Abstract
Purpose
This study examines the impact of foreign cultural exposure on the social life and identity development of Nigerian undergraduate students, focusing on how foreign media engagement shapes cultural attitudes, interpersonal relationships, behavioural patterns, and value orientations, and the resulting tension between indigenous cultural affiliation and global cultural integration.
Design/methodology/approach
The study adopted a quantitative survey design involving 485 Nigerian undergraduate students from diverse socio-cultural backgrounds. Data on foreign media exposure, media dependency, cultural attitudes, and social lifestyle behaviours were collected via structured questionnaires and analysed using descriptive statistics and PLS-SEM. The study is anchored in Cultural Imperialism Theory (Schiller, 1973), Media Dependency Theory (Ball-Rokeach & DeFleur, 1976), and Globalisation Theory (Robertson, 1992), which jointly explain how global media flows and intercultural interaction shape youth identity and behaviour.
Findings
Foreign cultural exposure significantly influences students' social and cultural orientations. Positive outcomes include greater global awareness, openness to cultural diversity and social adaptability, while exposure is also linked to cultural dissonance and weakened attachment to certain indigenous practices. Cultural attitudes mediate the exposure-behaviour relationship, and indigenous cultural attachment moderates these effects.
Originality/Implications
By integrating three complementary theoretical perspectives within a single empirical model, the study offers a nuanced account of how global media influences cultural identity among African youth. It contributes to media globalisation and youth development literature, offering implications for higher education institutions, media literacy programming, and cultural policy aimed at balancing global engagement with indigenous cultural preservation.
This study examines the impact of foreign cultural exposure on the social life and identity development of Nigerian undergraduate students, focusing on how foreign media engagement shapes cultural attitudes, interpersonal relationships, behavioural patterns, and value orientations, and the resulting tension between indigenous cultural affiliation and global cultural integration.
Design/methodology/approach
The study adopted a quantitative survey design involving 485 Nigerian undergraduate students from diverse socio-cultural backgrounds. Data on foreign media exposure, media dependency, cultural attitudes, and social lifestyle behaviours were collected via structured questionnaires and analysed using descriptive statistics and PLS-SEM. The study is anchored in Cultural Imperialism Theory (Schiller, 1973), Media Dependency Theory (Ball-Rokeach & DeFleur, 1976), and Globalisation Theory (Robertson, 1992), which jointly explain how global media flows and intercultural interaction shape youth identity and behaviour.
Findings
Foreign cultural exposure significantly influences students' social and cultural orientations. Positive outcomes include greater global awareness, openness to cultural diversity and social adaptability, while exposure is also linked to cultural dissonance and weakened attachment to certain indigenous practices. Cultural attitudes mediate the exposure-behaviour relationship, and indigenous cultural attachment moderates these effects.
Originality/Implications
By integrating three complementary theoretical perspectives within a single empirical model, the study offers a nuanced account of how global media influences cultural identity among African youth. It contributes to media globalisation and youth development literature, offering implications for higher education institutions, media literacy programming, and cultural policy aimed at balancing global engagement with indigenous cultural preservation.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Publication status | Published - 25 Jun 2026 |
| Event | Centre for African Research on Enterprise and Economic Development 10th Annual Conference - University of the West of Scotland, Paisley, United Kingdom Duration: 25 Jun 2026 → 26 Jun 2026 Conference number: 10 https://shop.uws.ac.uk/product-catalogue/conferences/conferences/careed-conference-june-2026 |
Conference
| Conference | Centre for African Research on Enterprise and Economic Development 10th Annual Conference |
|---|---|
| Abbreviated title | CAREED 2026 |
| Country/Territory | United Kingdom |
| City | Paisley |
| Period | 25/06/26 → 26/06/26 |
| Internet address |
Keywords
- cultural imperialism theory,
- social behaviour
- globalisation theory
- media dependency theory
- identity conflict
- identity formation
- cultural hybridity
Fingerprint
Dive into the research topics of 'Cultural hybridity and identity clashes among Nigerian university undergraduates: the role of foreign media exposure'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Cite this
- APA
- Author
- BIBTEX
- Harvard
- Standard
- RIS
- Vancouver