Cultivation in the New Media Environment: Theoretical Implications for Future Studies in Pakistan

Abstract

George Gerbner’s cultivation theory, originated in 1960s as part of cultural indicators project, has generated a plethora of literature about the effects of fictional entertainment programming on audience members’ conceptions of social reality. While cultivation research framework continues to attract enthusiasm and draw interest from scholars about widespread cultural effects of exposure to mass-produced messages of entertainment media, a review of the existing literature on cultivation theory shows that the theory may be facing new challenges in the changing media environment. This paper explores the history of cultivation research, discusses its theoretical assumptions and implications, and identifies various opportunities for testing and replicating cultivation hypothesis in the country in the context of the ever-changing media environment.