Communication, culture and the growth of the individual self in third world societies1

Abstract

The paper examines the social impact of communication technology applying the insights of sociologists such as Durkheim, Mead and Shils. It argues that the introduction of modern communication technology to Third World societies has resulted in the sudden and rapid increase of ‘social density’ or social relationships by bringing to the consciousness of individuals issues and personalities outside their immediate experience. In some Third World societies this has resulted in the emergence of a heightened individual self‐identity in order to understand and give meaning to new and unfamiliar situations created by the media. The socio‐political consequences of this new self‐identity for the plural societies of Asia is examined using the media‐image of Mahatma Gandhi in pre‐independent India.

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