CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
This chapter focuses on the general overview of the study. It contains a background to
the study, statement of the problem, research questions, hypothesis, objectives of the study,
significance of the study, scope of the research and operational definition of terms. These
concepts are the determinants of this study.
1.1 Background to the Study
The media as a secondary agent of socialization has to a very large extent influenced
the lives of many cutting across different socio-cultural and economic status. Its role in the
lives of people and especially young people cannot be over-emphasized. This is supported by
(Lorza, 2014) who said that “youths are the most vulnerable victims of cultural imperialism.
Socialization and culture are two sides of the same coin and therefore , they remain inextricably
linked”. (Willian, 1977) and (Devadas and Ravi, 2013) define culture as an ongoing integral
part of the existence of every society and is learned, taught, transmitted from one generation to
another using varying agents of socialization.
Suffice here to say that no society exists without a way of life exclusive to their existence,
which inevitably affects their interactional process both internationally. The interactional
process of members of a society culminates into a value system for them which imply their
views of the world. Values of people could refer to perceptions worthy or unworthy, liked or disliked attributes and other elements of the world views. When a particular world view is held
and defined by a cultural group over a period of time, it evolves into cultural values and grows
to become a legacy. Thus, against the backdrop, Kluckhohn as cited in (Daramola, 2005) states
that “culture is a social legacy that an individual acquires from his group which comprises of
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values, customs, belief, language, religion, technological, emotional patterns, behavioral
patterns and among many other socio- cultural symbols”.
In furtherance, globalization has intensified our whole world into a single whole
(Mc Luhan, 1994) and this has made cultural accumulation to be very lucid in contemporary
times cutting across different continents, countries and local specifications. Cultural
accumulators have abated cultural transfer, which has inadvertently extinct several indigenous
cultural values and legacy of people, as stated by (Jekayinka, 2002) that culture includes the
total repertoire of human actions which is socially transmitted from generation to another.

The photo-electric speed of this effect has been made lush by the advent of
visualization of motion pictures. Its orgy has posed different meaning to people as to whether
to accept or deny television programmes as blessing to their cultural values. Especially in
Africa following the behavioral patterns of its youth population. It is to this end that (Signorelli
and Kahlenberg, 2003) opined that “the television is the first centralized cultural influence to
permit both the initial and final years of life as well as the years between”, Thus, Western
Television programmes are viewed and argued by several scholars as a measure to foster
imperialism and tagged “ a model of cultural imperialism”. Therefore, the acceptable fact of
the Cameroonians culture fading out as a result of acceptance and adaptation of the modernists
solution to perceived under-civilization and under-development as cited in (Obiora, 2002)
attributes of cultural imperialism.
The term ‘culture’ has been defined differently by different people. According to
(Ekeh,1989), culture is construct used in an attempt to analyze and integrate events and ideas
in broad spectrum of areas of society. (Jekanyinka,2000), states that from wider perspective,
culture includes the total repertoire of human action which are socially transmitted from
generation to generation. (Obiora, 2002), says the transformation of culture is gradual and not sudden. He contends that culture is a continuous process of change. It changes exactly the same
way as the human being change. Culture is dynamic, learned, acquired, transmitted or diffused
through contact or means of communication flow from one generation to another.
The term culture encompasses that humans have added to nature, along with every
aspect of life and ways of understanding. Communication plays a major role in promoting and
conserving culture, as it is a major carrier of culture. The media especially television is a
cultural instrument that functions to promote or influence attitudes, to motivate, to foster the
spread of behavioral patterns and also to bring about social integration. Consequently, the
influence of conformism threatens national and ethic cultures.
The phenomenon of mass culture was brought by the industrial revolution because of
the enormous production and distribution by various techniques and institutions, constant flows
of messages and images have served as stimuli. Thus, there is the danger of cultural domination
in the form of dependence on imported models of alien lifestyles and values. Likewise, the
cultural identity is at risk due to the adoption and assimilation of some national cultures.
Hence, having observed the ongoing cultural conflict following the clash of Western
values and indigenous African values as made vivid in the lives of youths, the situation
becomes a matter of timely researchable discussion. As clearly shown in this study, the study
hopes to look at Western television programmes and its influence on the cultural values of the
Cameroonian youths, taking a study of the University of Buea.