Babero — The Processes: From Nationalisms to Transnationalism

 

In this article, Barbero discusses the process in Latin America from national to transnational regarding the various cultures that constitute the nation. Barbero also discusses populism as the conflict where the Creole class confronted the bourgeoisie and massification that it is the tool that made transnationalism to happen.

 

Living in the age of media, we are adapted to new ideas and cultures. With the popularity of media culture, the social distinctions between different cultures and diversities are no longer a barrier for information to spread around the world. With the great influence of media, especially social media, people are now more open-minded in the diversities and differences in culture. The ethnocentric attitude is now less acceptable in many countries. With the help of media, the trends and cultures have changed from small groups to various and larger groups. This brings transnationalism out that audiences are able to understand and identify themselves with different cultures. Also, these people who are exposed to new cultures project the new cultures to their own, which makes cultures and norms more diversified.

 

“The specific role of the mass media, especially film and radio, that constructed their discourse on the continuous link of the imagination of the masses from the old narrative memory, with its vivid mise-en-scène and popular iconography, to the proposal of new images charged with nationalistic sensibility”

 

Countries, rather than being a nation, have become transnational because the nation would survive only if the state understands the importance of different nationalities within the country and effectively facilitate the coexistence of them to reach a balance in the society. Populism then is the ideology where the majority, often the poor, outnumber the powerful, often the rich, and creates changes in the state. With media, the government can regulate the flow of ideas in the society and the balance of power is maintained. Nations define themselves through the cultures within them and it would not be long until it would be hegemonic. Cultures within the nation should, therefore, continue to make themselves known among the other cultures so that they would not lose themselves in the process. By doing so, the nation flourishes and becomes transnational in itself.

 

“Of course, economics and ideology influence how the media functioned, but to discover the meaning and ideology of economic structure we must go deeper to the conflict which in that historical moment gave structure and dynamism to the social movements, namely, the conflict between the masses and the state and the resolution of this conflict in the nationalist populism and populist nationalisms.”