The International Encyclopedia of Media Studies, 7 Volume Set

10

A Critical Analysis of Cultural Imperialism

From the Asian Frontlines

Dal Yong Jin

ABSTRACT

Asian cultural industries have produced and exported domestic television programs and films on a large scale since the mid-1990s, challenging scholars' theories of cultural imperialism. The process remains complex, however, because the US still dominates the Asian cultural market and has expanded its influence through massive capital investments. This chapter analyzes the nature of transnationalization for Asian cultural industries in order to establish whether cultural imperialism is phased out in Asia. It explores the flows of Asian cultural products and examines the import and export of these goods in recent years. It then challenges the assertions made by scholars who formulate a reverse cultural imperialism thesis, and it questions whether cultural imperialism is still useful in explaining the Asian cultural market.

Over the last decade the production of Asian popular culture has increased: its creations have entered Western as well as Asian markets. From Korean dramas to Chinese films and from Bollywood movies to Japanese animation and console games, Asian cultural products have become globally popular. Despite the increasing scholarship that examines the role of Asian cultural products or of their industries, there is no consensus on Asia's role in the global cultural markets. In particular, the rapid growth of Asian cultural products has raised the question whether cultural ...