Facebook pages that personal pictures of oneself and others is the most common subject
matter. This disparity reflects a difference in views: Asians believe that nature is more
powerful and important than a single individual, whereas Americans and Europeans
consider the individual to be at the center of the universe. In addition, in Western
art, the artist tries to create a personal message. You will remember that above we men-
tioned the popularity of portraits in Western culture. This is not the case with most
Asian artists. As Campbell notes,“Such ego-oriented thinking is alien completely to
Eastern life, thought, and religiosity....”^60
As already indicated, art is a relevant symbol, a forceful teacher, and an avenue
for transmitting cultural values. We need only look at the art on totem poles to see
what matters to American Indians of the northwestern United States. Although
totem poles have esthetic value, the carvings on these poles (and even canes)
have a more profound purpose. They record and remind American Indians of
their identity, ancestors, family, history, wildlife, and nature. This art form,
which seeks to tell stories, is very different from the art of Islam discussed earlier.
Whereas the Koran forbids the depiction of human figures and animals, Indian art
encourages it.
It should be clear from our brief
discussion that “through the cross-
cultural study of art—myths, songs,
dances, paintings, carvings, and so
on—we may discover much about dif-
ferent worldviews and religious beliefs,
as well as political ideas, social values,
kinship structures, economic relations,
and historical memory.”^61Learning Culture Through Media. Just as culture is shared through art, the same is true of
media. But with media, the types and formats are far more numerous. From televi-
sion to online discussions to blogs to social networks to the hundreds of other out-
lets, people share themselves and their culture. The importance of sharing a culture
via media is underscored by Newman:“Another powerful institutional agent of
socializing is the media. Newspapers, magazines, television, radio, film and the
Internet transmit persuasive messages on the nature of reality.”^62 As we begin our
exploration of this important carrier ofculture, we should once again remind you
that this is not a book about mass media any more than it is a text about proverbs,
folktales, or art. Our purpose is simply to examine those carriers of culture that
transmit important lessons. In this section, our goal remains the same. However,
we are not talking about those media that are created, designed, and used to reach
very large audiences. The impact of these devices on a population is hard to access.
That is, it is difficult to draw a definitive cause-and-effect relationship between
someone watching a television program, reading a political blog, using Skype, or
responding to someone’s tweet and concluding that the messages generated by
those outlets contributed to the receiver’s cultural“instructions.”Such an assess-
ment is particularly difficult, as media take such diverse forms and are used for a
host of reasons. Nevertheless, the power, reach, and magnitude of this“message car-
rier”should not preclude us from drawing some conclusions concerning media’srole
in the socialization process. You know from your own experience that media not
only offer information and entertainment but also tell us about our cultural identityCONSIDER THIS
As you watch television for a week, keep a record of the various
cultural“lessons”that you believe are being transmitted, either
overtly or covertly, through the programs you are watching.52 CHAPTER 2•Communication and Culture: The Voice and the Echo
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