<P> Some believe that the newly globalised economy of the late 20th and early 21st century has facilitated this process through the use of new information technology . This kind of cultural imperialism is derived from what is called "soft power". The theory of electronic colonialism extends the issue to global cultural issues and the impact of major multi-media conglomerates, ranging from Viacom, Time - Warner, Disney, News Corp, to Google and Microsoft with the focus on the hegemonic power of these mainly United States - based communication giants . </P> <P> One of the reasons often given for opposing any form of cultural imperialism, voluntary or otherwise, is the preservation of cultural diversity, a goal seen by some as analogous to the preservation of ecological diversity . Proponents of this idea argue either that such diversity is valuable in itself, to preserve human historical heritage and knowledge, or instrumentally valuable because it makes available more ways of solving problems and responding to catastrophes, natural or otherwise . </P> <P> Of all the areas of the world that scholars have claimed to be adversely affected by imperialism, Africa is probably the most notable . In the expansive "age of imperialism" of the nineteenth century, scholars have argued that European colonization in Africa has led to the elimination of many various cultures, worldviews, and epistemologies . This, arguably has led to uneven development, and further informal forms of social control having to do with culture and imperialism . A variety of factors, scholars argue, lead to the elimination of cultures, worldviews, and epistemologies, such as "de-linguicization" (replacing native African languages with European ones) and devaluing ontologies that are not explicitly individualistic . One scholar, Ali A. Obdi, claims that imperialism inherently "involve (s) extensively interactive regimes and heavy contexts of identity deformation, misrecognition, loss of self - esteem, and individual and social doubt in self - efficacy ." (2000: 12) Therefore, all imperialism would always, already be cultural . </P> <P> Neoliberalism is often critiqued by sociologists, anthropologists, and cultural studies scholars as being culturally imperialistic . Critics of neoliberalism, at times, claim that it is the newly predominant form of imperialism . Other Scholars, such as Elizabeth Dunn and Julia Elyachar have claimed that neoliberalism requires and creates its own form of governmentality . </P>

Conflict theorists argue education is a mechanism for cultural imperialism which means