Global to Local. An image based inquiry in print media’s evolution and role in cultural homogenisation

Abstract

In today’s fast-paced world, we all strive to balance work and life while maintaining social status. Global lifestyle choices are becoming uniform, reducing individuality, culture, and diversity. Influencers drive people to invest time and money in superficial products and lifestyles. Media, a powerful mirror of societal trends, significantly influences these choices.

This thesis explores how media has shifted cultural practices towards homogenisation and eroded cultural heritage. It examines the impact of external influences like media, migration, and economic changes across generations. Additionally, it investigates how visual representations reflect societal acceptance or resistance to monoculture. Through visual research, it aims to understand the emergence of monoculture hegemony in India and identify the factors driving this phenomenon.