ADVERTISING AND THE ROMANIAN CULTURAL IDENTITY

Abstract

Television messages, either written or spoken, help to build the identity of
a community, hence the cultural and social function of mass media. As a social
phenomenon, advertising enhances the integration of individuals by presenting
them, through imitation, with appropriate social roles. For some researchers,
advertising reinforces the sense of existence, advertisements being a tribute to the
specific thinking and mentality of the community it belongs to, reflecting the
spiritual values of the culture in a certain era and contributing to the way a people
constructs its identity. In our paper, we will approach the concept of cultural identity
and analyze how its two components -the image that members of the community/group
have of themselves and the image that those outside the group have of that community [1] –
is reflected in the Romanian advertisements.