Theories of Media and Society

Theories of Media and Society

1. Functional Analysis2. Agenda Setting3. Uses and Gratifications4. Social Learning5. Spiral of Silence

What we find with mass communication research depends on the theoretical stance we take and the questions the theories suggest we pose.

• Surveillance of the environment. Livestation.com, c-span.

• Through correlation, how do we makes sense of different elements of society? How is it informational? How is it persuasive?

• How culture transmitted from one generation to the next? What socializing values does the media carry?

• How is it entertaining?

1. Functional Analysis

Surveillance How the media help us extend our senses to

perceive more of the world surrounding us.

Definition

Correlation The process of selecting, evaluating, and

interpreting events to give structure to the news... (pg 57)

Definition

Agenda Setting• The media don’t tell the public what to think,

but rather what to think about.• How does media sets the terms of public

discourse? An example.• But can media determine what people will

care about?

Uses and Gratifications• Assumes that audience members base media

decisions on their wants and needs. Media competes to provide gratification.

• What does media compete with?• What do audience members attempt to get out of

their media use?• And do they receive it?

Uses and GratificationsPossible gratifications • To be amused• To experience the beautiful• To have shared experiences with others• To find models to imitate• To believe in romantic love

Social LearningAlbert Bandura—We are able to learn by observing

others and the consequences they face.Assumes the media, by widening the information about

the world we are exposed to plays an important role in social learning.

Example involving EBGs. We extract. We integrate to create rules. We put these rules to practice.

Social LearningSteps of Social Learning• We extract key information from situations we

observe.• We integrate these observations to create rules

about how the world operates.• We put these rules into practice to regulate our own

behavior and predict the behavior of others.

Symbolic Interactionism• The process by which individuals produce

meaning through interaction based on socially agreed-upon symbols – semiotics.

• “If men define situations as real, they are real in their consequences.”—W.I. Thomas

• The media are the biggest source of shared meaning in the world.

Spiral of Silence• Based on the question, “Why are people unwilling to

express what they perceive as a minority opinion?”• They will remain silent if they perceive themselves as

being in a minority. Want to be part of a majority.• This tends to make minority opinions appear less

prevalent than they are.• But some people like having contrary opinions; others

speak out because they care.