From cultural defence to political culture: media, politics and collective identity in the European Union

Schlesinger, P. (1997) From cultural defence to political culture: media, politics and collective identity in the European Union. Media, Culture and Society, 19(3), pp. 369-391. (doi: 10.1177/016344397019003005)

Abstract

This paper takes recent EU policy concerning audiovisual media as its initial point of focus, placing it in the context both of the market negotiations of the GATT talks and the various notions of `European cultural identity' to be found in official EU statements and documents. Exploring a number of slippages and tensions, it maps the shifting ground of media and cultural policy in the mid-1990s, particularly in relation to questions of cultural protection, cultural identity and pluralism. Having critically reviewed the current dominance of technological and industrial perspectives and the particular articulation of economy, culture and polity which follows from this, it makes the case both for placing issues of political culture more firmly on the EU agenda and for recognizing the importance of the media in political as well as cultural development.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: This article has been researched with support from the Research Council of Norway's ARENA Programme (Advanced Research on the Europeanisation of the Nation-State). Republished in D. K. Thussu (ed.) International Communication, London: Sage Publications, 2012.
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Schlesinger, Professor Philip
• Authors: Schlesinger, P.
• College/School: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Culture and Creative Arts > Theatre Film and TV Studies
• Journal Name: Media, Culture and Society
• ISSN: 0163-4437
• ISSN (Online): 1460-3675