Globalization, Telecommunication, and Virtual Ethnic Communities

Abstract

Ethnic communities have been constructed over time, and they may evolve in the future. This article describes and assesses technological developments which may serve as the framework for new ethnic communities, for strengthening existing ethnic communities, or for a new type which the author calls a “virtual ethnic community.” The key to these uses of telecommunications technology lies in recognizing that mass media are being replaced by targeted or “addressable” media with specialized and more homogeneous audiences. In particular, these technologies allow ethnic communities to find ways to support their diaspora and retain their culture and language. These means of persistence and governance include “deathstar” satellites with several hundred broadcast channels, e-mail, the Internet, the World Wide Web, and other devices still being created. National borders and physical distance need no longer pose barriers to regular and “dense” interactions, especially as costs come down with the spread of technology. With global coverage, variations in media exposure will occur as much within territorial states as between them, with each individual or family choosing those messages they wish to receive.