Fake personality

BY LEULSEGED WORKU

Cultural imperialism is the practice of promoting a more powerful culture over a least known or desirable culture. It is usually the case that the former belongs to a large, economically or militarily powerful nation and the latter belongs to a smaller, less powerful one. Cultural imperialism can take the form of an active, formal policy or a general attitude. A metaphor of colonialism is employed: the cultural products of the first world "invade" the third-world and "conquer" local culture. In the stronger variants of the term, world domination (in a cultural sense) is the explicit goal of the nation-states or corporations that export the culture. The term is usually used in a pejorative sense, usually in conjunction with a call to reject foreign influence.

Various academics give various definitions of the term. American media critic Herbert Schiller wrote: "The concept of cultural imperialism today best describes the sum of the processes by which a society is brought into the modern world system and how its dominating stratum is attracted, pressured, forced, and sometimes bribed into shaping social institutions to correspond to, or even promote, the values and structures of the dominating center of the system. The public media are the foremost example of operating enterprises that are used in the penetrative process. For penetration on a significant scale the media themselves must be captured by the dominating/penetrating power. This occurs largely through the commercialization of broadcasting."

We are now found in the era where globalization indirectly affect the culture of people positively as well as negatively. In the former days it was the missionaries or researchers who had a direct influence in the cultural aspects of a given community. But now a days, the presence of different social networks and the influence of media has direct role in contaminating the local cultures.

Take the valantine day an instance. Saint Valentine's Day, also known as Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is observed on February 14 each year. It is celebrated in many countries around the world, although it remains a working day in most of them.

St. Valentine's Day began as a liturgical celebration of one or more early Christian saints named Valentinus. Several martyrdom stories were invented for the various Valentines that belonged to February 14, and added to later martyrologies. A popular hagiographical account of Saint Valentine of Rome states that he was imprisoned for performing weddings for soldiers who were forbidden to marry and for ministering to Christians, who were persecuted under the Roman Empire.

According to legend, during his imprisonment, he healed the daughter of his jailer, Asterius. An embellishment to this story states that before his execution he wrote her a letter signed "Your Valentine" as a farewell.[3] Today, Saint Valentine's Day is an official feast day in the Anglican Communion, as well as in the Lutheran Church. The Eastern Orthodox Church also celebrates Saint Valentine's Day, albeit on July 6 and July 30, the former date in honor of the Roman presbyter Saint Valentine, and the latter date in honor of Hieromartyr Valentine, the Bishop of Interamna (modern Terni).

The day was first associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished. In 18th-century England, it evolved into an occasion in which lovers expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as "valentines"). Valentine's Day symbols that are used today include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, hand

Here in Ethiopia the day has became the center of attraction for lovers. It has became a common feature to observe boutiques and restaurants promoting the day. You can see boutiques hanging red cloths, restaurants and medias fanning the day.

But, i have a question here. What does Valantine do with us? don't we have our local “Valantin” days? For instance one months ago, We, Ethiopians, have celebrated colorfully the Ethiopian the Epiphany or Timket. This day, beside its religious value, has also a great meaning for Ethiopian lovers. It is a time that old lovers will refresh their love and the new ones will laid a tone for future love.

Let me add another example. There is common custom in some rural parts of the country. This is a tradition that when a given girl arrives puberty she would have a right to to have a boy friend or what locally called “Yekenfer Wedaj” Under this circumstance, the two lovers are free to enjoy with the fruits of love. They can kiss or caress but no sex. I even have read a piece that in eastern part of the country—Haragge-- with the permission of her parents, the boy could date his beloved one enjoy the whole night with her. However, the unwritten rule of that society prevents the boy from sex or taking her virginity. There is cultural protection for the girl. After they spend the night together he will take her back to her family without any sexual intercourse. If the boy attempt to violate the cultural values, he will be punished or isolated from that society.

So what is wrong with the media, the restaurants and boutiques? Why are they contaminate the existing cultures? Why don`t they be the instrument for the local values instead of propagating imported ones?