Globalization and Jamaica

Jamaica, like other countries has been affected by the media culturally.  Most of their influence comes from the UK and the US, the latter, most likely, is due to proximity and prominence in the world's media.  Also, like the rest of the world, within the top ten websites visited in Jamaica is Facebook, Twitter, Google and Wikipedia and most importantly, MSN.  The latter being an American companies illustrates the access that Jamaicans have to American media and culture, as well as how much of a dose the nation is getting, relative to how much of their media they are accessing.

Globalization has made Jamaica who they are today, socially and politically.  The fact that Jamaica is a democratic nation and that they have two parties, as well as the style of journalism they use is reflective of the US.  When a nation has its own major media sources including websites, broadcast, print and advertising, why would they turn to another nation's news source before their own?

The answer would be that what is being shown in the core nations culturally and economically, versus the periphery and semi-periphery nations, is the image of wealth and success.  In the US and UK, we create a misleading idea that happiness is tied to materialism.  Essentially, this is cultural imperialism.

There is no doubt, however, that we have too been influenced by Jamaican culture, especially musically.  Jamaica, considered a periphery nation, has contributed to many aspects of entertainment, lifestyle and religion worldwide.  Music is probably the most obvious contribution to American society.  If you were to turn on any mainstream pop radio station, you would be able to hear a heavy influence of Jamaican and surrounding Caribbean Islands. Religiously, the Rastafarian movement of the 1980s began with Bob Marley's music and spread quickly.  It is not uncommon to encounter Rastafarian-ism across the media spectrum.

Overall, globalization is incredibly apparent surrounding Jamaica, and it is only growing...