Role Of Advertising In Cultural Hybridization
Dr. Rashmi Kumari[1], Asha Kumari[2]
1.1 Introduction
According to Renato Rosaldo, “Hybridity can be understood as the ongoing condition of all human cultures, which contain no zones of purity because they undergo continuous processes of transculturation (two-way borrowing and lending between cultures).” However, in the present time, globalization has both expanded the reach of Western culture, as well as allowed a process by which the West constantly interacts with the East, appropriating cultures for its own means and continually shifting its own signifiers of dominant culture. This hybridity is woven into every corner of society. Considered by some the father of hybrid theory, Homi Bhabha argued that colonizers and the colonized are mutually dependent in constructing a shared culture. His text The Location of Culture (1994) suggested that there is a “Third Space of Enunciation” in which cultural systems are constructed. In this claim, he aimed to create a new language and mode of describing the identity of Selves and Others. (Yazdiha, Conceptualizing Hybridity: Deconstructing Boundaries through the Hybrid).
One of the easiest way through which cultural hybridization may happen is Advertisement. Advertising is non personal and paid form of communication of a product or service with an identified sponsor, intended to inform and influence the readers, listeners and viewers. From early morning to late night, inside or outside home, directly or indirectly encounter various advertisements and it influences, manipulates, shape values, beliefs and behaviours and in long term involve in lifestyle.
The researcher has done empirical study to understand the role of advertising in cultural hybridization with three main dimensions i.e. Clothing pattern, Language hybridization and Food culture.
1.2 Significance of the Study
Research being an endless quest for knowledge always demands a scientific approach in dealing with subjects which are of social relevance. It’s an undeniable fact that the Indian culture is hybridized up to certain level. For a balance development of the society, it’s a sincere attempt on the part of the researcher to analyze and interpret the role of advertising in cultural hybridization among urban youth. Besides being an academic research work, the research paper undoubtedly would contribute for the socio economic benefit of the Indian people.
1.3 Identification of the Problem
India is a country of different caste, creed, culture and tradition. One can easily observe that Indian people are influenced by the west and Indian culture is hybridized. Nowadays advertising is playing significant role as most of the Indian people have exposure of different media. So, the researcher wants to know the role of advertising in cultural hybridization among urban youth.
1.4 Objectives of the Research Study
- To examine the impact of advertising in hybridizing clothing pattern
- To analyse the contribution of advertising in hybridizing the language
- To evaluate the influence of advertising in hybridization of food culture
1.5 Research Design
For primary data, survey method is used, online Google form having questionnaire has been sent to the respondents in the process of collecting the data and information because of COVID – 19 pandemic in India. The secondary data is gathered via magazines, newspapers, journals, books, websites and YouTube channels.
The urban youth between the ages of 18 – 40 years who have exposure of advertisement directly or indirectly are the sample of the study. Convenience and Snowball sampling have been applied and the size of the sample is 109.
For the researcher, Advertising is non personal and paid form of communication, promotes product or service, having identified sponsor, intended to inform and influence the readers, listeners and viewers and Cultural Hybridization is the mixture of two or more culture in people’s life. It has been divided into three dimensions:
- Clothing pattern,
- Language hybridization, &
- Food culture
Analyzes and representation of data is done via tabulation, it has been created in Microsoft Office Excel Worksheet.
1.6 Limitation of the Research Study
Keeping in mind COVID – 19 pandemic in India, the researcher avoided face to face interaction with the respondents and has used virtual platform. Time constraint bounded the researcher with the limited sample size of 109 respondents.
1.7 Data Analyses and Interpretation
1.7.1 Demographic Details
Gender
Table No. 1
| Gender | Frequency | Percentage |
| Female | 54 | 49.54% |
| Male | 55 | 50.46% |
| Total | 109 | 100.00% |
Age Group
Table No. 2
| Age Group | Frequency | Percentage |
| 16 Years – 20 Years | 10 | 9.17% |
| 21 Years – 25 Years | 51 | 46.79% |
| 26 Years – 30 Years | 34 | 31.19% |
| 31 Years – 35 Years | 9 | 8.26% |
| 36 Years – 40 Years | 5 | 4.59% |
| Total | 109 | 100.00% |
Qualification
Table No. 3
| Qualification | Frequency | Percentage |
| Intermediate | 9 | 8.26% |
| Under Graduate | 38 | 34.86% |
| Post Graduate | 45 | 41.28% |
| PhD | 10 | 9.17% |
| Other | 7 | 6.43% |
| Total | 109 | 100.00% |
Occupation
Table No. 4
| Occupation | Frequency | Percentage |
| Business | 6 | 5.50% |
| Employee | 39 | 35.78% |
| Homemaker | 2 | 1.83% |
| Student | 55 | 50.46% |
| Other | 7 | 6.43% |
| Total | 109 | 100.00% |
State
Table No. 5
| State | Frequency | Percentage |
| Bihar | 4 | 3.67% |
| Chhattisgarh | 1 | 0.92% |
| Delhi | 41 | 37.61% |
| Haryana | 1 | 0.92% |
| Karnataka | 4 | 3.67% |
| Madhya Pradesh | 3 | 2.75% |
| Maharashtra | 2 | 1.83% |
| Odisha | 2 | 1.83% |
| Punjab | 1 | 0.92% |
| Telangana | 1 | 0.92% |
| Uttar Pradesh | 20 | 18.35% |
| Uttrakhand | 2 | 1.83% |
| Jharkhand | 27 | 24.78% |
| Total | 109 | 100.00% |
- Data Analyses
Table No. 6
| 1) | Respondents have seen advertisement showing clothes/outfits of different states/countries | Frequency | Percentage |
| A | Never | 14 | 12.84% |
| B | Once | 4 | 3.67% |
| C | Few Times | 43 | 39.45% |
| D | Many Times | 48 | 44.04% |
| Total | 109 | 100.00% |
Inference
The table (t-6) above shows that majority of the respondents (84.49 percent) chose Few Times and Many Times, they have seen advertisement showing clothes/outfits of different states/countries.
Table No. 7
| 2) | Respondents have seen advertisement showing make up/style/looks of different states/countries | Frequency | Percentage |
| A | Never | 16 | 14.68% |
| B | Once | 6 | 5.50% |
| C | Few Times | 41 | 37.62% |
| D | Many Times | 46 | 42.20% |
| Total | 109 | 100.00% |
Inference
The table (t-7) represents that three-fourth of the respondents (79.82 percent) selected Few Times and Many Times, they have seen advertisement showing make up/style/looks of different states/countries.
Table No. 8
| 3) | Respondents have listened to advertisement speaking dialects of different states/countries | Frequency | Percentage |
| A | Never | 27 | 24.77% |
| B | Once | 7 | 6.42% |
| C | Few Times | 48 | 44.04% |
| D | Many Times | 27 | 24.77% |
| Total | 109 | 100.00% |
Inference
According to table (t-8), more than half of the respondents (79.82 percent) picked Few Times and Many Times,respondents have listened to advertisement speaking dialects of different states/countries.
Table No. 9
| 4) | Respondents have listened to advertisement speaking languages of different states/countries | Frequency | Percentage |
| A | Never | 17 | 15.60% |
| B | Once | 10 | 9.17% |
| C | Few Times | 58 | 53.21% |
| D | Many Times | 24 | 22.02% |
| Total | 109 | 100.00% |
Inference
The above table (t-9) opines that three-fourth of the respondents (75.23 percent) chose Few Times and Many Times,respondents have listened to advertisement speaking languages of different states/countries.
Table No. 10
| 5) | Respondents have seen advertisement promoting popular dishes/foods culture of different states/countries | Frequency | Percentage |
| A | Never | 16 | 14.68% |
| B | Once | 12 | 11.00% |
| C | Few Times | 32 | 29.36% |
| D | Many Times | 49 | 44.96% |
| Total | 109 | 100.00% |
Inference
The above table (t-10) suggests that approx. three-fourth of the respondents (74.32 percent) ticked Few Times and Many Times,respondents have seen advertisement promoting popular dishes/foods culture of different states/countries.
Table No. 11
| 6) | Respondents have seen advertisement showing steps for cooking any recipe of different states/countries | Frequency | Percentage |
| A | Never | 22 | 20.18% |
| B | Once | 7 | 6.42% |
| C | Few Times | 38 | 34.86% |
| D | Many Times | 42 | 38.54% |
| Total | 109 | 100.00% |
Inference
According to the table (t-11), suggests that less than three-fourth of the respondents (73.40 percent) chose Few Times and Many Times.
Table No. 12
| 7) | Advertisement have influenced to buy clothes/jewelleries of different states/countries | Frequency | Percentage |
| A | Never | 19 | 17.44% |
| B | Once | 7 | 6.42% |
| C | Few Times | 38 | 34.86% |
| D | Many Times | 45 | 41.28% |
| Total | 109 | 100.00% |
Inference
According to the table (t-12), suggests that more than three-fourth of the respondents (76.14 percent) chose Few Times and Many Times.
Table No. 13
| 8) | Advertisement have influenced to speak dialects/languages of different states/countries | Frequency | Percentage |
| A | Never | 26 | 23.86% |
| B | Once | 11 | 10.09% |
| C | Few Times | 45 | 41.28% |
| D | Many Times | 27 | 24.77% |
| Total | 109 | 100.00% |
Inference
The table (t-13) opines that more than half of the respondents (66.05 percent) chose Few Times and Many Times.
Table No. 14
| 9) | Advertisement have influenced to buy/eat popular foodstuff of different states/countries | Frequency | Percentage |
| A | Never | 16 | 14.68% |
| B | Once | 7 | 6.42% |
| C | Few Times | 45 | 41.28% |
| D | Many Times | 41 | 37.62% |
| Total | 109 | 100.00% |
Inference
The table (t-14) informs that more than three-fourth of the respondents (78.90 percent) selected Few Times and Many Times.Respondents said that advertisement have influenced to buy/eat popular foodstuff of different states/countries.
Table No. 15
| 10) | Advertisement have mixed/are mixing cultures/traditions of different states/countries | Frequency | Percentage |
| A | Yes | 67 | 61.47% |
| B | No | 10 | 9.17% |
| C | Partially | 24 | 22.02% |
| D | Cannot Say | 8 | 7.34% |
| Total | 109 | 100.00% |
Inference
The above table (t-15) states that majority of the respondents (83.49 percent) picked Yes and Partially.
- Conclusion
Clothing and fashion industry has changed immensely due to globalization and privatization. Indian people nowadays are brand conscious, they do not want to comprise in quality products specially clothes. Some popular brands like Levi’s, Flying Machine, Allen Solly, Numero Uno, Mufti, Wrangler, Pepe Jeans, Lee, Monte Carlo, Peter England, Louis Philippe, Westside, Pantaloons, Park Avenue, Van Heusen, American Swan and many more.
Linguistic hybridization is the merging of two or more languages to form new one like Hinglish, code-mixing of English and Hindi. Diverse Hindi TV advertisements carried several elements of hybridization to bridge the obstacles among different languages to reach the audiences effectively. Currently, this technique of creative mixing of languages is commonly used to represent and promote different cultures.
Promotion of food items are the most hybridized ones, undeniably representing the cuisines and beverages of western countries in Indian advertising industry. Fast-food culture like all time favorite Maggi noodles with Maggi Masala, Instant Soups, Kurkure, Amul Butter, McDonald’s Pizza,McPaneer Wrap, and Burger, KFC chicken foods, French Fries, drinks like Pepsi, Coca Cola, 7Up and Sprite.
- Objective: To examine the impact of advertising in hybridizing clothing pattern
- Result: The study assisted to identify that advertising have greater impact in hybridizing clothing pattern.Advertisements have influenced the respondents to buy clothes and jewelleries of different states/countries. To accomplish the above objective, table no. 6, 7, 12 and 15 are based on it.
- Objective: To analyse the contribution of advertising in hybridizing the language
- Result: Table no. 8, 9, 13 and 15 are allied to the above objective and it showed that less than three-fourth of the respondents have influenced through advertising to speak dialects/languages of different states/countries.
- Objective:To evaluate the influence of advertising in hybridization of food culture
- Result: The study suggested that majority of the respondents have exposure of advertising where food culture of different states and countries has been shown and they have higher impact of it which has resulted they buy and eat popular foodstuff of different states and countries. To scrutinize the above objective, table no. 10, 11, 14 and 15 are represented it.
Further Readings
- Bhabha, H. (1994). The Location of Culture. New York: Routledge.
- https://awanthropology.wordpress.com/2011/09/26/cultural-hybridization/ (Retrieved on 22/12/2021, 10:34 pm)
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/320784501_Linguistic_and_Culture_The_Issue_of_Hybridization_in_Indian_TV_Advertisements(Retrieved on 27/11/2021, 11:50 pm)
- Linguistic and Culture: The Issue of Hybridization in Indian TV Advertisements
- the-criterion.com(Retrieved on 05/07/2021, 12:57 pm)
- Bhatia T.K. (2002). Advertising in rural India: Language, marketing, communication and consumerism.Tokyo: Institute for the Study of Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa. Tokyo University of Foreign Studies.
- Giddens, A. (1991). Modernity and Self-identity. Oxford: Polity.
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/321593902_Conceptualizing_Cultural_Hybridization_A_Transdisciplinary_Approach(Retrieved on 07/07/2021, 09:45 pm)
- https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1367877905052416(Retrieved on 25/08/2021, 07:27 pm)
[1]Assistant Professor, Department of Mass Communication, Karim City College, Jamshedpur
[2]Research Scholar, Department of Biotechnology, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow