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Author ORCID Identifier

N/A

AccessType

Open Access Dissertation

Document Type

dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Degree Program

Communication

Year Degree Awarded

2018

Month Degree Awarded

September

First Advisor

Briankle G. Chang

Second Advisor

Henry Geddes

Third Advisor

Enhua Zhang

Subject Categories

Mass Communication

Abstract

ABSTRACT

CHINA’s EXPANDING CULTURAL INFLUENCE IN THE AGE OF GLOBALIZATION: A CASE STUDY OF THE CHINESE MEDIA IN KENYA

This dissertation seeks to demonstrate growing cultural influence of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in African countries and illustrates how the PRC attempts to use its economic power and cultural influences to shape African countries’ foreign policies to benefit the PRC by using the Chinese media and cultural expansion in Kenya as a case study. In order to achieve this objective, this study examines the internal and external economic and political forces in both China and Kenya that have helped to establish the current pattern of China’s media involvement and other cultural engagements in Kenya. This study analyzes the response of Kenyan media to China’s recent engagement with the country, especially China’s growing involvement in media and other cultural production in Kenya.

China’s growing presence in Africa has provoked a heated debate about the nature of Chinese engagement and its implication for the African continent. Critics argue that China is using its power to develop a neo-colonial system in Africa. Rather than direct political control of African countries, China operates behind closed doors to influence African countries’ foreign policies to benefit Chinese interests. Despite criticism of colonialism, some observers perceive current Sino-African relations as a partnership for development. Both China and African countries are gaining significant benefits from this relationship. After analyzing two leading Kenyan newspapers’ coverage of China’s involvement in Kenya, this study found that both newspapers’ representations of China are natural; unlike Western media’s negative views of Chinese presence or China’s positive self-portrait. However, the Kenyan media’s framing of China’s engagement in the country should not be viewed as stagnant because China-Kenya interactions are rapidly evolving.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.7275/12667556

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