THE JAPANESE JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH
Online ISSN : 2187-5278
Print ISSN : 0387-3161
ISSN-L : 0387-3161
The diversification of Media and Culture
Masaya Iwanaga
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JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

1999 Volume 66 Issue 3 Pages 295-305,369

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Abstract

"Culture" is a somewhat ambiguous concept. Its definition can be largely divided into two areas: (1) deepened culture, the sum total of knowledge acquired through professional and total of knowledge acquired through professional and sophisticated intellectual activities, and (2) broadened culture, the collection of wideranging and fundamental information acquired by means of intentionally arranged methods. In the context of historical circumstances which forced Japan to achieve modernization through the conscious transfer of western civilization, universities have long functioned as an exclusive destination for, as well as a source of, vast amounts of information that make up "culture." Cultural elements accumulated and disseminated through universities were initially 'deepened culture, ' but they were gradually reorganized and systematized into "broadened culture" that needs to be intentionally disseminated as a perfected foundation of learning for the modern population. Culture has been undergoing tremendous change in recent years. One of the causes is the changing nature of the media. The media casts profound effects on culture because an inevitable component of culture is the power of communication which allows the transfer, reorganization and crystallization of the results of spiritual activities of the people who lived in the past. In this sense, one can define culture as an activity which is possible only through communication with the outside world. Technological innovations in communication achieved so far have greatly influenced the quality and quantity of culture, precisely because of these strong connections between culture and the media. Today we are living in a world where technological renovation is changing the media almost on a daily basis. Therefore, culture, heavily affected by the media, is subjected to tremendous change. One of the visible consequences is "the crisis of culture, " which is a serious crisis. However, it is in this crisis that one can find a chance of changing the culture mechanism which had long been contained within the old frameworks of universities. Universities are no longer exclusive entities but they still remain to be the destination and source of accumulated knowledge. It is not an exaggeration to say that seeking the new format in culture is one of the most important challenges that faces modern universities.

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