当代美国大众文化的历史解读

【作者】 惠敏；

【导师】 王玮；

【作者基本信息】 山东师范大学 ， 世界史， 2009， 博士

【摘要】 文化是一种历史现象,是社会历史的积淀物,也是历史的延续,因此,文化可看作是一种历史性的文化形态,我们可以从历史的角度解读文化。文化是一个社会的政治制度、经济制度和生活方式的综合反映,它在一个国家的社会发展和国际关系中都占据着重要的地位,发挥着巨大的作用。但长期以来,人们往往较多地关注政治、经济和军事在一国的社会发展和国际关系中的重要性,却忽视了文化的作用。事实上,在当今的历史条件下,文化在综合国力中的地位不断上升,国家发展的各种要素都越来越离不开文化的作用,文化实力越来越成为一个国家综合国力的重要组成部分,构成一个国家发展的深层基础,成为一个国家可持续发展的重要力量和一种国际性的竞争力。文化不仅在一个国家的综合国力中占有重要的位置,而且,在确定国家对外政策目标的过程中也起着巨大的作用,对国家的对外政策手段、方式和风格产生着重要的影响。文化一方面可以促进国际合作;另一方面又可能导致国际冲突和动乱。随着经济全球化的发展和国际交往的日益频繁,作为与军事实力和经济实力等“硬实力”相对应的一种“软实力”,文化在国际关系中的作用日益增强。在当今全球化背景下,大众文化已成为一种世界性的文化潮流,并已进入社会生活的各个领域,影响着人们的日常生活和思想情感。大众文化不仅是当今世界意识形态领域斗争的一个重要阵地,还是当今社会经济领域庞大的产业,而且在国际政治、经济、文化关系中也发挥着极其重要的作用,成为实施政治和文化影响的重要手段,文化霸权已经成为一种不可忽视的国际文化现象。美国是大众文化的发源地,凭借强大的政治、经济、军事、科技实力以及强大的市场运作功能和巨型跨国公司的全球运作,美国大众文化在全世界广为传播,其影响越来越大。本论文以当代美国大众文化为研究对象,从文化概念入手,详细分析了当代美国大众文化的历史缘起,全面阐释了当代美国大众文化的多样性特征,深刻剖析了美国大众文化扩张的历史根源、理论依据、现实条件、形式与途径及其目的和实质,论述了当代美国大众文化的正面和负面效应,进而指出世界各国和中国对当代美国大众文化的应对措施以及加强我国的文化安全建设,努力搞好文化开放的重要性。论文从六个方面展开论述。第一章简要概述了文化的定义、特性、模式和作用以及大众文化的定义和重要性,指出了研究这一课题的必要性。第二章分析了当代美国大众文化的缘起,指出当代美国大众文化是现代化、工业化、城市化、市场化的产物,也是大众社会与消费社会的产物,现代科学技术和大众媒介对当代美国大众文化的产生起到了巨大的推动作用,同时,当代美国大众文化的兴起也是庞大的文化消费群体的精神需求所致。第三章总结了当代美国大众文化的多样性特征,分析了当代美国大众文化的正面特征,包括全球性与普世性、产业性与商业性、现代性与前瞻性以及通俗性与娱乐性,也分析了当代美国大众文化的负面特征,包括帝国主义性与霸权性、殖民性与垄断性、隐蔽性与欺骗性以及侵略性与单向性。第四章剖析了当代美国大众文化扩张的历史根源、理论依据、现实条件、形式与途径以及目的与实质,指出“天赋使命观”、种族优越论、“自然权利说”和美国例外论是当代美国大众文化扩张的历史根源;历史终结论、文明冲突论、文化、人权等“无国界”论、“软权力”论、民主和平论以及单极稳定论是当代美国大众文化扩张的理论依据;全球化的影响、世界格局的变化、美国超强国力的支撑是当代美国大众文化扩张的现实条件;当代美国大众文化主要是凭借大众传播媒介如书籍、报刊、杂志、广播、电影、电视、互联网等形式,并通过文化和人员交流、对外援助项目等途径进行扩张;通过各种形式的“文化输出”在全球推行美国的价值观,以达到“文化霸权”的目的。美国企图以美国文化来同化其他国家的文化,通过同化来消灭文化差异,铸造一种具有同质性、纯一性的美利坚文化,用“美国化”取代“全球化”和“国际化”,以此谋取文化霸权,独占世界。当代美国大众文化的扩张本质上是发达国家以自己的经济势力为基础,凭借其强大的文化优势,向在国际社会中处于文化弱势地位的发展中国家,强制推行自己的价值观念的行为。第五章阐释了当代美国大众文化的效应,论述了当代美国大众文化对美国的正面效应和负面效应以及当代美国大众文化对他国的正面效应和负面效应。第六章指出了世界各国以及中国应该如何应对当代美国大众文化的扩张,进而提出我国应该加强文化安全建设,构筑自己的文化发展战略,以抵御美国大众文化的扩张,建设具有中国特色的社会主义大众文化。最后,得出以下结论:当代美国大众文化对美国及世界各国产生了重要影响,但全球化不等于美国化,世界文化必将继续呈现多元共生的发展趋势。21世纪是全球经济文化一体化的世纪,每一个国家和民族都必须与整个世界保持全面开放,广泛进行文化交流和合作,积极地学习一切民族优秀的文化成果,特别要吸收当代美国大众文化的精华,来丰富和充实自己的文化,同时扬弃其糟粕,不仅如此,而且还要制定本国的文化发展战略,努力发展本国的大众文化,加强文化安全建设,抵御当代美国大众文化的扩张。更多还原

【Abstract】 Culture is a historical phenomenon. It is a deposit of social history as well as the carrier of history, so culture is considered to be a historical culture form and it can be interpreted from a historical perspective. Culture can show a comprehensive reflection of the political regime, economic regime and life style of a society, playing an essential role in the social development and international relationship of a country. For a long time, however, we have tended to pay too much attention to the importance of politics, economy and military affairs in the social development of a country and international relationship, neglecting the functions of culture. In fact, under the present historical situation culture has occupied an increasingly important position in comprehensive national power and it is indispensable to the social development of a country. Cultural strength is increasingly becoming an important part of the comprehensive national power, laying the deep foundation for the development of a country and becoming an important power for the sustainable development of a country and international competition. Culture not only occupies an important position in the comprehensive national power of a country but also has a great influence on the means, ways and style of the diplomatic policies of a country. Culture, on the one hand, can be utilized to promote international collaboration and on the other hand, can be likely to bring about international conflicts and turmoil. With the development of economic globalization and the frequent international communication, culture, as a“soft power”which is corresponding to the“hard power”- military strength and economic strength, is playing a much more important role in international relationship.Mass culture, under the current background of globalization, has become a global culture trend, and entered the various fields of social life, thus influencing people’s daily life and emotional thought. Mass culture serves as not only an important battlefield for the struggle in the world-wide ideological areas, but also an immense industry in the socio-economic fields. Besides, mass culture plays an extremely important role in the international political, economic and cultural relations. Thus, it turns to be an important means to implement the political and cultural impact. Cultural hegemony has become an international cultural phenomenon which can not be ignored. Mass culture originates from the United States. By means of its powerful political, economic, and military strength, its advanced science and technology and the operation of its strong market and international companies, American mass culture is widely disseminated in the world and its influence is increasing as well.This dissertation chooses contemporary American mass culture as the research object, starts from the concept of culture, and gives a comprehensive illustration of such aspects as the follows-the origin and the diversity of contemporary American mass culture; the historical roots, the theoretical basis, practical prerequisites, forms and ways, as well as purpose and nature of American cultural expansion. It also analyzes the positive and negative effects of contemporary American mass culture, and further points out the measures for China as well as other countries to respond to American mass culture, and the importance of strengthening our cultural security and cultural openness.The dissertation illustrates contemporary American mass culture from the following six aspects. Chapter One gives a brief introduction to the definition, the features, the patterns, and the functions of culture as well as the definition and importance of mass culture, pointing out the necessity of this research. Chapter Two analyzes the historical origin of contemporary American mass culture, and further indicates that American mass culture is the product of modernization, industrialization, urbanization, and marketization, and the result of mass society and consumer society as well. The emergence of contemporary American mass culture is promoted by the modern scientific technology and mass media, and at the same time, caused by the spiritual requirement of the immense consumer group. Chapter Three summarizes the diversity of the contemporary American mass culture, and analyzes its positive features, including globalization and universality, industrialization and commercialization, modernity and predictability, popularity and entertainment. It also dips into the negative traits of the contemporary American mass culture, consisting of imperialism and hegemony, colonization and monopolization, concealment and deceptiveness, as well as aggressiveness and unidirectional features. Chapter Four probes into the historical roots, the theoretical basis, practical prerequisites, forms and ways, the purpose and nature of American cultural expansion as well. The“God-granted mission concept”,“racial superiority”,“natural rights”and“America’s exceptionalism”are the historical origins of American cultural expansion;“the end of history”,“clash of civilizations”,“boundlessness in culture and human rights”,“soft power”theory,“democracy and peace”theory, and“unipolar stability”theory are the theoretical basis of American cultural expansion; and“the impact of globalization”,“the changes of world situation”,“the support of American super national power”are the practical prerequisites of American cultural expansion. Contemporary American mass culture is expanded mainly by virtue of the mass media such as books, newspapers, periodicals, magazines, radio, film, television, Internet and some other forms such as cultural and personnel exchanges, and foreign aid projects. By means of various forms of "cultural exports", American values are spread all over the world, which aims at achieving "cultural hegemony". America attempts to assimilate other cultures, replacing them by its own culture to eliminate the cultural differences and mould all of the cultures into the pure American culture, replacing "globalization”and“internationalism”with“Americanization”to obtain cultural hegemony and control the whole world. The nature of American mass cultural expansion is that the developed countries enforce the developing countries, which are culturally inferior to them, to accept their culture values by taking advantage of their powerful cultural superiority based on its economic strength. Chapter Five illustrates the effect of contemporary American mass culture, including its positive and negative effects on America and other countries as well. Chapter Six points out how China as well as other countries should respond to the expansion of contemporary American mass culture, and it further suggests that our country should strengthen the construction of our cultural security, and develop our own cultural strategy to defend against the expansion of American mass culture, thus constructing the socialist mass culture with Chinese characteristics. Finally, a conclusion is drawn that contemporary American mass culture has made a great impact on both America and almost all of the countries in the world but globalization is not equal to Americanization, diversity and co-existence will surely continue to be the major trend for the development of world culture.The twenty-first century is an era of global economic and cultural integration. Every country and nation should keep opening to the other countries, making cultural exchanges and cooperation at extensive level, learning from the outstanding cultural achievements of all countries actively, and particularly absorbing the essence of contemporary American mass culture to enrich our own culture and at the same time reject its dross. In addition, we have to formulate our own cultural strategies, develop our own mass culture and strengthen the construction of our cultural security, thus resisting the expansion of contemporary American mass culture.更多还原