: 211) .

17
2.1 Empirical Review

The effect of Western television programmes may vary for different types of viewers

in different societies. Norsiah (n.d.) contends that factors such as age, gender,

educational background, language, patterns of work, leisure and programming

s hedules i flue e ie e s diet of p og a es he the a e offe ed a i ed e u

of foreign and local content. He further states that internationalisation of the media

will give some, if not many, effects to the national values and cultures, whether

directly or indirectly, but the influence seems imbalance from one culture to another.

As Joseph Ki-Zerbo, a historian from Burkina Faso, in Rauschenberger (2003), puts it,

ou ultu es a e ei g edu ed little little to othi g. These te h ologies ha e o

passpo t a d o isa, ut the a e affe ti g us a d shapi g us. The ad e t of edia

technologies has transported the culture, folklore and heritage of Western countries

to our doorsteps, reading tables, computer screens and TV sets with just a press of

button or click of mouse.

Western media broadcasting gives impact to both individuals and society in Nigeria.

For individuals, the impact is reflected in their attitudes, values and behaviour. While

in society, Western media play an important role in changing the culture, style, taste

and other long-term social changes.

The influence of television on humanity is encompassing. Several works have observed

the psychological aspects of watching television. People are affected differently,

depending on the information type and exposure level, (Obono and Madu, 2010)

citing (Bandura, 1973; Van, 1990).

Accordingly, there are different programmes on TV which in turn take different

shapes. In lieu of this, Thorburn (2008), in Akpan and Ihechu (2012), establishes that:

18
 The physical realities of the TV environment, then help to explain its

fundamental genre – sitcom, family drama, courtroom drama, soap

opera, medical show, all of which rely on dialogue and argument,

psychological interaction, interior, intimate settings, close encounters,

and so on.

Corollary to the above, every television production should consider the cultural

attributes of the programmes in relation to the expectations of audience. The

p og a i g o te t is espo si le fo de elopi g a ie e s o s a d alues. Its

impact is reflected in the way local people behave, such as eat and drink, speak,

dressing style and attitude. A higher television penetration in Nigeria implies that

people are interacting a lot more with the medium and subsequently, more exposure

to its content.

In this regard, programmes are expected to represent, reflect and inculcate the

cultural values of its viewers. Buttressing, Torres (2006), in Akpan and Ihechu, says

tele isio has a t iple o ditio i o te po a dail life: as a egula p a ti e, as a

structuring or modelling tool of daily life and as a purveyor of content itself modelled

from daily life, (2012) . Corroborating, Akpan and Ihechu (2012 citing Obot, 2009)

su it that tele isio is gi e edit fo p ese ti g ealit ... a d othe so io-political

landmarks would definitely help the viewer to witness those event and retain them

li e i his memory. Suffice it to say, therefore, that cultural considerations play vital

roles in programme production with regards to promoting anti-violence behaviours in

the so iet .

Much criticism has been directed at the media for its negative influences on

audie es attitudes a d o alit . It is said to e the ulp it of iole t eha iou

exhibited by youths and children. Moreover, cartoons such as Popeye, Superman,

19
Scooby and Scrappy Doo are said to have many violent scenes and proved to influence

children in their lives, like the way they play and the clothes they wear, (Norsiah, n.d.

citing CAP, 1983). While it is true that as a result of globalisation of the media, there is

likelihood that Western media would affect some local cultures and values, not all

societies agree that foreign media is undermining their cultures and values. The

question then is that: are the cultural norms and values of Nigeria affected by media

exports from the West or is it a normal process in which a developing country like

itself has to face in order to cope with globalisation?

A study in South Korea identified the influence of American programmes to Korean

students attending an English-language institute. It compared heavy and light viewers

of the U.“. ilita s A e i a Fo es Ko ea Net o k AFKN to e plo e hethe su h

programming was eroding Korean values. They found evidence suggesting Koreans

both embraced and rejected Western cultural values. The study also noted some

impact in peripheral values such as wearing jeans, particularly among women and

having a preference for rock-and-roll music, but this did not encroach upon deeply

held values, such as on their views of the Korean family system (Norsiah, n.d. citing

Kang and Morgan, 1988).

Corroborating, Norsiah (n.d.) referencing a study by Payne and Peake (1977) who

compared children in three communities in Iceland in 1968, attempted to examine the

association between exposure to foreign programmes and the values they promote.

He observed that in their study, one of the communities had no television, the other

was exposed to U.S. programmes alone and the final community had both U.S. and

Icelandic television programming. He revealed that in their investigation they were

able to substantiate the association between exposure to U.S. programming and U.S.

values. Norsiah then notes that their data led them to suggest that research model

20
employed had underestimated the tenacity within which people hold on to their own

cultures, thereby limiting foreign influence, (n.d.).

The widespread effects of globalisation are not restricted to just cultural impacts.

Bello (2010) contends that Globalisation also impacts greatly on the socio-economy,

political, educational and cultural life of many countries of the world. Emphasising this

position, he submits:

…globalisation principally and philosophically aims at globalising the

world in all thinkable ramifications-cultural, economic, political,

educational etc. Importantly however, homogenisation of cultural

relations worldwide has been a key factor in the process of globalising

and this undoubtedly, has improved the lots of humanity since its birth

but each nation of the world has had to face a great deal of challenges

most especially the developing countries.

It is quite nagging that third world nations, African countries in particular, are being

heavily victimised by globalisatio . The cultural fabrics of these countries have

suffered a seemingly irreparable damage in the face of globalisation. The mass media

and the so-called new media - radio, television, computer, newspaper, magazines,

books, bill-boards, cinema, recordings, films, internets etc., have all by content and

production eroded the cultural values of Africans. The operations of Nigerian mass

media are patterned on the western model which invariably erodes our cultures.

(Bello, 2010)

Muyale (1998), in Bello observes the overwhelming effects of globalisation thus, the

effect of globalisation has had on culture is immense and diverse. It has affected

people s ultu al behaviours in different ways. People have had to change their living

ways, (2010) . Barber (1992) and Parker (2005) also in Bello emphasise that a

21
number of people who view globalisation from the Universalist perspective criticise

the growing erosion of traditional values aided by rapid development of information

technology and transnational corporations, (2010 citing Mamman and Liu, 2008: 12) .

2.2 Theoretical Framework

Let's face it - the world is now a global village. Travel almost anywhere around the

world today and if you crave for Starbucks' signature coffee, or cringe at the thought

of missing the newest episode of BBC s East Enders, your Western tastes can be

satisfied practically everywhere.

The accelerating process of globalisation and the increasing interconnections between

cultures involve an unprecedented challenge to modern sociology. The explosion of

Western products (particularly American) across the globe has rocked the culture and

values of several societies. As a matter of fact, this empirical phenomenon is more

than mere accident. As a bye-product of globalisation, it constitutes a larger trend in

the conscious dissemination of American cultural commodities of the print and audio-

visual industries including movies, television, publishing, radio, and music. The spread

of these products has raised questions and concerns regarding U.S. dominance in the

cultural sphere. Consequently, it has prompted many to charge U.S. with a new form

of olo ialis − ultu al i pe ialis .

2.2.1 Reviewing Cultural Imperialism

While several cultural and media imperialist theories have been propounded, this

study is anchored on the basis of cultural imperialism thesis. Cultural imperialism is

ost usefull ie ed ot as a tightl defi ed pa adig ut as a set of concepts,

hypothesised linkages, and above all an optic that attempts to locate and clarify a

ide a ge of p o le s Fagen qtd. in Fejes 1981: 288). It refers to a global situation

22
in which powerful culture industries and actors located almost exclusively in the West

and, in particular, in the United States, dominate other local, national, and regional

cultures and actors (Demont-Heinrich, 2011). This domination is according to Demont-

Heinrich, understood as being largely the outcome of fundamental historical

inequalities which have resulted in the bulk of political and economic power being

concentrated in the West and, again, especially, in the United States, (2011). What's

more, he identifies the result as a global homogenisation of culture built mostly but

not exclusively around Western and American cultural forms – e.g. Hollywood action

films, American television sitcoms, UK style reality television programmes, CNN style

oad ast e s p og a es, M Do ald s, et ., (2011).

The notion of cultural imperialism as an analytical and political lens through which to

theorise global cultural production and consumption emerged in the late 1960s and

ea l s to e o e o e of the staple at h-phrases of the field of international

o u i atio , (Roach, 1997 in Demont-Heinrich, 2011; Sreberny-Mohammadi in

Golding and Harris, 1999: 49).

Cultural imperialism is heavily rooted in imperialism theory which refers to the politics

of states politics of states to expand their empire and thus their sphere of power and

influence. It has been defined in a variety of ways in the past. In the early days,

cultural imperialism, as a concept and focus of research was broad and ill-defined,

ope ati g as e o ati e etapho athe tha p e ise o st u t, a d has g aduall lost

u h of its iti al ite a d histo i alidit , (Sreberny-Mohammadi in Golding and

Harris, 1999: 49). Smandych (2005: 3 su its that o the o e side, the e a e uite

narrow and openly polemical definitions of cultural imperialism as the domination of

other cultures by products of the US cultu e i dust ; a d o the othe , he advances

that the e a e o e fo al a d a st a t defi itio s like “ hille s which was highly

inclusive:

23
 the sum of the processes by a society is brought into the modern world

system and how its dominating stratum is attracted, pressured forced

and sometimes even bribed into shaping social institutions to

correspond to, or even promote, the values and structures of the

dominating centre of the system

(Schiller, 1976: 9).

Fo “ hille s defi itio , it a e dedu ed that the otio of do i a e is esse tial

to understand this empirical phenomenon. Kaid (2007) describes cultural imperialism

as a process of imperial control that operates through forms of culture and that is

more effective than earlier forms of colonial domination through military occupation,

foreign administration, and economic dependency .

Co olla to “ hille s ie , ultu al i pe ialis i ol es u h o e tha si ple

consumer goods; it involves the dissemination of presumably American principles,

such as freedom and democracy. Though this process might sound appealing on the

surface, it masks a frightening truth: many cultures around the world are gradually

disappearing due to the overwhelming influence of corporate and cultural America.

Galeota,

The cultural imperialism debate gained momentum after decolonisation led to new

states in Africa, Asia and the Pacific. Scholars replaced colonialism with a new form of

capitalist subjugation of the Third World: neo-colonialism, which was more economic

than political, more ideologically than militarily supported. Scholars argued that neo-

colonialist powers turned to symbolic means of control, which was facilitated by the

integration of global telecommunications systems and the proliferation of television,

(Movius 2010). A number of different scholars have been associated with the

development of cultural imperialism theory, among them Schiller (1976, 1989),

24
Mattelart (1979), Golding (1977), and Boyd Barret (1977). Schiller is widely

acknowledged as the most influential of these. Schiller proposes the concept to

describe and explain the way in which major multinational corporations, including the

media, of developed countries dominate mass communication structures and

contents of developing countries.

Cultural imperialism thesis is not restricted to unequal cultural flows between

developed and developing countries. It also focuses on inequalities in cultural flow

among developed countries, for instance between the United States and France.

Nonetheless, scholarly studies concerning the phenomenon – cultural imperialism –

often focus on unequal flows among countries not typically conceived of as being in

the so-called global pe iphe , for instance, on inequities in cultural flow from

America into Nigeria.

Cultural imperialism does indeed have important repercussions on political as well

social norms and values embedded in the Nigerian society. However, the concern here

is not whether the phenomenon in world media culture is desirable or has advantages

or disadvantages. Rather, emphasis is on the historical development of the

phenomenon, reasons for its prevalence as well as the obvious but regrettable fact

that it will continue to be part of the Nigerian media arrangement for some time to

come.

2.2.2 A Glance at Globalisation

What is the history behind our present lives? This question is posed at all the

members of M Luha s glo al illage . An examination of the idea of globalisation will

help us grasp its real essence thereby allowing us to understand the implicit reasoning

behind the assumption that globalisation destroys identities. The history of our lives

before the era of globalisation is better painted by Tomlinson (2003) thus:

25
 Once upon a time, before the era of Globalisation, there existed local,

autonomous, distinct and well-defined, robust and culturally sustaining

connections between geographical place and cultural experience. These

o e tio s o stituted o e s – a d o e s o u it s – ultu al

ide tit . This ide tit as so ethi g people si pl had as a

undisturbed existential possession, an inheritance, a benefit of

traditional long dwelling, of continuity with the past. Identity, then, like

language, was not just a description of cultural belonging; it was a sort

of collective treasure of local communities. But it was also discovered to

be something fragile that needed protecting and preserving, that could

be lost.

Globalisation has become one of the most popular buzzword frequently used by

people i toda s so ieties. The concept of globalisation is not a new one as the desire

to transcend be o d o e s atu al boundaries has been the preserve of man. Held et

al. (1999), in Eregare and Afolabi (2009), agree that although globalisation has many

facets it is not novel nor a modern social phenomenon.

It would be insufficient to settle that globalisation has changed significantly. The

transition into the era of contemporary globalisation has resulted in unprecedented

economic, political, socio-cultural and technological changes. These changes have

drastically altered the social formations and structures as well as how people around

the world live their lives. It is therefore imperative that sociologists analyse the

contemporary world we live in with the aim of finding advantages to this new form of

globalisation to improve the lives of individuals who are affected by it.

The change from what Murphy (2008/2009) describes as traditional globalisation to

contemporary globalisation has led to an unprecedented era, and it is the changes

26
that have taken place in order to enter this new realm of globalisation that are

interesting for this study.

Several factors are responsible for the transition into contemporary globalisation. It

could mostly be traced to the widespread economic and political changes in Europe;

the economic recession in nation-states around the world throughout the late 1970s,

the fall of the Be li all i the s, the eventual collapse of the USSR and the

eastern bloc countries, and the growth of the World Wide Web, (Murphy, 2008/2009;

Servaes and Lie, 2000 and Srebeny-Mohammed, 1996, in Eregare and Afolabi 2009). A

strong factor is trade liberalisation which had large political, economic and

social/cultural repercussions around the world. Murphy submits that trade

liberalisation gave nation-states the ability for example, to trade with each other with

less state control, through trade tariff reductions, (2008/2009). It came to be when it

became obvious that there was need to search for new trade partners and find ways

to improve economic conditions in order to become more competitive. He advances

that this led to e o o i i te depe de e he e the i ease i e ha dise

exportation results in increased flows of culture and subsequently identity to be

imported and exported around the world , (2008/2009). Murphy continues that these

politi al a d e o o i ha ges a e i te esti g as the ot o l i pa t upo the

cultural identities of different nation-states, but also increases the ability for different

nation-states to have their cultural identity to be consumed by other nation-states ,

(2008/2009). Murphy then settles that it was these significant political, economic and

social/cultural changes of the late 1970s that brought about contemporary

Globalisation and distinguished it from traditional globalisation (2008/2009) .

Glo alisatio , so the sto goes, has s ept like a flood tide th ough the o ld s

diverse cultures, destroying stable localities, displacing peoples, bringing a market-

di e , a ded homogenisation of cultural experience, thus obliterating the

27
differences between locality-defined cultures which had constituted our identities.

Tomlinson (2003)

To sum it all, Tomlinson (2003) concludes that:

This, then, is the story that implicates globalisation in the destruction of

cultural identity, and in the threat to that particular subset of cultural

ide tit that e all atio al ide tit . But a othe , uite o t adi to ,

story can be told: that globalisation, far from destroying it, has been

perhaps the most significant force in creating and proliferating cultural

identity. This story involves a rather different understanding of the idea

of ide tit tha the so e hat eified u de sta di g of a i di idual o

collective possession. And it also involves a rather more complex

understanding of the globalisation process: one, at least, which allows

for a degree of unpredictability in its consequences.

2.2.3 The Globalisation Debate

Globalisation as it is today is a complex and highly contested concept. Precise

definition will therefore be difficult. In academic circles, a debate is going on regarding

the definition and meaning of cultural erosion. Some define the globalisation of

ultu e as the the e e ge e o the i positio of a do i a t ultu e ithi a

e io e t Chaudh , .d. . To li so : -171, in Wang, 2008) defines it

as the apidl de elopi g p o ess of o ple i te o e tions between societies,

cultures, institutions and individuals world- ide . Or, as Robertson (1992), also in

Wa g puts it, glo alisatio efe s to the e ti e o ld s ste , the glo al

hu a o ditio . It is a o di g to Ha e , in Wang (2008 , a p o ess

involving a compression of time and space, and in the 20th century, the relationships

et ee ti e a d spa e ha e de eloped i u fo esee a s . “pe ifi all , ti e has

28
been separated from space and both have been dramatically compressed, with time

becoming shorter and space being shrunk. (Monge, 1998: 144, in Wang, 2008

Globalisation has largely been driven by the needs and interests of the developed

world (Grieco and Holmes, 1999, in Jan, 2009). This is not unconnected with the fact

that world developments have therefore been increasingly characterised by their links

to globalisation (Jan, 2009). Buttressing his view, Jan su its that the o e hel i g

character of globalisation has made it compelling for some scholars to use various

aspects of the global economy as units of analysis (2009) . He o te ds that e o o i

globalisation, while it can be measured in different ways, centres on the four main

economic flows that characterise globalisation: (i) goods and services (ii)

labour/people (iii) capital and, (iv) technology, (2009).

Globalisation shrinks concepts of distance between existing cultures by dramatically

reducing the time taken to cross distances that physically separate them. Therefore,

the world seems smaller, and in a certain sense brings human beings in closer contact

with each other. On the other hand, it a also st et h so ial elatio s, e o i g the

relations which govern our everyday lives from local contexts to glo al o es ,

(Tomlinson, 1997: 170-171, in Wang, 2008).

Some i les ha e a gued that hat e a e it essi g o is ot the glo alisatio of

ultu e e ause the Weste ultu e itself has its oots i Af i a, “pai a d Asia

(Chaudhry, n.d.). Chaudhry cites the argument of Dr. Ron Robin who contends that:

‘‘What we are seeing today is not actually a hegemony of American

culture, since there is little that can be called inherently ‘American.’

What’s really happening is an ‘internationalisation’ of material culture

throughout a world that has truly become a global village. Because the

United States is itself a hybrid nation, made up of immigrants from many

29
 nationalities, it is acting as a ‘crystal ball’ for the rest of the world.

(n.d.)’

Co o o ati g ‘o i s a gu e t, Chaudhry advances that:

although American culture may originate from countries around the

world, it still has to go through the dream factory of America and then

packaged and marketed in New York, which results in the other cultures

being commodified and desacralised and, in essence, Americanised. The

United States may be a nation of immigrants, but the diversity of its

population does not reflect in American cultural products; indeed, there

are millions of Muslims, Chinese, and native Indians living in the United

States, but the culture that is originating from Hollywood does not

depict Islamic, Confucian, or native Indian values, (n.d.).

2.2.4 The Concept of Culture

Culture has been defined differently by different people. The different definitions

attached to culture is based on the differences in the orientation of their originators.

The concept of culture consists of the values the members of a given group hold, the

norms they follow, and the material goods they create. It refers to the full range of

human behaviour that make up the way of life of the individual member or groups

within a society; how they dress, their language, beliefs, values and norms, customs,

dress, diet, roles, knowledge, skills and leisure pursuits. Accordingly, Ekeh (1989), in

Yusuf (n.d.), subscribes that culture is a construct used in an attempt to analyse and

integrate events and ideas in broad spectrum of areas of society. It is for this reason

that Jekayinfa (2002), in Yusuf, states that f o ide pe spe ti e, ultu e i ludes

the total repertoire of human action which are socially transmitted from generation to

generation (n.d.) . Kanagy and Kraybill (1999), in Oni (2005), des i ed ultu e as set

30
of tangible and intangible elements – things like diet, tools, technology, language and

values – that gives shape and meaning to everyday lives of a particularly group of

people . Oni proposes an analogy of culture thus:

If the structure of a society –its groups, organizations, networks of

relationships, and patterns of interaction –are the hardware, the culture

is the software that provides the operating instructions. So when

sociologists conventionally use the term culture they are generally

referring to a shared way of life among the members of a society,

(2005).

Corroborating, Tyler (1871), in Yusuf (citing Jekayinfa, 2002), views culture as

configuration of institutions and modes of life which i ludes k o ledge, elief, a ts,

morals, laws, customs, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as

e e of the so iet , (n.d.).

Although there are many aspects of everyday life which are shared by most members

of society, Williams (1965), in Oni, su its that it is also a ag ee e t a o g a

so iet s e e s a out the app op iate eha iours, values, beliefs, history and

heritage, rituals that should be respected and observed and so on, (2005) . Oni thus

regards culture as a a of life des i ed a set of luep i ts that sho hat ust

be done, ought to be done, should be done, may be done, and must be done , .

These blueprints are according to Oni, lea ed understandings of acceptable and

e pe ted patte s of eha iou s , hi h a e so iall o st u ted a d t a s itted

socialisation to new born members of a society and by acculturation to newly arrived

immigrants, (2005) . Corroborating, Good (1964), in Oni, ai tai s that ultu e

encompasses ethical, intellectual, artistic, governmental and industrial attainment of

31
group, state or nation by which it can be distinguished from and compared with

othe s , (2005).

Yusuf submits that a highlight of culture is that it has its own personality and identity,

(n.d.). Like humans, culture is dynamic – it changes the same way as the human being

change. Odiora (2002), in Yusuf, advances that the t a sfo atio of ultu e is

gradual and not sudden, (n.d.) . Thus prompting Obiora (2002), in Yusuf, to contend

that ultu e is a continuous process of change, (n.d.) that continues to give a

community a sense of dignity, continuity, security and binds society together, (Yusuf,

n.d. . Another highlight of culture is made known by Tardif (2002), in Yusuf, who

otes that ultu e is ot ge eti all t a s itted athe it takes pla e p o ess of

absorption from the social environment or through deliberate instruction, (n.d.) . It

can therefore be said that culture is a learned social process; such learning does not

occur through natural inheritance but rather takes place through the many agents of

so ialisatio as oted Jeka i fa , i Yusuf, ho ai tai s that the a

learns culture through the process of socialisation, enumeration, personal experience

and through deliberate indoctrination or teaching, (n.d.) .

The above definition shows that culture is a lifelong process which differ from society

to society and from one stage to another. Likewise, cultures are in a constant process

of change as individuals and societies adapt to new circumstances and new ways of

doing things. In view of this, culture is a dynamic phenomenon constantly evolving

much as living beings do, for the continuity of the society. So therefore, the culture of

a so iet is the ide tified totalit of the a of life of that pa ti ula so iet , (Oni,

that is lea t a d a ui ed th ough the a age ts of so ialisatio ; but all

that is learnt is geared towards the realisation of the goal of the society, (Yusuf,

n.d. .

32
2.2.5 Impact of Globalisation on Culture

The p o ess of expanding culture has been under way for many centuries, but

technologies have increased the speed and have also broadened the distribution of

cultural elements e o d o u ities a d atio s te ito ial f o tie s. (Nwegbu et

al, Tomlinson (1999:1), in Pickering (n.d.), su its that glo alisatio lies at the

hea t of ode ultu e; ultu al p a ti es lie at the hea t of glo alisatio . The

continuing worldwide expansion of information and communication technologies

(ICTs) is changing the ways in which culture is being passed on from one generation to

another and from one society to another. Globalization101.org (n.d.) submits that

one of the principal concerns about the new globalisation of culture that is

supposedly taking place is that it not only leads to a homogenisation of world culture,

but also that it la gel ep ese ts the A e i a isation of o ld ultu es .

The impact of globalisation on culture is immense and diverse. It has affected the

cultural ideologies of people in different ways. Jean (2002), in Yusuf, observes that

globalisation has made it possible for the whole world to be wired and plugged into

TV programme, movies, news, music, life style and entertainment of the advance

countries, (n.d.) . Yusuf adds that “atellite, a les, pho es, alk a s, V.C.Ds, D.V.Ds

and retails grants as well as wonders of entertainment technology are creating the

mass marketing of culture, (n.d.) . For instance, crunchy advertisements of McDonalds

can be seen and heard across boundaries in towns, cities and even in remote rural

areas where food comes at a high price. This worldwide influence of McDonalds is

fittingly described by sociologist, George Ritzer, in Globalization101.org (n.d.), as

M Do aldizatio . I his ook, The McDonaldization of Society, Ritzer, in

Globalization101.org, states that the p i iples of the fast food estau a t a e o i g

to dominate more and more sectors of American society as well as of the rest of the

world, (n.d.) . According to Globalization101.org, statistics show that within the last

33
fifty years, McDonalds has expanded to over 31,000 restaurants worldwide, (n.d.). This

is why Duru-Ford (2002), in Yusuf, observes that people had to change their living

ways due to influence of globalisation, (n.d.).

2.2.6 The Global Media

T e t ea s ago, i his essa The Globalisation of Ma kets, Ha a d usi ess

p ofesso Theodo e Le itt de la ed, The o ld s eeds and desires have been

i e o a l ho oge ized. Cited i Galeota, This, according to Jan (2009), was

because then people talked about Americanisation of media in the world. Today

ho e e , the glo al age da is globalisation because it is apparent that although

American media play a prominent role in the global scene, media industries from a

number of other countries are also hea il a oss the o ld , Jan, 2009).

The oti atio s ehi d A e i a ultu al i pe ialis pa allel the justifi atio s fo

U.S. imperialism throughout history: the desire for access to foreign markets and the

belief in the superiority of American culture. Though the United States does boast the

o ld s la gest, ost po e ful e o o , o usi ess is o pletel satisfied ith

controlling only the American market; American corporations want to control the

othe pe e t of the o ld s o su e s as ell. Galeota, The reality is only

a handful of multinational conglomerates dominate the flow of information globally.

The six largest are AOL, Time Warner (U.S.), Disney (U.S.), Vivendi-

Universal (French), Bertelsmann (German), Viacom (U.S.), and Rupert

Murdoch’s News Corporation (Australian). The other four main global

firms are AT&T (U.S.), Microsoft (U.S.), and two media groups that are

part of much large industrial corporations: General Electric/NBC (U.S.)

and Sony/Columbia/TriStar (Japanese) (Variety, 2002). Of the top 10

global media firms, then, six are American (counting News Corporations

34
 as Australian), mostly produce, distribute, and regulate almost all media

outlets. These types of companies were growing and globalising quickly.

Time Warner and Disney generated around 15 percent of their income

outside of the United States in 1900, a figure that rose to 30-35 percent

by 2002.

(Jan, 2009)

Jan advances that behind the top global firms is a second tier of three of four dozen

media firms that do between $1 billion and $8 billion yearly media-related business.

Essentially these firms tend to have national or cultural-linguistic affiliations or special

global niches, as the BBC specialises in news, (2009). A out half a e A e i a

(Gannet, Advanced, and Comcast). Most of the rest come from Europe (Hachette,

Havas, EMI, Reuters, and BBC) or Canada, and a handful are based in East Asia (NHK,

TVB, Fuji, Asahi, Chinese, Central TV) and Latin America (TV Globo, Televisa,

Clarin/Argentina). (Jan, 2009

The media and information industries are indeed compounding the influence of

commercial images, which present both explicit and implicit messages about the very

real military and economic hegemony of the United States, (Galeota, 2004). Some

media industries such as the Hollywood films and TV studios have long been global in

their operation and scope. They control a number of companies that distribute and

exhibit (in theatres) the films produced in the United Sates, (Jan, 2009).

Record companies have similar structures except that they have a more diverse set of

origins and an even more international ownership. Unsurprisingly, major recording

companies are based in Great Britain (Thorn), the Netherlands (Philips), Germany

(Bertelsmann-BMG), and Japan (Sony) (Jan, 2009). These companies have

consolidated across borders. Philips now own Polygram (formerly of the United

35
Kingdom), and Vivendi-Universal now owns RCA (formerly of the United States), and

Vivendi-Universal now owns MCA (formerly of Matsushita-Japan, originally U.U.), and

AOL Time Warner owns EMI (formerly of Great Britain). (Jan, 2009) Jan concludes

that although record companies have become more global and less national in

characters, there are some important distinctions in the ways that various media are

organised around the world, (2009).

2.2.7 The Destruction of Nigeria

With the proliferation of communication satellites, global syndication networks, cable

television, and multi-lingual dubbing centres, the world is increasingly becoming more

and more similar and homogenous. As Robert Martin describes, in Chaudhry (n.d.):

the o ld s la gest ities a e so eti es ha d to distinguish from each other – they all

have too many people, too many cars, too much pollution. The hotels, the restaurants,

a d the sig s of po e t look p ett u h the sa e e e he e ou go. He the

goes o to sa that hu a ei gs te d, i hate e part of the world they may live,

to watch the same television programmes, see the same movies, listen to the same

usi , a d ead the sa e, o i disti guisha le, e spape s a d agazi es. I a

similar vein, Patricia Pitchon, in Chaudhry, o se es: the same types of buildings go

up in Kuala Lumpur as in California; the same food can be eaten in Mexico and

Mongolia; the same violent Hollywood blockbusters can be seen in Scandinavia and

South America. (n.d.)

“i pl put, the o ld is o a glo al illage . Entertainment media programmes, hip-

hop music, video games, popular magazines, electronic gadgets and other

information-based products, now freely cross the borders of developed and

developing countries, bringing new opportunities as well as problems.

36
Chaudhry submits that this phenomenon of homogenisation of culture is rapidly

invading every region of the earth, regardless of how remote and primitive, engulfing

all cultures, devouring all traditions. No one is immune to its advance. The burgeoning

of discos and malls in the post-Gulf War Kuwait, the popularity of Kentucky Fried

Chicken and Rap music in Pakistan, the destruction of the nomadic life-style of Saudi

Arabian Bedouin tribes, and the powerful trend of Westernisation in China are only

some manifestations of this phenomenon. .d.

What you have read so far does not constitute an argument for keeping Nigeria a poor

and impoverished nation; instead, it is meant to highlight the fact that material and

technological advancements are rapidly eroding local cultures throughout the world,

and that Nigeria is no exception. The process by which local cultures are being eroded

and increasingly replaced by a single global culture is according to Chaudhry, a result,

first and foremost, of the globalisation of economy and the unprecedented progress in

communication technology, without which such homogenisation could not have

occurred. This has encouraged and facilitated a uniformity and standardisation of

products, tastes, and techniques throughout the world. (n.d.) Chaudhry further

points out that the traditional functions of the mass media have consequently been

revolutionised, (n.d.). Chaudhry stresses the fact that the modern mass media is

charged with facilitating the globalisation of culture and the globalisation of economy,

adding that: y means of the media, people in non-western countries are made

complacent to the changes around them, if not manipulated to be desi ous of the ,

(n.d.).

The long process of globalisation has been well under way in Nigeria as early as the

1970s. It gained precedence in 1987 when General Ibrahim Babangida, the then

President of Nigeria, introduced structural adjustment programmes such as

deregulated foreign investment, import liberalisation, deregulated banking system

37
and so on. As Friday (2002), in Yusuf (n.d.) observes, the result has been to further

undermine the internal and national productive capacity, social security and

democratic integrity of developing countries.

Globalisation has swept like a flood, through the Nigerian society to erode local

linguistic and cultural values. Tuhus-Dubrow (2002), in Yusuf, observes that a language

is considered endangered when it is no longer spoken by the younger generation,

(n.d.). Ajayi (2001), in Yusuf, observes that many of Nige ia s la guages a e

endangered, (n.d.). Nige ia s i dige ous la guages ha e ee e de ed i pote t

because English language is the official language of the country, (n.d.). This prompted

James (1997), in Yusuf, to adjudge E glish La guage a kille language, (n.d.). Ja es

verdict is perfectly justified within the context of the Nigerian situation. English

language has penetrated every corner piece of the Nigerian society. As Yusuf points

out people a t to speak E glish la guage e ause it is the language of advertising,

blockbuster, movies and pop music, as well as vital tool of success, (n.d.) . Yusuf

contends that indeed we will continue to communicate in our local languages yet we

must not ignore the fact that these languages are giving way to what has become

e tai l the most successful lingua franca –English language, (n.d.).

It is inexcusable that Nigeria has fallen victim to globalisation. The inevitable

pe et atio of glo al p odu ts a d the i teg atio of Nige ia i to the glo al

marketplace has deposited several effects on the frontiers of the Nigerian society.

Nigeria has been neutralised by a cultural revolution as observed in the music and

entertainment industries where the western beats of Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, Michael

Jackson, Usher and 50 Cent etc., have run Nigerian youths ild . Many Nigerian

youths now prefer western music, films, soap operas, hair style, shoes and dressing.

Yakubu (1999), in Yusuf, discovered that young people of the Third World countries

are the largest consumers of global culture, (n.d.) .

38
At this junction, it is imperative to know why Nigerian youths have become so

accustomed to the western way of life. The answer lies in nowhere else than in the

most powerful of all the mass media of communication – Television. The growth of

television in the developing world over the last two decades has been extraordinary.

Television has vastly increased information about the outside world and exposed

individuals to other ways of life. Perhaps that is why Jean (2002), in Yusuf, maintains

that TV does ot offe o l e te tai e t it e odies the shee po e a d i flue e

of the global corporate culture. Television has become the agent of the new global

corporate vision. (n.d.) Yakubu (1999), in Yusuf, otes that a out % of the world

population have access to daily T.V. reception, (n.d.) . What s o e, these people

fo diffe e t so ieties a d of diffe e t ultu al a kg ou ds a e e posed to the

same music, the same sporting events, the same news, soap-opera and the same

glamorous life style (Yusuf, n.d. . Unfortunately though, these people can not escape

coming into contact with the Western culture as most of the TV screens are

dominated by Hollywood films, Western music and lifestyle.

The crimes of globalisation in Nigerian societies have brought unresolved hardship

upon its victims. As a child I [the researcher] remember how the elders would gather

myself, other children in the extended family as well as friends in the evening to tell us

tales about respect, integrity, peace, love and unity. Unfortunately, it is a thing of the

past. Children no longer gather in the evening to sing cultural melodies. These cultural

elements have even been neglected in the rural communities where such are

befitting. As Yusuf points out, the st uggle o is fo su i al; ho to get a o d of

meal to fill family. Children now involve themselves in crime such as robbery,

thuggery, violence and female prostitution. (n.d.)

Globalisation has turned the Nigerian society upside down. Fridah (2002), in Yusuf,

observes that in the days of our forefathers, most communities in Africa had a strong

39
policy of food security incorporating the extended family compound, (n.d.). The story

is different today as all these have been eroded by globalisation. Yusuf mentions that

people have been forced into a situation where they are living from hand to mouth

so u h so that the o king class run into the habit of borrowing their salaries even

efo e the e ei e the , (n.d.). According to Oni (2001), in Yusuf, bribery and

corruption are encouraged so as to make ends meet, (n.d.) .

The economic impacts of globalisation are widespread and the women are not left

behind. Nigerian women have embraced globalisation with open arms as more and

more women are engaging in economic activities exclusively preserved for men. While

this is positive for economic development it should be noted that globalisation has

exposed women to crime and other illegal economic activities.

As a matter of fact the researcher is compelled to stress that globalisation is a

o t i uti g fa to to the ollapse of Nige ia s ag i ultu al se to . Befo e glo alisatio ,

Nige ia s e o o as hea il egulated the state. Under the regulated economy

international business activities were heavily regulated and restricted. Policies were in

place to ensure that the country did not become reliant on other countries for its

economic needs so much so that self-reliance was the slogan. However, as Nigeria

gradually became exposed and integrated into the global marketplace, deregulation,

economic liberalisation and privatisation became the agenda of national economic

policies. Indeed the Nigerian government can not be entirely blamed for being

attracted to the prospect of accelerated economic growth and development. Rather

than propel the country to become a major player of agricultural products in the

global marketplace, Nigeria has now become a major importer of agricultural products

such as rice to the detriment of locally produced ones. The fact that most Nigerians

prefer American Rice, has according to Crystal (1997), in Yusuf, led to the reduction of

locally produced rice and forced local farmers to re-evaluate their mode of operation,

40
(n.d.). Yusuf notes that the job security of farmers in the Third World countries has

been threatened as a result of globalisation and if permitted to continue, globalisation

ill dest o fa es li elihoods, displa e o u ities a d eate rural

unemployment , (n.d.).

As Corbitt (2002), in Yusuf, o se es, he people s social and economic patterns are

affected the culture is also affected, (n.d.). How can a nation like Nigeria ensure

sustained development when there are unacceptable inequities in the distribution of

economic resources? Traditionally, in Nigerian culture, the man is expected to be the

breadwinner of the family but with the emergence of globalisation, the women have

been forced to go to work to earn a living. Hence this has effected on household

responsibilities as men and women are constantly exchanging roles when a man has

to ash, ook a d e e look afte the hild e Yusuf, n.d. in their bid to sustain

development in the household. Obiora (2002), in Yusuf, observes that many children

have dropped out of schools because their families can not afford to pay their school

fees. Yusuf notes that this despicable situation is reducing the little opportunities they

have, (n.d.). He o te ds that the e is a li it to o e s apa it to e jo o e s ight, if

one has not gone to school. This means that one may not get a job and therefore

o e s ights a e affe ted. (n.d.) It is because of this that Irele (2001), in Yusuf, stresses

the eed to p o ote, p ote t, p ese e a d ode ise Bla k a d Af i a ultu e i

general, in order to empower them to compete favourably in the emerging global

world dominated by western cultural values and standards, (n.d.) . One way of

achieving that is to stimulate awareness on the need to agg essi el olle t Af i a

oral traditions especially poetry, and preserve them with audio-visual facilities, (Yusuf,

n.d.) for the future generations.

Globalisation is aggressively determining the cultural practices of the Nigerian youths.

Regrettably, the culture of the developed economies (the pe iphe atio s ha e

41
penetrated deep in to Nigerian society to oust the local culture. Ajayi (2001), in Yusuf,

clarifies that globalisation is about competition and struggle for dominance adding

that it is a continuation and expansion of western imperialism in the new millennium,

(n.d.). From the foregoing, globalisation is a fresh phase in the colonisation of Africa.

This new formula for the colonisation of Africa is not one characterised by the quest

for empires of land, but rather one that is characterised by keen competition and

aggressive quest to continue the promotion of western linguistic heritage and literacy

aesthetic canons at the expense of African indigenous languages and literature.

2.2.8 Nigeria’s Television Landscape: A Case Study Approach

While several studies have closely examined the impact of media imperialism on world

media culture, it is important to note that the issue is still very alien to Nigerians as

there is limited research and academic writing coming from researchers and scholars

based in Nigeria on it. In the realisation of this drawback, the researcher deems it

necessary to examine the Nigerian television experience, using historical approach to

depict the dilemma faced by Nigerian TV broadcasters and viewers.

The establishment of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) in 1992 actualised

deregulated broadcasting in Nigeria. The NBC s fu tio s i lude the issua e of

licenses to operators of TV and radio broadcasting, setting standards as well as

upholding the principles of fairness, objectivity and balance in the broadcasting

industry. The establishment of NBC through Decree No 38 of 1992 (Now Act No 38),

promulgated by the regime of General Ibrahim Babangida, was alleged by many

scholars and media professionals to be the panacea for the nagging problem of foreign

broadcast of news and programmes that pervade Nigerian TV screens, (Omoera and

Ibagere, 2010).

42
Okhakhu (2001), in Omoera and Ibagere, points out that apart from setting standards

for the technical areas, the NBC was expected to encourage TV stations to generate

about 60% of their programmes for broadcast locally as it affects socio-cultural

development, (2010). It is ho e e la e ta le, that lose to t o de ades afte the

establishment of the NBC, the Nigerian TV has not moved substantially away from the

feature of programmes and news items whose origin and content is basically foreign.

This is even besides the manufacture of media technologies which Nigeria is yet to

find its feet in. (Omoera and Ibagere,

If you flip through the daily offerings of many the TV stations and cable channels in

Nigeria, you can find indisputable evidence of western cultural imperialism, from

American controlled theme channels such as CNN, MTV, and Fox Kids, to locally-run

public and commercial channels that fill their prime time hours with Hollywood films

and drama series. A a eful look at the dail offe i gs of a of the TV statio s

would reveal the pervasive nature of the phenomenon. (Omoera and Ibagere, 2010

Adeseye (1991), in Omoera and Ibagere, notes that in the early stages, television

broadcast time was about 75% foreign programmes, (2010). Though efforts have been

made by the NBC to change the situation by mandating that stations broadcast 60%

local content in their daily transmission, it has not heralded well for the industry as

most of the TV outfits are financially incapable of producing that can meet

international standards, (Omoera and Ibagere, 2010). The pair note that Nigerian TV

broadcasters are far behind their Western counterparts as lean finances incapacitate

most of them in their bid to acquire up to speed equipment and technology needed by

the medium, (2010) .

O e easo fo this is the a o e ial statio s a e fu ded i Nige ia. With o

subsidy from the government and dependent almost exclusively on revenue from

ad e tisi g fo su i al Ek e hi, , p i ate tele isio ope ato s i Nige ia a e

43
forced to solicit programming content from foreign stations as these foreign

programmes are cheaper alternatives to production of local programmes. Omoera and

Ibagere (2006), in Omoera and Ibagere, note that private stations are now involved in

the broadcast of sponsored programmes which do not serve the interest of

integration/rural/grassroots communication in Nigeria where over 70 percent of the

people are rural dwellers, (2010) . This is especially true of television stations who

hook on to foreign stations to bring international events to viewers because such

events, especially sporting activities, easily attract sponsors which of course are vital

to the survival of commercial organisations. Omoera and Ibagere exemplify this

despicable situation when they make reference to the UEFA Champions League

football final played between Barcelona Football Club of Spain and Arsenal Football

Club of England on Wednesday, May 17, 2006, (2010). In their annotation they point

out that the Nigerian Breweries sponsored the analysis of the match on Nigerian

Tele isio Autho it s NTA s Ne sli e , oti g that o the othe hand, an important

football match like the Nigerian Football Federation final is rarely aired, (2010). The

pair cite the case of the fi als of the Af i a Wo e s Football Championship, hosted

by Nigeria and which Nigeria won for a record fifth time on November 11, 2006. They

claimed that it was only the local television station – the Delta Rainbow Television

(DRTV) that aired the match, contending that it was probably because it was the state

(Delta State) that hosted the championship on behalf of the country, (2010). In

addition, they revealed that other stations chose to broadcast the English Premier

League football matches played that weekend, (2010).

Today, the imperialist situation is o e e gi e as a o glo e ates,

including Guinness, Heineken now bankroll the broadcast of league matches from

Eu ope to the de eli tio of Nige ia league at hes O oe a a d I age e, .

The pair note, that overtime, this and other programming offerings of most Nigerian

44
television stations seem to have accumulatively influenced the attitude and behaviour

of Nigerians, especially the youths, (2010). This prompted (Okhakhu and Ate, 2008), in

Omoera and Ibagere, to u o e the a pa t ultu e e hi ited toda s ouths; o e

in which they parade T-shirts, rubber bracelets and caps with inscriptions such as

Chelsea FC , A se al FC , Ma U fo Life , and Ne Yo k Lake s , to e tio a

few, (2010). In fact, Omoera and Ibagere maintain that the average Nigerian football

fan knows more about football players and their activities in the Spanish League (La

Liga), German League (Bundesliga), Italian League (Serie A), French League (Ligue 1),

among others, than the Nigerian sporting scene, (2010).

According to Omoera and Ibagere, the dire situation in Nige ia s edia e olog is

ade o se the gleeful a ou e e t the Fede al Go e e t of Nige ia of

negotiations between the NBC and the English Football Federation (which holds the

broadcast rights of the Premier League) on the broadcast of Premier League matches

Nige ia statio s , (2010). The uote Aihe ho dis loses that follo i g

the discussion between the NBC and the FA Premier League as well as the follow-up

by the Honourable Minister of Information and Communications, Nigeria has been set

aside as a broadcast territory for the acquisition of FA Premier League ights , (2010).

The point being made is that gradually but certainly, this prevalent media imperialist

trend will only expel indigenous Nigerian cultural tendencies as is the case today

where, there are now fans of notable English clubs like Manchester United, Arsenal

and Chelsea going for thanksgiving in churches all over the country for thei success

while Nigerian clubs play to empty terraces in different stadiums with their matches

not featured on television, O oe a a d I age e, .

With all that said, media imperialism continues to be a feature of Nigerian television

broadcasting to the extent that Nigerian television is being trapped in the web of

subtle conditioning of the minds of the people to imbibe values which make their

45
desire for foreign goods, services or ideas to increase, (Udeze, 2005), in Omoera and

I age e . Boyd-Barrett and Thussu (1993), in Omoera and Ibagere, note that

there is a strong connection between this consumptive social attitude and the

globalisation agenda which continuously buoys up the economy of the producing

nation and slows down the economic, industrial and technological growth of the

consuming nation, (2010) .

46
 CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.0 Introduction

This study focuses on the influence of media imperialism and the claim that it has

affected and undermined local Nigerian norms and values. It specifically examines the

influence of Western media content on the cultural values of Nigerian youths using

English Premier League (EPL) clubs supporters in Abeokuta-North as a case study.

Finding out the Influence of Western TV programmes on the cultural values of

Nigerian Youths would be impossible unless the investigation uses meticulous

procedures that are systematic, imaginative, logical and accurate. Hence, this chapter

outlines the best means or approach for carrying out the research work.

The four purposes of this chapter are to (1) describe the research methodology of this

study, (2) identify the geographical area where the study was conducted, and explain

the sample selection, (3) describe the procedure used in designing the instrument to

collect the data, including methods implemented to maintain validity and reliability of

the instrument and (4) provide an explanation of the statistical procedures used to

analyse the data.

3.1 Research Approach and Design

Research is worthless without proper validation. This chapter thereby presents details

about the planning and implementation of the research – being core components of

the research design.

This research is to discover the underlying impact of Western television programmes

as it affects the cultural values of Nigerian youths. By following the qualitative

47
approach the researcher can analyse the various factors which motivate people to

behave in a particular manner or which make people like or dislike a particular thing

prior to, or upon exposure to Western values through TV. Besides, the qualitative

approach will allow the researcher to penetrate the subject understandings of

audiences.

Shank (2002: 5) defines ualitati e esea h as a fo of s ste ati e pi i al i ui

i to ea i g. B s ste ati he ea s a p e editated, o de ed a d pu li set of

rules; by empirical, he means that this type of inquiry is grounded in the world of

experience; Inquiry into meaning connotes that researchers aim to understand how

others make sense of their experience. Denzin and Lincoln (2000:3) claim that

ualitati e esea he s stud things in their natural settings, attempting to make

se se of, o to i te p et, phe o e a i te s of the ea i gs people i g to the .

For this study, a descriptive research framework was selected because it is well-

matched to (1) describe characteristics of certain groups (2) determine the proportion

of youths who behave in a certain way upon exposure to Western television content

(3) make specific predictions and (3) determine relationships between variables. In a

nutshell, descriptive research provides an accurate portrayal or account of the

behaviour, opinions, beliefs, and knowledge of a particular individual or group.

3.2 Research Setting

The study was conducted in Abeokuta-North, a Local Government Area in Ogun State,

Nigeria. It has an area of 808 km2 and a population of just over 201 thousand (at the

2006 census).

48
3.3 Study Population

All elements (animate and inanimate) that fall under the umbrella of the research

topic to be examined and share a common characteristic, such as age, sex, beliefs and

attitudes are referred to as the study population. The study population comprised

youths aged 13 to 25 in Abeokuta-North who had access to television at home, school,

or their place of work.

3.4 Sample Size and Sampling Technique

Even if it were possible, it is not necessary to collect data from everyone in the study

population in order to acquire valid findings. Given that the qualitative approach was

selected for the methodology, it is more convenient to examine only a subset of the

population (the sample). Sampling is therefore, a scientific and systemic process or

technique of selecting a suitable sample of the study population.

By examining the study population the researcher observed that although they were

predominantly Yoruba speaking people, they did not constitute a homogenous group

within the context of the sampling criteria for the study. Thus he (the researcher)

employed three sampling techniques: convenience, simple random and stratified

sampling. Convenience sampling because it affords him purposive selection of

particular units of the study population not determined by chance and most easily

available to him; simple random sampling because it guarantees each and every item

in the population an equal chance of inclusion in the sample and each one of the

possible samples, in case of finite universe, has the same probability of being selected;

stratified sampling because the population from which the sample is to be drawn does

not constitute a homogeneous group.

49
Using stratified sampling technique the researcher subdivided Abeokuta-North into 24

zones.

1. Ago – Odo 2. Ikereku 3. Illawo 4. Ikija

5. Ago oko 6. Elega 7. Imala 8. Iberekedo

9. Illugun 10. Ita ota 11. Gbagura 12. Sabo

13. Ayetoro 14. Oke Ago 15. Owu 16. Totoro

17. Oke Sokori 18. Ita Oshin 19. Olomore 20. Ijale

21. Olorunda 22. Imala 23. Idi Emi 24. Ibara

Therefore, using simple random sampling whereby the names of all the zones were

put in a box, the researcher selected six zones.

1. Elega 2. Owu 3.Ibara 4. Olomore

5. Sabo 6. Imala

Given the qualitative nature of the study, the researcher had to also employ non-

random sampling methods so that the sample selection is not determined by chance.

Thus the researcher conveniently sampled individuals most easily available to him by

applying a variant of this sampling technique known as snowball sampling, in which

initial contact with an informant generates further contacts. This convenience

sampling variant is well-suited for this research as no list or institution exists that

could be used as a basis for sampling. Besides, the supporters of the English football

Premier League in Abeokuta-North fall within the above described category, as fans do

not collectively organise viewing and there are no fan clubs in existence where a

register could be acquired to form a sampling frame.

As a follower of the English football Premier League, the researcher is very much an

insider in this research. Hence, he identified some supporters of the English football

50
Premier League that he knew watch the matches from public places such as bars and

sports viewing centres. He asked them to be subjects in the research, and upon

acceptance, he requested that they invite other people they knew were supporters of

the league to act as interviewees in the research as well. Therefore, his first contacts

informed other contacts. This method was successful in that he eventually achieved a

reasonable number of subjects, whose views were sufficient to enable him have

insights into the patronage of English football Premier League, thereby making it

possible for him to analyse these views, whose results are presented in chapter five.

As a matter of fact, the researcher decided to select 10 research participants, who met

the sampling criteria, from each of the six randomly selected zones to attain a sample

size of 60 respondents. He applied preconception to warrant that more than 98% of

respondents were frequent television viewers. The research objectives and the

characteristics of the study population were key determinants of the sample and

sampling techniques selected for this study.

3.4.1 Sampling Criteria

Research participants included in the sample were selected to meet specific criteria.

Respondents had to meet the following criteria to be included in the sample.

They had to be:

 followers of the English football Premier League;

 mentally sound in order to consent to participation;

 willing to participate;

 at least 13 years of age and no older than 25;

 of either sex and must be citizens of Nigeria.

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3.5 Data Collection

As an integral part of the research, data collection helps the researcher to assess and

draw conclusions from the entire investigation. To do so, the researcher must identify

the key variables to measure, how to measure them, and what to do with the data

collected.

Data collection entails planning for and obtaining useful information on significant

variables produced by the investigation. However, simply collecting data does not

ensure that relevant data will be obtained. So therefore, the key issue is not: how do

we collect data? Rather, it is: how do we obtain useful data?

3.5.1 Data Collection Method

In dealing with the problem at hand it is necessary to collect data that are adequate

and appropriate. There are several ways of collecting the appropriate data which

differ considerably in context of money costs, time and other resources at the disposal

of the researcher.

The researcher opted to collect primary data using the survey method as against

experimental method. Although the experimental method would allow the researcher

to examine the truth contained in his hypothesis, the survey method provides the best

means of collecting the views of adolescents regarding the influence of television on

their perceptions, ideologies and behaviours. It is the most commonly used data

collection method in the behavioural sciences, and; it involves drawing up a set of

questions on various subjects or aspects of a subject to elicit the views of a group,

people or study population about an event, activity or phenomenon.

52
3.5.2 Data Collection Instrument

For the purpose of testing hypothesis or answering questions the researcher decided

to conduct in-depth qualitative interviews. In-depth interviews are one of the most

common qualitative methods. One reason for their popularity is that they are very

effective in unfolding human perspective on research phenomena. Moreover,

conducting and participating in interviews can be a rewarding experience for

participants and interviewers alike. Kahn and Cannell (1957), in Marshall (2006),

des i e i te ie i g as a o e satio ith a pu pose . Fo pa ti ipa ts, i -depth

interviews offer the rare opportunity to express oneself liberally and to have someone

listen to them with interest. Kvale (1996) found that the main task in interviewing is to

u de sta d the ea i g of hat the i te ie ees sa . Fo thei pa t, i te ie e s

engaged in in-depth interviews are offered the privilege of having people who are

virtually strangers entrust them with a glimpse into their personal lives. (Mack et al.,

The information obtained by an interview is similar to that obtained through

questionnaires, but the questions tend to be more in-depth. The success of an

interview typically depends on the ability of the interviewer to convey the attitude

that the pa ti ipa t s ie s a e alua le a d useful.

In-depth interviews were decided upon because of the following:

 It was a good approach to gather in-depth attitudes, beliefs, and subjective

data from individual patrons quickly.

 They offered the possibility of stimulating richer and more detailed responses

because of personal contact with participants.

 They allow for immediate follow-up and clarification.

53
  They provided an excellent opportunity to probe and explore questions.

 Participants do not need to be able to read and write to respond. Technique

relies on oral communication.

 Combined with observation, interviews allow the researcher to understand the

meanings that everyday activities hold for people.

Apart from the advantages that have been listed above, interviews have their

limitations and weaknesses; for example:

 It involves a great degree of personal interaction.

 Cooperation is essential.

 Moreover, interviewees may be unwilling or uncomfortable sharing all that the

researcher hopes to explore.

The interviews were intended for adolescents who had strong interest in football and

were particularly followers of English football Premier League. The interviews

consisted mostly of closed, fixed-response questions and a few standardised, open-

ended questions, as these provide more diverse detail. In the open-ended questions,

participants were required to respond in their own words, whereas fixed-response

questions had options which were determined by the researcher. Open-ended

questions were included because they facilitate faster interviews that can be more

easily analysed and compared. Fixed-response questions were included because they

are easier to administer and analyse.

The questions were in both English and Pidgin English to enable those who did not

understand English to respond in Pidgin English. Respondents were given the

assurance that their responses would not be linked to them at the stage of data

analysis, therefore ensuring anonymity. The questions consisted of two sections. The

54
first, aimed at gathering demographic data such as age, level of education and gender.

This information could assist the researcher when interpreting the results, for

instance, whether subjects lacked knowledge of cultural imperialism because they

were uneducated. The other section aimed at determining the knowledge and views

of participants on media imperialism and its effects on indigenous culture.

3.5.3 Data Collection Procedure

Before setting out to collect data, the researcher prepared an introductory letter,

which he envisaged would help him in finding willing interviewees. He called on

people he knew that supported the English football Premier League and explained to

them that he was conducting this investigation. He asked them if they were willing to

be participants, and when they accepted, he asked them to invite their fellow

supporters. Having done so, he made follow up calls to the initial contacts and was

informed that the people willing to participate in the interviews could only do so

during the weekend, as they had to work during the week. It was vital that the

researcher contacted subjects prior to interview in order to remind them. Hence, the

researcher compiled the list of people who had accepted to be participants and

phoned them so as to reinforce their decision to show up at the interviews, but this

was not necessarily the case.

The researcher collected information from participants using face-to-face interview.

He opted for this qualitative data collection method because he has the benefit of

eadi g his i te ie pa ti ipa t s fa ial e p essio , to e of oi e a d od la guage.

In this way, the researcher can learn even more about the interview participant and

will be better able to tell ho to i te p et the pa ti ipa t s espo ses. The esea he

can also quickly find out if a question was misunderstood and rephrase appropriately,

55
or if a response is particularly rich, the interviewer can immediately ask follow-up

questions.

Given that the face-to-face qualitative interview structure is intended to gather in-

depth attitudes, beliefs, and subjective data from individual patrons quickly, the

researcher conducted the interviews in the natural settings were the participants

would usually be found watching English football Premier League matches. Most of

the interviews were conducted at sports viewing centres while others were conducted

at bars.

At these discussions, not all the people that had been invited by the initial contacts

showed up. This was despite the positive response earlier received. It is as a result of

such occurrences that the researcher adhered to the suggestion of Hansen et al

(1998), that drawing research from naturally existing groups is easier than drawing

interviewees at random.

Though debatable, incentives were offered to subjects with the aim of ensuring that

the subjects turn up for the interviews. This is not to say however, that the researcher

ignored the fact that the quality of data provided by the subjects may be

compromised as a result of receiving incentives. For all intents and purposes, the

researcher offered incentives (not in form of money) to show the subjects that he

values their perspective on their world. Rather than offer subjects money, the

researcher, at the very least arranged for refreshments. From onset, subjects were

informed that the refreshments were offered not just to show appreciation that they

adjusted their schedules to come and render me the assistance I needed in conducting

the investigation.

All the interviews took place on either Saturday or Sunday afternoons. This was

actually the best possible time the interviews could be conducted as these were the

56
periods were English football Premier League matches are often played. Moreover, it

is at these periods that subjects are usually found in the natural settings (bars and

sports viewing centres) identified for conducting the interviews.

Interviews, unlike questionnaires stimulate verbal responses, statements, opinions,

arguments and interactions of the participants, and as such, they were recorded on

midgets and other audio recording devices such as mobile phones so as not to

experience loss of content and disturbance in writing.

In conducting each of the interviews, the researcher first of all thanked the

participants for showing up. After that, he explained to them what the investigation

was all about before explained to them how the interview would be conducted. Upon

acceptance to participate in the interviews, the researcher explained to the subjects

that he needed to record the interviews so that he has everything said on file for

further use in the analysis.

Since the interviews are to be recorded, the researcher enlightened the participants

on the need to be as audible as possible, so that their ideas and thoughts would be

well-recorded. Upon acceptance of these conditions by the participants, the

researcher started recording the interview and the first question asked was to elicit

demographic data by asking respondents to clarify something about themselves and

convey what they do for a living so as to get them relaxed.

3.6 Reliability and Validity

Without igo , esea h is o thless, e o es fi tio , a d loses its utilit . He e, a

great deal of attention is applied to reliability and validity in all research methods.

Mo se et al, Like ise, Me ia , o te ds that edu atio al esea h

studies can only effect educational theory or practice if it is rigorous and presents

57
results that are acceptable to other educators and researchers. To accomplish this

task, studies must be of high quality and results must be trustworthy and dependable.

Reliability and validity have been the traditional standards in quantitative research to

judge quality and now it is reconsidered in the qualitative research paradigm because

its assumptions about reality differ from those of qualitative researchers, (Golafshani,

2003; Creswell, 1998; Trochim, 2006). Thus, Guba and Lincoln (1985), in Creswell

(1998), and Trochim (2006), propose that the alternati e te s edi ilit ,

t a sfe a ilit , depe da ilit , a d o fi a ilit e su stituted fo those

commonly found in discussions of quantitative research.

3.6.1 Credibility

C edi ilit is a alogous to i te al alidit a d is a e aluatio of whether or not

the research results are credible or believable from a participant's perspective,

(Trochim, 2006). Ensuring credibility is one of the most important factors in

establishing trustworthiness.

To address credibility, the researcher made the following provisions:

i. The adoption of appropriate, well established research methods. The line of

questioning pursued in the data gathering sessions and the methods of data

analysis, where possible, were derived from those that have been successfully

utilised in previous comparable projects or studies. The work of Dervin et al

proved particularly influential in this regard. According to Shenton (2004):

I thei stud of the i fo atio eeds of “eattle s eside ts,

Dervin et al. initially invited participants to reflect on situations

he e ou eeded help … he e ou did t u de sta d

so ethi g … he e ou eeded to de ide hat to do … o ,

58
 he e ou ee o ied a out so ethi g . De i s

respondents then described in detail a particular instance within

one of these categories.

ii. Tactics to help ensure honesty in informants when contributing data. In

particular, the researcher gave each potential participant opportunities to

refuse to participate in the study so as to ensure that the data collection

sessions involve only those who are genuinely willing to take part and prepared

to offer data freely. Besides, participants were encouraged to be honest from

the outset of each session, with the researcher aiming to establish a rapport in

the opening moments and indicating that there are no right answers to the

questions that will be asked. In addition, participants were made to

understand that they have the right to withdraw from the study at any point,

and they were not obliged to disclose an explanation to the investigator.

iii. Iterative Questioning. I additio to the p e e tati e st ategies outli ed

above, specific ploys were incorporated to uncover deliberate lies. These

included the use of probes to elicit detailed data and iterative questioning, in

which the researcher extracted related data through rephrased questions. In

cases, where contradictions emerged and falsehoods were detected, the

researcher discarded the suspect data. Additionally, the researcher made

reference, within the final research report, to the discrepancies and offered

possible explanations.

iv. Peer scrutiny of the research project. Opportunities for scrutiny of the project

by colleagues, peers and academics were welcomed, as were feedback offered

to the researcher at presentations that were made over the course of the

project. In the light of the comments made, the researcher refined his

59
 methods, developed a greater explanation of the research design and

strengthened his arguments.

v. Member Checks, which according to Shenton, is considered by Guba and

Lincoln as the single most important provision that can be made to bolster a

stud s edi ilit , (2004). Checks related to the accuracy of the data took

place on the spot, in the course, and at the end of the data collection

dialogues. In particular, this was achieved by sharing the results of the survey

with two selected participants who completed it from each of the six study

areas/zones selected for the study; thereby, the results were shared with 12

research participants. In the process of member checking, each of the research

participants reviewed a summary of the data analysis procedure and a

summary of the final results of the inquiry. They answered several

standardised interview questions and offered comments on whether or not

they felt the data were interpreted in a manner corresponding to their own

experiences. All participants surveyed rated the findings of the data analysis as

a ode atel to st o gl edi le i te p etatio of the ealit the

experienced in the project. In addition, all 12 participants made comments that

directly connected the findings to one or more personal experiences they had

in the procedure. The exact documents used in the member checking process

are on file and available upon request.

3.6.2 Transferability

T a sfe a ilit is a alogous to e te al alidit a d it efe s to the a ilit o the

degree to which research findings can be generalised or transferred beyond the

bounds of the project. (Trochim, 2006; Guba and Lincoln, 1985 in Creswell, 1998). The

purpose of the above measures to ensure credibility, is to address transferability and

60
allow the reader to determine if the findings can be transferred to other contexts.

Thus, information on the following issues were given at the outset:

a) the number of investigators taking part in the study and where they are based;

b) any restrictions in the type of people who contributed data;

c) the number of participants involved in the fieldwork;

d) the data collection methods that were employed;

e) the number and length of the data collection sessions;

f) the time period over which the data was collected.

To address transferability, the researcher included in Appendix (A) a copy of the

thematic question that guided the interview used to collect the data for this study.

Several of the data analysis documents used to generate the answer to the research

question. The complete set of data analysis documents are on file and available upon

e uest. This a ess to the i ui s pape t ail gi es othe esea he s the a ilit to

transfer the conclusions of this inquiry to other contexts, or to repeat, as closely as

possible the procedures of this project.

3.6.3 Dependability

Depe da ilit , as a ualitati e ite ia, fo uses o e su i g that othe s o u that

the research results are sensible and consistent with the collected data, (Merriam,

1998). In other words, it is an assessment of the quality of the integrated processes of

data collection, data analysis, and theory generation. On the other hand, Trochim

argues that the notion of dependability emphasises the need for the researcher to

account for the dynamic context within which research occurs, (2006). He contends

that the research is responsible for describing the changes that occur in the setting

and how these changes affected the way the researcher approached the study, (2006).

61
To address dependability, the researcher reported the processes within the study in

detail, thereby enabling a future researcher to repeat the work, if not necessarily to

gain the same results. Moreover, to enable readers of the research report to develop

a thorough understanding of the methods and their effectiveness, the text included

sections devoted to:

a) the research design and its implementation, describing what was planned and

executed on a strategic level;

b) the operational detail of data gathering, addressing the complexities of what

was done in the field; reflective appraisal of the study, evaluating the

effectiveness of the process of inquiry undertaken.

3.6.4 Confirmability

Confirmability is similar to dependability, in that it refers to the ability of results to be

confirmed or substantiated by others. It is a measure of how well the research findings

are supported by the data collected. (Guba and Lincoln, 1985 in Creswell, 1998).

Steps were taken to help ensure as far as possible that the research findings are the

result of the experiences and ideas of the participants, rather than the characteristics

and preferences of the researcher. Miles and Huberman (n.d.), in Shenton, consider

that a key criterion for confirmability is the extent to which the researcher admits his

or her own predispositions, (2004). In the light of this, beliefs underpinning decisions

made and methods adopted are acknowledged within the research report. In addition,

the reasons for favouring the qualitative survey approach when others could have

been undertaken are explained and weaknesses in the in-depth interview technique

admitted in the methodology.

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More importantly, the researcher relied on an independent audit of his research

methods by a competent peer. His auditor, Ajayi, is a practicing professional in the

field of pu lishi g, ith e pe ie e ge e all e o d the esea he s o . He is also

in the process of completing his own BSc. in Mass Communication. Upon completion

of the data a al sis, the audito tho oughl e a i ed the esea he s audit t ail

consisting of the original transcripts, data analysis documents, field journal, comments

from the member checking, and the text of the project itself. In addition, he assessed

both the dependability and confirmability of the study, as well as the

comprehensiveness and accessibility of auditable documents. The letter requesting

the audit and detailing the questions for him to answer is on file and available upon

request.

3.7 Data Analysis

In qualitative research, data analysis is said to be an ongoing and iterative (non-linear)

process. In the process of the data analysis, the researcher engaged in memoing (i.e.

recording reflective notes about what he is learning from the data). In essence, the

researcher noted personal ideas and insights and included those memos as additional

data to be analysed.

For entry and storage of data, the researcher transcribed the data by typing them into

word processing documents. Upon doing this, he was able to analyse the

transcriptions, using a qualitative data analysis computer program called ATLAS.

The researcher then embarked on coding and developing category systems. This was

achieved by carefully reading the transcribed data, line by line, and dividing the data

into meaningful analytical units (i.e., segmenting the data). When meaningful

segments are located, they are appropriately coded and the process was continued

until all of the data were segmented and the initial coding completed. During coding,

63
the researcher kept a master list (i.e., a list of all the codes that are developed and

used in the research study) so that the codes are reapplied to new segments of data

each time an appropriate segment was encountered. For this study, inductive codes

were used. Inductive codes are codes that are developed by the researcher as they

code the data.

Finally, the researcher drew diagrams to depict the relationships between variables.

The use of diagrams are especially helpful for visually-oriented readers. In this study

network diagrams were drawn to show direct links between variables, or events over

time.

3.8 Conclusion

The chapter examined the significance of the research methodology. In this chapter

the researcher (1) described the research methodology of this study (2) explained the

sample selection (3) described the procedure used in designing the instrument and

collecting the data (4) provided an explanation of the statistical procedures used to

analyses the data.

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 CHAPTER FOUR

PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS

4.0 Introduction

This research is an investigation into the impact of Western television programmes on

the cultural values of Nigerian youths using English football Premier club supporters as

a case study. The researcher employed qualitative research techniques of observation,

focus group discussions and individual in-depth interviews to gather the data analysed

and presented in this chapter. The methods and other methodological considerations

were discussed in chapter three.

To reiterate, the goals of the research were to find responses to three questions: (1) if

Nigerian youths prefer Western TV programmes to locally produced ones; if they do,

the researcher aims to know why; (2) if these young people accept and practice or

resist Western cultural values exposed to through Western TV content at the expense

of Nigerian cultural values; and (3) how to curtail the incessant influx of Western

programmes from TV screens in Nigeria. My interest in finding the answers to the

above queries was to develop an understanding of how the Nigerian fans interviewed

for this study formed their identities based on their mediated encounters with foreign

teams/players and how they appropriated these meanings in their everyday lives.

This study attempts to draw insights from the consumption of English football Premier

League by Nigerian fans in Abeokuta-North LGA. It probes how these Nigerian fans

consume media coverage of the English football Premier League games and seeks

evidence which problematises the media imperialism thesis. The researcher utilises

theories of cultural imperialism, as advanced by Schiller in 1976, as well as the

globalisation debate, in order to explore the ways in which football fans construct

identity from exposure to English football Premier League values.

65
The following is the list of people who were interviewed as fans of the English football

Premier League. These people concerted to their names being included in this report.

Their opinions were recorded and transcribed verbatim for the analysis in this chapter.

Table 1: Interviewees’ Details

Name Gender Team
1 Aminu Rasaq Male Manchester United FC
2 Shodeinde Saheed Male Liverpool FC
3 George Kabir Male Arsenal FC
4 Fadipe Suliat Female Chelsea FC
5 Adedipe Afeez Male FC Barcelona
6 Aina Dayo Male FC Barcelona
7 Olatunji Moshood Male Arsenal FC
8 Johnson Titilayo Female Arsenal FC
9 Lawal Basirat Female Chelsea FC
10 Eze Sylvester Male Tottenham FC
11 Olulade Bisi Female Chelsea FC
12 Ogunbiyi Tayo Female Manchester United FC
13 Osunfowora Saka Male Chelsea FC
14 Salimon Jubril Male FC Barcelona
15 Ademoye Muheez Male Manchester United FC
16 Sanni Monsur Male Arsenal FC
17 Bajela Tumininu Female Chelsea FC
18 Owolabi Funmi Female Arsenal FC
19 Balogun Dapo Male Liverpool FC
20 Alawiye Malik Male Chelsea FC
21 Arogundade Tope Female Chelsea FC
22 Dipo Yemi Male Arsenal FC
23 Adeyemi Adenike Female Manchester United FC
24 Adebowale Bayo Male Arsenal FC
25 Bakare Jibola Male Arsenal FC
26 Ademuyiwa Toheeb Male Chelsea FC
27 Adeola Shade Female Chelsea FC
28 Abubakar Aisha Female Manchester United FC
29 Onabanjo Victoria Female Arsenal FC
30 Adedapo Omotola Female Arsenal FC

Source: field survey, 2013

As noted above, this analysis is informed by theories of cultural imperialism and

particularly, the characteristics of globalisation, which were discussed in chapter two.

In this chapter, the researcher interprets the information regarding the reasons why

66
Nigerians follow this foreign league; how they identify a fan of the league among

themselves and the pleasures they derive from following this league. In addition, he

also discusses how the football fan identity engages with other identities in the

Nigerian society. He also i te p et the fa s easo s fo e gagi g i a itualisti

manner of watching the games from public places.

In presenting the analysis, the researcher used the most significant quotations from

the interviews recorded, which were transcribed verbatim, in order to allow for a

lose eadi g of the fa s o i te p etatio s of what happens when they and others

watch the English premiership via satellite television.

4.1 Why the English Football Premier League?

The English football Premier League fans in Abeokuta-North differ from their

counterparts in England in the sense that their engagement with the league is almost

entirely mediated. Given this situation therefore, the fans in Abeokuta-North are

exempted from the feeling of presence at the stadium as the matches are happening.

Yet, why do the Nigerian in Abeokuta-North follow the league? Some of the initial

responses from the interviews indicated that the league is exciting compared to the

local league, has all the big names – including Black Africans – and that above all, the

interviewees love football. In addition, following this league plays the role of bringing

the fans together and giving them a sense of belonging to a global village of football

fans. Tumininu, one of the interviewees, elaborates on this view:

EPL is the best league in world. For the fact that everyone is supporting

it would make me feel alien. As a result, I support the league. I am

happy to be part of a global network of English Premier League

suppo te s…

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Thus, embracing the cultural commodities that are being adopted in so many different

societies can solve the dilemma of being an outcast. For the Nigerian fans then, this

embracing of the English football Premier League is a result of globalisation. It can be

debated that most Nigerian youths support the English football Premier League in

order to achieve a sense of belonging, thereby achieving a group identity.

The re-o ga isatio of the old Foot all League to the u e t P e ie League i

may be argued to have brought about its widespread following. For one of the

interviewees, Tayo, the Premier League brings about the pleasures, and it also

provides a forum to learn from in the following way:

The Premier League is undoubtedly the very best football league in the

o ld … Indeed, watching the EPL is like staring at the paintings of

Leo a do Da Vi i … it s like I out of this o ld. It gi es e pleasu e

to watch the EPL because I get to see entertainers at the highest level.

Watching players like Wayne Rooney exhibit their tremendous skills is

very pleasurable, and I like the way it is perfected and exhibited by the

professionals who play in that league. All other leagues are second to

the English Premier League … pretty much the same way that the

Nigerian universities are second to British ones.

When the interviewee likens football to painting, the contention here is that she is

referring to the artistic value of the English football Premier League. In essence, she is

talking about how the professionals in the league use creative prowess to provide

entertainment. This thus implies that the fans of the EPL perceive the EPL to be of high

quality. Further, for the interviewee, the EPL vs. other footballing leagues offers a

review of the education system she has passed through. It gives her a chance to admit

that there are higher educational standards in the higher institutions of developed

68
countries. Perhaps she even wishes to be experience the higher educational standards

of the developed countries. However, this was inferred from the data, as the issue was

not probed during the interview.

In one of the interview sessions, Dayo s ie o h he follo s the EPL was:

The E glish P e ie League is o e sta da dised, it s o e ad a ed,

it s u h o e te h i al, a d it s e positi e i p o idi g

entertainment.

Corroborating, Jubril is of the view that:

The league brings about different players from different countries, so

you see players with different skills. The English Premier League is

unique in that it has clear goals to provide entertainment. The amount

finance massive media coverage and finance devoted to the EPL is

somewhat staggering. To be honest, I follow the EPL because of there is

no other to watch on TV. Even when available the local ones are let me

just say boring.

The responses above indicate that in comparison to other football leagues around the

globe, the English Premier League is more standardised and more entertaining.

Besides, according to Jubril, it commands the greatest media coverage. This prompts

the researcher to probe why and how Nigerian football fans distinguish between the

English Premier League and the Nigerian Premier League, and why they have a

preference for the former. Interestingly, only 2 of the 12 interviewees, admitted to

following the local Nigerian football league. When asked why they do not follow the

local league, Saheed responded:

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 If the Nigerian media show i te est i it, pe haps a e people s

perception about the Nigerian league would be altered. The poor

leadership of the NFF is responsible for the lack of publicity, which in

turn is the reason why people like myself have no interest in the

Nigerian league. The Nigerian league is like a second-hand product –

and nobody desires to patronise a second-hand product. This is why the

whole world is interested in the EPL.

In support of “aheed s argument regarding publicity, it is worth noting here that the

English football Premier League is highly publicised all over the world – globalisation.

This may thus signify media agendas that the English Premier League is more

important than the local league. As already established in chapter 1, television is the

most prominent of contemporary communication technologies and its influence on

society is somewhat alarming. While the English Premier League continues to thrive in

terms of media coverage, the local Nigerian leagues are impoverished. In fact, the

local leagues are not televised on domestic stations – not even broadcast via radio –

thereby making the potential fans rely on the print media to follow the league. This

forces Afeez to lament that:

Forget the fact that the local leagues are rarely televised. Even the

national games are rarely seen on domestic TV nowadays. Even when

televised, the signal quality and pictures we see on TV is appalling – it is

nothing compared to the one we see on DSTV; they are not

encouraging. Even the commentary of the match is disturbing so are the

pitches. The pitches are too muddy and the welfare of the stadiums are

not conducive for fans. It is not just the material aspect that is tattered;

even the players are not as quality as those in the EPL.

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As Afeez has said, the poor state of affairs in the local Nigerian league extends from

the players and organisers to the broadcasters as well. The broadcasters are not

playing their part as effectively and efficiently in the technical aspect expected of

them unlike their counterparts at DSTV when they televise the EPL. The negativity also

e te ds to the poo state of i f ast u tu e; the pit hes a e said to e udd he

the a e supposed to e g ass o tu fed a d the stadiu s a e u o du i e.

Shockingly, even the National stadium in Abuja, as observed on TV, is in shambles.

Perhaps this was why Saheed describes the Nigerian league as a se o d-hand

p odu t o od desi es. This is a ota le e a ple of ultu al i pe ialis he ei

the fo eig league is ega ded as ei g fi st lass hile the lo al league is se o d

lass , thus the issues aised the edia i pe ialis thesis are germane.

In light of the interviews, a salient reason acknowledged by the respondents was that

DSTV has rewarded them a chance to be a part of the global network of English

football Premier League followers. They were also of the view that due to the absence

of televised Nigerian Premier League games, as well as poor publicity, the local league

is not popular among Nigerians, leading them to follow the English Premier League.

This is highlighted in a comment made by one of the research subjects, Kabir:

I definitel do t eg et the fa t that I a a Af i a , ut let e

categorically tell you that I wish the English Premier League belonged to

Nigeria. Nothing feels better than being in the Emirates to watch

Arsenal knock the ball around on weekends and sometimes during the

weekdays. Unfortunately for me, I am relegated to watching it all on TV

screen while my counterparts in England enjoy the privilege of being in

the stadium to watch Arsenal FC put up an exhibition. Yet I must say

that I am grateful to DSTV for ma i g e to A se al FC. I a t

imagine a world without Arsenal knocking the ball on TV.

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The English football Premier League can thus be regarded as a source of leisure

activity that Nigerian fans are happy to engage with when searching for

entertainment. The introduction of DSTV in Nigeria has indeed played a major role in

encouraging support for the EPL. Thus, regardless of whether or not the English

Premier League is the best league, it is the only one that is broadcast for the whole

nine-month season in Nigeria, every year.

That the English Premier League is the most popular league in the world is not the

purpose of present research. Rather qualitative research of this nature seeks to

examine h it is so. The reasons for the popularity of the English Premier League, as

described by fans, is that the EPL gives them a sense of belonging as it connects them

to a global network, it allo s the to asso iate ith ualit a d – in some ways –

they are responding to a sporting league which commands the media agenda.

4.2 The Construction of Identity

Identity is about how individuals or groups see and define themselves, and how other

individuals or groups see and define them. Identity is formed through the socialisation

process and the influence of social institutions like the family, the education system

and the mass media. The concept of identity is an important one, as it is only through

establishing our own identities and learning about the identities of other individuals

and groups that we come to know what makes us similar to some people and different

from others, and therefore form social connections with them. How you see yourself

will influence the friends you have, who you will marry or live with, and the

communities and groups to which you relate and belong. If people did not have an

identity, they would lack the means of identifying with or relating to their peer group,

to their neighbours, to the communities in which they lived or to the people they

72
came across in their everyday lives. Identity the efo e fits i di iduals i to the so iet

in which they live.

Entry into the global network of English football Premier League supporters is open to

all, but governed by boundaries, which indicates the discriminative nature of football

fandom. It is along the lines of discrimination and distinction that the identity of an

EPL follo e is o st u ted as ei g a asual follo e o lo al fa . When asked how

supporters of the English soccer Premier League differentiated between loyal fans and

casual followers, the interviewees revealed that ownership of some paraphernalia –

most notably – jerseys – of o e s tea is a i po ta t ha a te isti . This as

expressed by one of the interviewees:

Muheez: A typical Man U fan must represent the Devils [Manchester

United]. He must have a Devils jersey, a cap or scarf. He has to have the

latest jersey of his team so that when he is seen he is easily identified as

a Man U fan. Basically, if o e is ea i g his tea s je se he is a fa .

Muheez s o e t o e i g the basic attribute of a Premier League fan signifies

that EPL fans value representativeness. While football jerseys are acceptable

standards, they are not, in themselves, sufficient to de o st ate a fa s atta h e t

to his team. Another interviewee, Funmi, had the following opinion regarding the

issue of owning a football jersey:

… of ou se, ea i g of foot all je se s is a sta ti g poi t, ut the , ho

do ou k o he/she is t ul a fa of that lu . The fa t that I ea i g

a Chelsea je se does ot ea I a fa of the lu . It ould e that I

ea i g the tea s je se e ause it s fashio a le. Whe ou see

someone wearing a foot all tea s jersey, you have to observe

whether he/she is well well-informed about the team.

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Another interviewee had the following opinion regarding the issue:

Monsur: … ost people a e ot a east of the ga e foot all . I Af i a

for example, most people just follow the winning team. They have little

knowledge about their team, the players and the fixtures.

Thus, for the fans of the English football Premier League in Abeokuta-North, it is not

only important but essential, to be abreast of latest developments in the league, the

rules, the players, the fixtures and particularly the team that one supports. It can

therefore be deduced from the interview responses above that k o ledge is highly

valued by EPL club supporters. The supporters of the English football Premier League

in Abeokuta-North adhere to this feature as can be deduced from the following

interview responses to the question of identifying two clubs in the English Premier

league and Nigerian Premier League respectively:

Suliat: [In the EPL] Chelsea and Arsenal … [and in the NPL] emm

[thinks] Eyimba and [pauses] Tornados.

Rasaq: [In the EPL] Man U [Manchester United FC] and Chelsea … [and

in the NPL] Eyimba and Kano Pillars.

Aisha: I the EPL elo ed Ma heste U ited a d Chelsea … a d

in the NPL] Warri Wolves and Eyimba

Omotola: I the EPL Totte ha a d A se al … a d i the NPL To adoes

and Eyimba.

Knowledge about the teams in the league was an important criterion but such

knowledge has to be in-depth as expressed in the following interview response to the

74
question of describing popular players in the Nigerian Premier League and Nigerian

Premier League respectively.

Sylvester: I E gla d Wa e ‘oo e , ight o I feel he s sadde ed

e ause of the a he s ei g t eated. You k o he s o e of thei est

players right from time ut the a he s ei g t eated o I do t thi k

he s i a good e tal o ditio to de ide his futu e …. [In Nigeria]

Sunday Mba, the boy who scores every Sunday. He is a good player at

least at our last lo al ga e agai st Cote D I oi e [in the African Nations

Cup] he gave us 2 goals and 2 assists so I d sa he s a good pla . I ish

him well in his pursuit of football abroad.

“ l este s o e ts lea l i di ate that he is ell a east of latest de elop e ts i

the life of Manchester United player Wayne Rooney. He demonstrates that his

knowledge of the game extends beyond the team he supports and its players

[Tottenham Hotspur FC] to other teams in the league [EPL] and its players. In addition,

he s a ou t of Wa i Wol es pla e , “u da M a, ho pla s i the NPL, suggests that

while he does know the player in question, he is not updated about the player as he is

still making reference to an event [African Nations Cup] that took place in January.

He e, apa t f o ha i g su h k o ledge as the tea s, pla e s positio s i o e s

team, knowing the latest developments in the game emerged as an important value

shared by fans of the English Premier League. It was found that the fans that have

supported the league longer were of the view that they had greater knowledge of the

league, and thus considered themselves as ette fa s. This was revealed in response

to the question about how Nigerians classified an EPL fan:

Toheeb: I’ve been following the league since 2004, so therefore, I’d say

I’m a true fan. I know most of the teams, players and managers. A lot of

75
 people are paying attention to the EPL now, but they can’t be classified

as a fan.

Titilayo: You see a true fan must have a well-informed knowledge of the

game and must have keen interest if she wants to be updated. With time,

a true fan would have gathered so much knowledge about the players,

the competitions and particularly, the history. For now, the newbie [the

new follower] has to rely on the true fans.

Basirat: … a t ue fa ust e a die-hard supporter. He celebrates with

the team when the tides are high and walks with the team when the

going gets tough.

For these Nigerian fa s, it is i po ta t to e lo al to o e s tea . It is argued that fans

that have supported one team, are in a better position to be regarded as opinion

leaders as they have supported the team through successful and difficult times. The

issue of lo alt is o e that the fa s take se iousl , as as e ealed i so e of the fa s

comments:

Dapo: I remember the good old days when the spotlight was on my team

[Li e pool FC … it s a diffe e t sto toda as e a e u a le to o pete

with the othe Big Bo s … et I ll still e a Kop Li e pool fa fo life

because I know the glorious days will return.

Bayo: My team [Arsenal] is not the biggest in the league [EPL], but I

ha e faith i the … whethe o ot A se al is i i g, I ll still hant

the Gunners anthem.

Victoria: I a t all self a lo g-serving fan as I only started

supporting Arsenal in 2006, when I watched them perform excellently

76
 ell i the UEFA Cha pio s League. But I e ee de oted to the e e

si e e e though I et to celebrate a championship success with the

club and that is how I define loyalty.

The above responses indicate that the nature of the values held by the fans is

somewhat religious. The seriousness of the relationship between fans and their teams

can be likened to assumptions about family – wherein trust and faith are the essential

components. The fact that the fans share an ideology that a true supporter must be

fanatical about the league, symbolises that the fans take seriously, their relationship

with the teams of the English football Premier League that they support.

4.3 Manufacturing Needs

Television is without a doubt a wonderful source for pleasure, thus, the interviewees

were asked about the kinds of pleasures they derive from watching the English

Premier League. The interviewees revealed a number of personal pleasures that they

derive as a result of their engagement with the EPL. Similar to the findings of Leah

Komkoma (2005), who conducted an investigation into fan identity among supporters

of the English football Premier League in Lusaka, Zambia, it was found that that a

number of the pleasures are as a result of the collective viewing experience, mostly in

public spaces. In the interview excerpt below, which was extracted from her study,

Dawson and Munkamba refer to the kind of pleasures enjoyed by the other

interviewees:

Dawson: When you know how your team plays, you somewhat have a

jigsaw puzzle in your mind, and when the passes [of the ball] are made

as you predicted, it gives intense pleasu e. You k o … that ki d of

pleasu e that just sa s I k e it ... a d if ou had ade the p edi tio

loudly, the pleasure is even tripled. I guess that is why there is too much

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 oise i a pla e he e so e fa s a e at hi g so e … e e od is

trying to make known their prediction. For me, this is what makes it

vital to watch with other people that understand the league because

ou a p o e just ho ell ou k o the ga e a d the tea . Aaah …

(he sighs) it makes you feel good to know who is good at headers,

running, scoring etc. It gives you that excitement. You know the tactics

a d o ga isatio of the tea a d he the s o e, it s a plus. Whe

things go wrong, that is when you get upset.

Munkamba: It s a e otio al atta h e t. If ou a e a so e fan, you

have an emotional attachment with the team.

Leah as of the ie that to e see as so eo e ho k o s o e s tea a d

capability, thereby making the right predictions about the tactics that the players

e plo , ei fo es o e s status as a ardent suppo te , . She therefore

suggests that it is i po ta t fo fa s to at h the ga es ith othe people ho

understand the game so that there can be appreciation bestowed on the person that

makes the right predictions, (2005) , addi g that the e is pleasure in knowing how

and which tactics the teams use to develop a winning formula and as Dawson said in

the citation above, he the s o e, it s a plus , (2005) . This leads her to contend

that the poi t of goal s o i g is o e of the ost, if ot the most, pleasurable part of

watching the games, (2005) . Leah observes that ultimately the winning is important.

“he also o se es that i the ie i g spa es he e the i te ie ees at h the

games, this point of goal scoring need not be as a result of one s tea s o i g. It a

also e as a esult of a othe tea s o i g agai st a i al tea . Whe asked

about why they found beating rival teams pleasurable, Saka and Tope [respondents in

this study] had this to say:

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 Tope: Personally speaking the pleasures are high and great. I feel so

great going to school the next day because I get to tease my rivals

suppo te s of i al tea s . It s s eete if tea as espo si le fo

their loss.

Saka: Nothi g akes e feel ette tha ou i al s slu p. If team

beats a rival team, I i ha ge, if it s the othe a ou d the I k o

I i fo it at s hool. But if a othe tea eats a i al, espe iall if it

was a smaller team, then supporters of that team get to beg me

because I will tease them the next day …

From the citation above, it can be seen that Leah s o se atio s a e alid that the

rival team, if it loses, slips down on the log table. Since winning is usually amongst the

ig tea s , he a of these tea s loses to a s all tea , the that losi g tea s

suppo te s u de go a phase of idi ule f o suppo te s of othe ig tea s .

This implies that one of the salient values of the English football Premier League was

i al ut this is ot to sa that su h i al had to e a do o die affai . As Fu i

su s it up, it s fo the fu of it . Besides, Leah points out that emotional attachment

as a fa to . “he o se es that e otio al atta h e t e uals lo e fo the ga e, a d

a team in particular and that it is the emotional attachment that makes people laugh

or cry depending on the performance of their team, (2005) .

With all that said, the researcher is forced to agree with Leah that these responses

regarding the pleasures that the fa s de i e f o follo i g the EPL i di ate the eed

by the fans to be associated to success, (2005) . Leah obse es that the supporters of

the league feel glorious, honoured and free of tension when their teams win, (2005) .

“he otes that they enjoy the tactics employed by the players in the league while

some enjoy the professionalism that the players exhibit when playing soccer,

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thereby hoping to extend such benefits to the local Nigerian players. In addition,

through the fan talk and predictions made during the process of watching the games,

these supporters feel a sense of accomplishment when their predictions are right,

thereby earning praise and envy from fellow viewers, . What s o e, Leah

o se es that due to the emotional attachment that these supporters have for their

teams, they experience pleasure in the winning and success of their teams. They feel

they are as strong as the teams are. This thus prompts Leah to conclude that

fa s eadi g of the glo all tele ised E glish so e P e ie League i gs a out

symbolic distancing, where the fans feel removed, however partially, from their day to

da lo al o ditio s, .

4.4 Cultural Imperialism: resisting the tide

The cultural imperialism thesis has long been a central, as well as problematic,

element of global media approaches for it has been argued that cultural imperialism

fails to recognise the active audience. As Mo ius otes, hile there is clearly a

glo al i ease i the deg ee to hi h people s li es a e ediated th ough the edia,

the homogenising effects of media globalisation are much less clear . He highlights

that audience reception studies question the homogenising influences of mass

produced media content, (2010).

In order to understand the importance of audience reception studies in analysing

global media and its impact on viewers around the world, Movius (2010) paints the

history of media effects research thus:

Early research in the 1930s and 1940s, often market driven, measured

effects of the media on audiences by matching output with input

following the model of communication in which the stages of sender,

message, medium and receiver are utilised (Machor & Goldstein, 2001).

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 Research on television audiences has historically been dominated,

particularly in the US, by large-scale quantitative surveys, often

designed using a model of media effects. Within the social sciences, this

effe ts odel has ee halle ged hat is k o as the uses a d

g atifi atio s odel.

The uses and gratifications model argues that audiences respond to media for the

purpose of fulfilling their personal needs, a purpose which may differ from the

p odu e s pu pose. (Movius, 2010). According to Movius (2010), this apparent

discrepancy led to the international project on the decoding of the US prime time

serial, Dallas (Liebes & Katz, 1990). While the above mentioned study is fictional, it still

influenced the esea he s interpretations as this research runs parallel to it because

it investigates the complex process of global cultural media consumption.

The question then is that despite the globalisation of the media, is there any concrete

evidence that local cultures are really being destroyed? Indeed there is, and it is

obvious to many. There is a growing awareness of this trend and some resistance

against it is also developing. As Leah (2005) notes, the viewers of the English football

P e ie League e o d the f o tie s of E gla d do ot a so the eha iou of thei

counterparts in England without putting their context into perspective – mainly the

e o o i o te t . In verifying this, the researcher imitated a similar approach

adopted by Leah (2005) by asking one of the interviews how he was able to afford the

paraphernalia in his tea s olou s. Jibola s espo se as:

You k o it s ot o pulso to o these thi gs like jerseys, scarfs and

aps i o es tea s olou s, but it is important if I want to prove that

I loyal to elo ed lu A se al. Besides, he I i pu li , let s

say watching a game at a bar, I am easily identified as an Arsenal fan if

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 I e hi iti g tea s olou s … ho Ia a le to affo d the (he

laughs … su e I a t affo d the e a t sa e ualit the sell i pla es

like E gla d, ut i Nige ia it s diffe e t … these thi gs o e heap

depending on the quality you want and where you go to. If your pocket

is fat, ShopRite is there to serve you; ut if ou e like e, there are so

many places you can turn to if you want something cheaper.

Such a response, as Leah describes, signifies a situation where, even though there is

subversion of consuming, fans are able to evade the legitimate channels just to own

their symbol of loyalty – in this case football jerseys, (2005). Such forms of purchasing

the eeded pa aphe alia a e e essa , Leah, e ause generally, the cost of

living in Nigeria is high. Hence, the researcher agrees with Leah that had the situation

been that the fans in Nigeria did not put their economic conditions into their local

context then one would argue that the fans were being duped through

advertisements, .

When asked if they have observed fans of the English football Premier League that

have adopted such things as hairstyles, dress code etc. of the players in the league, all

of the respondents indicated that such things were prevalent as they constituted

some of the signs of exhibiting that someone is a football fan. Hence, the interviewer

asked one of the interviewees whether or not this was eroding local Nigerian values,

and below is what she had to say:

Adenike: Indeed the floodgates have been opened and we have an

unprecedented wave of American cultural values being deposited on the

shores of our dear society. Truly our youths have embraced some of the

lifestyle traits of the Westerns [Western societies], like the kind of dress

we wear, the kind of food we eat and the hairstyles we parade. Yet all

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 of them [Western cultural values] have all been adopted along the lines

of morality. Because we see celebrities wearing minis [miniskirts] does

not mean that our ladies also wear them in the streets, for if they do

they will be scolded e es people a ou d … the poi t a aki g is

that in spite of this widespread penetration of Western cultural values,

Nigerians are sensible people who cherish their indigenous values over

any other. For example, Nigerians duly observe the tradition of wearing

cultural attires on Fridays and on special occasions.

The above conversation attests that regardless of the message, when people are

bombarded with very powerful mass media images and see their traditional culture

and values being threatened, they react more strongly and are strengthened in their

struggles.

Since it has been established that rivalry was one of the values preached by the

English football Premier League, the researcher aimed to discover if Nigerian youths

accepted and practiced such values or if they were able to resist them in favour of

their indigenous cultural values? Thus, the researcher, like Leah (2005), asked the

interviewees about the kind of interactions that take place when they meet other

viewing centre/bar patrons who are fans, for instance, later on in the week. Some of

the responses were:

Malik: the reality is many of us have become familiar with one another,

so we all just get on with our lives as matured individuals.

Yemi: When its match day I rarely smile at my rivals; we are enemies

fighting an ongoing war until the end of the season. After the whistle

[end of match], especially on Sundays, each party will voice his own

opi io till e all dispe se … ut o Mo da o i gs as ea l as 7:30

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 am we [the fanatics] will gather at the Ve do s pla e to resume a war

of words as everyone competes to make his own opinion heard. After

all the hassle and tussle, it is those whose teams are on top and those

who know the game better that come out on top. When the war is over

(he chuckles and then continues) we return to the normal world and get

o ith ou li es as f ie ds … (He g i s a d the o ti ues … e k o

its ad ess, ut that s the eaut of it all – we so much love it! The

truth is, though fights do occur, these viewing centres and bars are not

made for such, rather we see them as avenues to meet new and familiar

people of different mind-sets.

Shade: You see she giggles a d the o ti ues e e fo getti g

so ethi g … efo e e a e suppo te s of rival football teams we are

human beings. And as humans we tend to take strong interest in

strangers. When I bump into someone I met at the bar earlier before,

e usuall e ha ge g eeti gs a d the ask afte ea h othe s

wellbeing; rarely do we debate on football.

Similar to the findings of Leah (2005), the above responses situate the fans of the

English football Premier League in Nigeria as thi ki g hu a ei gs ho ealise that

soccer is a sport and they cannot take the enmity too seriously . They realise that

while they are free to emotionally attach themselves to the league, the teams and

ith the pla e s, it is all fo the fu of it . He e, as a esult of these fa s ei g a le

to avoid fighting and limiting their teasing of one another, they construct a group

ide tit that po t a s the as spo ts e a d o e ho u de sta d the eed to

sol e p o le s a i a l ithout the use of iole e. Leah, A o di gl , the

researcher is inclined to agree with Movius (2010) that cultural imperialism theories

assume a homogenous culture and do not take into account the importance of

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understanding local cultures. The World Values Survey (2002 cited by Movius, 2010)

reveals that national and regional identities remain far stronger than a cosmopolitan

identity. Survey results show that when asked about their primary identification, 47

per cent of respondents chose local identity, 38 per cent chose national identity, and

less than 15 per cent of respondents chose cosmopolitan identity.

As noted by Leah, one of the signs of exhibiting that someone is a soccer fan is to

acquire a football shirt, (2005). Thus the interviewer adopted another of Leah’s

approach by asking Moshood, who revealed he inscribed his name on the back of his

Arsenal football shirt, why he personified his shirt. He replied:

Well I didn’t do it just because its fancy, but because I want people to

know who I am, not just as a loyal Arsenal fan but also as an individual

who also has his own identity.

According to Leah, the action such as the one above of inscribing one s o a eo a

tea s foot all shirt indicates that the supporter is using the situation of being a fan

for his own benefit in public, (2005). This runs parallel with the argument that through

fan knowledge and appreciation, fans acquire an unofficial cultural capital that is a

major source of self-esteem among peers, (Fiske, 1992, in Leah, 2005). Further, the

action taken by the above interviewee helps support the argument that audiences

respond to media for the purpose of fulfilling their personal needs, a purpose which

a diffe f o the p odu e s pu pose, Mo ius, . The interviewee has chosen

to use A se al F.C s foot all je se fo his o benefit in his own society, whilst

acknowledging that he has his own identity, even as he adopts the Western

paraphernalia, hence the personalising of his jersey.

In another individual interview with Bisi, the following is how she feels about her taste

for the English Football Premier League compared to the local Nigerian league.

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 … When watching the EPL, the noise is the big factor for me; you can

really feel it all around you. But the magic itself gets you really excited

about it because when the ball is app oa hi g ou tea s goal post

everyone stands up because they are getting intense about it. That s the

missing ingredient in our [local Nigerian] leagues where the atmosphere

is so dull … to e ho est I ish ou lo al leagues e e as ad a ed as

those in Europe. Everything about the Nigerian league is third-class

pretty much like Nigeria. The management is poor, the facilities are

nothing to speak of and there is no way anyone can convince me that

the football pitches match the description of one should look like.

When asked if the rate at which she follows the English Premier League has affected

the rate at which she follows the Nigerian league, she replied:

To e ho est it has a d I a t e u ified fo it. I feel guilt a out ot

supporting our very own football league, but like I said, it s ot e ti el

my fault. Even if you feel like watching them, the games are not given

ade uate TV o e age … she sighs … gosh I a el e e k o the

tea s ot to talk of the pla e s i the Nige ia P e ie League …

In the same interview with Bisi, when asked to offer some recommendations for the

improvement of the Nigerian football Premier league, she suggested:

The list is long but for one I can tell you that a starting point would be

allow the Nigerian leagues operate without government interference.

Then, there is also the issue of corruption which the Economic and

Financial Crimes Commission should tackle. So also the standard of the

league has to be improved in terms of refereeing, stadium

i f ast u tu e, a d a age e t a o g a othe thi gs. If e e to

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 improve this league then we must also address other issues like player

welfare, remuneration of referees, security and most importantly,

media coverage.

When asked if her patronage of the Nigerian football Premier League would increase if

her recommendations were implemented, she replied:

Definitely, it would be a dream come true for me. Finally, I will evolve

into a true football fan because like those in Europe, I would be

motivated to proudly watch our very own Nigerian Premier League not

on TV, but at the stadiums. (She jokingly comments) I would still watch

the EPL, e ause it s the glo al age da.

The above conversation reveals that it is difficult for fans to follow the local Nigerian

football league due to its under-development. However, like Leah puts it the

suppo te s of the E glish P e ie League a e ot ai ashed i to follo i g this

league, as media imperialists would have it, . Nevertheless, drawing on Bisi s

earlier comment of how fans buy imitations of the E glish P e ie League s outi es,

this study neither rejects nor totally accepts the Cultural Imperialism thesis. Instead,

meanings should be understood within the context of the lived reality of the fans,

Leah, .

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 CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATIONS

5.0 Report Summary

This study presented an investigation into the impact of Western television

programmes on the cultural values of Nigerian youths, using English football Premier

League clubs supporters in Abeokuta-North LGA as a case study. The goals of the

research were to (1) discover if Nigerian youths prefer Western TV programmes to

locally produced ones, and if they do, the researcher aimed to know why; (2) ascertain

if these young people accept and practice or resist Western cultural values exposed to

through Western TV content at the expense of Nigerian cultural values; and (4)

identify how to curtail the incessant influx of Western programmes from TV screens in

Nigeria.

In writing up the findings that arose from the above questions, the report was divided

into five chapters. In the literature review – Chapter 2 – several studies which have

previously highlighted the problem at hand were cited and discussed to serve as a

guideline for this study. This was followed by the theoretical framework informing the

study was discussed. Here, an in-depth review of cultural imperialism was first

sketched to provide the themes such as global cultural production and consumption,

within which culture is understood and discussed. From the review it was submitted

that cultural imperialis is the su of the p o esses a so iet is ought i to the

modern world system and how its dominating stratum is attracted, pressured forced

and sometimes even bribed into shaping social institutions to correspond to, or even

promote, the values and structures of the dominating centre of the system, (Schiller,

88
Following this was a glance at globalisation by narrating the history behind our

present lives, so as to help us understand the implicit reasoning behind the

assumption that globalisation destroys identities. It was noted that the transition into

the era of contemporary globalisation has resulted in unprecedented economic,

political, socio-cultural and technological changes. These changes have drastically

altered the social formations and structures as well as how people around the world

live their lives. This discussion was followed by an insight into the globalisation debate

to provide a scholarly understanding of the concept. Following this was a conceptual

definition of culture to allow us get a grasp of the various definitions attached to

culture. After that, the researcher examined the impact of globalisation on culture to

provide us an outline of the process of expanding culture to other parts of the world.

In this discussion it was argued that technological development contributed to the

spread of Western cultural products to other parts of the world. This was followed by

an overview of the global media to highlight how ownership of media and information

industries were compounding the expansion of culture.

As mentioned above, it is through the process of globalisation that global cultural

products spread across the global marketplace. Hence, chapter 2.3.7 – The

Destruction of Nigeria – examined how the proliferation of communication satellites,

global syndication networks, cable television, and multi-lingual dubbing centres

brought about new opportunities as well as problems to the Nigerian society. Chapter

2 ended with an examination of the impact of media imperialism on the Nigerian

Media landscape.

Chapter 3 of the report discussed the qualitative method of in-depth face-to-face

interviews used in gathering data for this study. The first section explained the

research approach and design.

89
The discussion on the research design was followed by an explanation of the research

setting, study population, sample selection and size. After this, an explanation of the

research procedure was provided. The study had its challenges and these were

acknowledged i the Li itatio s to the “tud se tio – Chapter 1. Thus the

researcher outlined how he ensured that his research instrument was both reliable

and valid.

After the data was gathered, recorded and transcribed, it was analysed and presented

in Chapter 4 – Data Analysis and Presentation of Findings.

5.1 Summary of Findings

From available literature reviewed, television has become a part of our daily lives and

has transformed the traditional functions of the mass media which is to inform,

educate and entertain. Television plays a vital role in the in transmission of cultures

beyond national frontiers, which makes it the highly successful medium that it has

become.

The fans in Abeokuta-North revealed that they follow the English soccer Premier

League because it presented them a golden opportunity to join a global network

representing success. This is why it is important among the fans to be able to support

a winning team, as the strength of such a team is also bestowed upon its follower.

Leah, It is ital fo the fa s to ha e o e s tea s pa aphe alia as a sign of

loyalty, and even though the economic context of the country as a whole is poor, the

fans of the English football Premier League manage to get these items, such as

football jerseys, one way or the other.

Since the fan can only show how well informed that he/she is when games are

watched among people that understand the rules of the games, Leah, , these

90
fans watch the games from pu li pla es, ai l ie i g e t es a d a s, where

su h a audie e is gua a teed, Leah, . The shared viewership offers the fans

an exciting setting.

5.1.1 Challenging Media Imperialism Thesis

Glo alisatio has p odu ed a i ed ha est fo Nige ia ultu e. The atio s ultu al

values have been transformed by global forces both old and new, but in spite of this

rampant wave of penetration of global products, the diversity and vitality of Nigerian

culture are arguably as great as they ever have been.

Globalisation may burden us with the awareness of new problems, but it also

broadens horizons for us to network in a global marketplace. Footballing loving

individuals use their participation in following the English Premier League as an

empowerment tool used to secure entry into the global network of Premier League

followers thereby allowing them to engage with fellow fans from around the world.

Since the English football Premier League fans in Nigeria are not opportune to watch

the games at the stadium, the only way other way by which they feel as though they

are part of the action is for them to watch the games in public viewing spaces with

people of like minds. Ho e e , these fa s a e thi ki g human beings who realise

that soccer is a sport and thus keep all rivalry to the level of verbally teasing one

another, and when the game is over, they get on with their lives. English football is

well-known for its history of a sub-culture of hooliganism among supporters, hence

one would expect members of the different teams to fight, but the fans interviewed

for this study revealed that they do not. Hence, as a result of these fans being able to

solve problems amicably without the use of violence and limiting their teasing of one

another, this illustrates how these fans bring their own interpretative schema and

91
sets of meanings to decoding global media texts (Leah, 2005 citing Sreberney-

Mohammadi, 1991) .

Thus, like Leah, the argument my media imperialists that the penetration of global

media content into the media landscape of developing countries brings its ways of

thinking that are adopted by the developing countries (Schiller, 1976; Tomlinson,

1991, in Leah, 2005) is challenged. However, the failure by the Nigerian fans of the

English football Premier League to watch their under-developed league from the

stadia as ell as thei eed to pu hase thei tea s pa aphe alia a according to

Leah, help demonstrate that these fans have adopted some of these behaviours as a

result of following the globally mediated league, . Hence, the researcher, like

Leah, ag ees that the a gu e t the edia i pe ialists that the ultu al ilieu of

the first world countries is passed on to third world countries by multinational

o po atio s a sta d, .

Globalisation of the media can influence national cultures in different ways. However,

the cultural hegemony of media exporters is unlikely in and of itself to result in

ultu al do i atio , Wa g, . Media may be a necessary, but are unlikely to be

a sufficient, condition for cultural resistance or submission. (McQuail, 2000: 238 in

Wang, 2008 I te atio al edia s effe t o lo al ultu e should al a s e e a i ed

within the context of different economic, technological and cultural situations.

Whether the internationalization of media has the potential to undermine national

culture depends on how strong a particular national culture is and how committed

they are to resisting a cultural tsunami, (Wang, 2008). Circumstances exist, of course,

under which national culture is undermined by aggressively marketed foreign media

imports. However, the theory that local cultures will be drowned out and completely

disappear under a tide of Western/American media at present does not appear to

92
hold, at least not in the case of Nigeria. This is partly because of the strong cultural

identity of groups in Nigeria. The cultural preferences of Nigerian viewers are so

strong that foreign imports are put at a clear competitive disadvantage relative to the

regional and national media produced. In fact, the strong national culture forces

international media conglomerates to produce a localised version of their media

content, for example, the Big Brother Africa series.

The resistance against the onslaught of global cultural products requires a great deal

of struggle, as the attack is multi-dimensional and the forces behind it are extremely

powerful, (Wang, 2008). Depending on the circumstances, the driving forces behind

global cultural homogenisation can be weak. Nonetheless, imported media is never a

sufficient condition to erode local cultures. Other intervening factors must coincide,

such as a weak national identity or the political and/or economic suppression of local

media and local culture. Wa g, In any case, local cultures are likely to redefine

the semiotic and social meanings of imported content.

Nevertheless, the Nigerian fa s o i te p etatio s of the league a d the ea i gs

they make of it revealed that they negotiate the meaning making process , Leah,

2005). As such, it can be argued that meanings should be understood within the

context of the lived reality of the fans, Leah, . Hence, this study, like Leah s,

neither completely rejects nor accepts the Cultural/Media Imperialism thesis.

5.2 Recommendations

With the implications of the findings clearly put in focus in the preceding chapters, it is

the esea he s ie that i ediate a tio should e take to aise a a e ess o

the fact that globalisation is fast eroding our cultural values.

93
Foreign cultural products will only reign in our society if we allow them, so therefore

the researcher suggests that the following be done to curb the incessant influx of

Western cultural products into our society:

1. Media managers and practitioners as gate-keepers must develop be made to

realise that they have a role to play in putting an end to the genocide to

Nigerian cultural values.

2. Nigerian journalists should likewise be made aware of their social

responsibilities towards the society by scrutinising the messages he

disseminates to public so as to guard against feeding his audience with

imperialistic messages.

3. Likewise broadcast houses should formulate and implement policies that will

mandate that the imperialistic messages are disseminated at the barest

minimum. Moreover, embarking on special projects will also contribute to this

cause.

4. The Nigerian government and other stakeholders should also formulate and

implement policies to ensure that professionals take charge of production of

films.

5. Further studies should also be conducted explore the relationship between

viewership of Western television and the academic performance of Nigerian

students.

94
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 APPENDIX A

THEMATIC QUESTIONS

Discrimination and distinction

1. How would describe a supporter of the English football Premier league?

2. How would describe yourself as a supporter of the English football Premier

league?

3. Can you name two football clubs in the English football Premier League?

4. Can you name two football clubs in the Nigerian football Premier League?

5. What can you say about Manchester United Football Club player, Wayne Rooney?

6. What can you say about Warri Wolves Football Club player, Sunday Mba?

Pleasures

7. Why do you follow the English football Premier league?

8. What kind of pleasures do you derive from following a foreign league?

Media Imperialism

9. Has your following the English football Premier league stopped or reduced the rate

at which you follow the Nigerian football Premier league?

10. Have you ever observed fans of the league that have adopted such things as

hairstyles, dress code etc. of the players in the league?

11. Do you follow the local Nigerian football Premier league?

12. What recommendations can you offer for the improvement of the Nigerian

football Premier league?

13. If implemented, will this increase your patronage of the Nigerian football Premier

League?

10