Convergence Culture
Convergence Culture is a term coined by Henry Jenkins in his book Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide (2006). The term is used to describe a new era of transition where 'new and old media collide'. Jenkins’ understanding of convergence is primarily a cultural process, where convergent cultural practices include both the consumption and creation of media. Jenkins specifically focuses on the effects of “media convergence” and the combination of various media that offer new forms of communication and understanding between different media sources. It especially refers to how media consumers understand and make use of the new forms of media and it’s content. This convergence has created such things as Web 2.0, transmedia phenomena, and subsequently a new definition of American popular culture. As the book describes, this convergence can have both positive and negative effects. Despite many exciting, new creations that have resulted, there are also conflicts when opposing ideologies collide.
References
- Jenkins, Henry. Convergence Culture. New York City; London: New York University Press, 2006.
