Awareness and Understanding of the Content and Forms of Media Culturein the Context of Media Education

Abstract

Media culture and media education are very related concepts that were formed almost simultaneously and have much in common. However, quite often media culture is understood only as a culture of personality or a culture of using the media by different groups of the people: schoolchildren, students, seniors or media professionals in particular. This understanding of media culture does not quite meet the objectives of its study and use in the process of media education, as the phenomenon of media culture is very broad and includes all processes of the communication cycle, starting with the subjects of information, content, transmission, audience and effects.
In the article we use general scientific methods of analysis and synthesis, as well as critical analysis. Media culture in the context of media education is considered superficially. Many theories emphasise the audience’s ability to resist media manipulation, the ability to create their own content, and self-defence against mainstream media culture. Media culture in research is the object of research of communicative disciplines, which focus on the process of transmission of cultural symbols and signs, images and performances. Based on the methodology of representatives of cultural research, we argue that media culture acts as the dominant socio-cultural phenomenon of our time.
To include media culture in the paradigm of media education, we should study the history of the origin and functioning of media culture, transformational processes in society, the transition to a new post-information era of all aspects of life. In this context, media education today is becoming not a conductor of values and norms, but a tool of interpretation, multiplicity of realities, changing forms of perception and knowledge. And this, in turn, raises the question of “identity politics” in modern media culture and media education. The new discourse of media education focuses on the student, his knowledge and cultural experience. The aim of the article is to develop an understanding of the role of media culture in media education and to substantiate the claim that media education today becomes not only a guide of values and norms, but a tool of interpretation, multiplicity of realities, changes in forms of perception and knowledge.
In this regard, the question arises — what is this policy based on — democratic, religious, multicultural values? Media education integrated into media culture allows to expand competencies and representations, to improve and implement methods and methodology in accordance with the expansion and transformation of media culture. The purpose of media education should be the process of developing skills of understanding and participation in media culture. Without awareness and understanding of these important issues of media culture, it is difficult to imagine the successful development
of modern media education and media literacy.