An Investigation into the Appropriation and Use of Bollywood Movies by Ethiopian Youth from a Poor Family Background in Addis Ababa
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Date
2008-07
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Ethiopia, as part of the world-wide trend of influence brought about by globalization, is
subject to a situation marked by the increased flow into the country and consumption by
the local audience of foreign-produced media and cultural products. While American
movies take the lead in terms of consumption rates, we also see Indian films
supplementing the local audience’s consumption of foreign media materials. This study,
in particular, under the title of “An Investigation into the Appropriation and use of
Bollywood Movies by Ethiopian Youth from a Poor Family Background in Addis Ababa”
is interested in examining the web of meanings that arise from the viewing of Bollywood
amongst Ethiopian youth. With this end in view, the study employed observation, focus
group interviews, and individual in-depth interviews to gather the data needed to make
sense of the youth’s viewing practice.
The findings of the study show that local audiences in their interaction with media
messages produced in settings far removed from theirs, actively interpret them in light of
the subjective values, aspirations and concerns within their lives. What the youth’s own
responses reveal is that the plurality of meanings they make when viewing Bollywood
movies represent a challenge to the premises of the media imperialism thesis, which
posits the homogenizing role of the Western media in terms of propagating Western
values and interests at the expense of the weaker ‘Third World’ nations such as Ethiopia.
The notion of homogenization fails to accurately describe the consumption of foreign
media messages by local audiences. The study also shows that the coming into the
picture of such regional media images as produced by nations like India raises the
question whether media/cultural imperialism thesis is adequate in terms of explaining the
overwhelmingly complicated global exchange and transfer of cultural materials.
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Movies by Ethiopian