The Media and social theory

1. Lecture 7

2. We discussed Functionalist and
Conflict theories on the role of
education in social mobility and
covered a wide range of
sociological debates on the subject.
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3.  Background/ key concepts
 The Digital Revolution
 Media theories; Functionalism, Pluralism &
Conflict Theories
 Media Audience: Hypodermic/Interpretive
models
 Media Representations
 Media Ownership

4.  Oral cultures: For most of human history
speech was the main means of
communication where ideas and knowledge
were transmitted across generations by word
of mouth.
 Writing cultures: Emerged initially in China
3000 years ago, once speech could be written
initially on stone and then on paper.

5.  First writing cultures 3000 years ago in
China.
 First movable type printing press: mid-
fifteenth century, Germany.
 First Cinema , Paris 1895
 First Radio station 1920, USA
 First TV station, 1928, USA
 Internet 1969, USA
 World Wide Web 1990, Switzerland

6.  Communication refers to the transfer of
information from one individual or group to
another, whether in speech or through the
mass media of modern times.
 Telecommunications: The communication of
information, sounds or images at a distance
through a technological medium.

7.  Mass media in 21st century communicate –
instantaneously & simultaneously - to a mass
audience, comprised of very large numbers of
people, all around the glob.
 The rapid pace of changes in this area was
due to technological advancements such as
advancements in the capabilities of
computers, satellite communication, fibre
optics and digitization of data.

8.  Of crucial importance to the development of
multimedia, digitisation permits the development of
interactive media, in which people actively
participate in, or structure what they see or hear.
 Research shows that more people use the Internet
and they do it for a wider variety of activities. Digital
technology is changing people’s behaviour and
demanding new social norms.
 The patterns however are marked by inequalities and
variations (gender/age/class/ ethnicity… etc) at both
national and international level.

9. The process through which distinct media
forms merge in new ways as a result of
advances in technology and the rapid spread of
the Internet. For example newspapers are now
available online and radio channels are
accessible through smart TVs and mobile
phones.

10. Hypodermic Model
Interpretative Model

11.  The audience passively and directly accepts
the media contents and does not critically
engage with it.
 Media messages are perceived in more or less
the same way by all members of the society.

12.  Audience compare and contrast media
contents and filter information through their
own experiences.
 The audience play an active role in analysing
and interpreting media contents.
 Audience shape the media through its
engagement or rejection of its output.

13. Functionalism
Pluralism
Conflict Theory

14.  The media help to integrate and bind societies,
social groups and communities together.
 The media stabilise the social system by
providing continuous flow of information,
providing support for established social norms.
 The media ensure continuity by forging common
values, entertainment and reducing conflicts.

15.  The Internet will enable new combinations of
work and self-employments, individual
expression, collaboration and sociability.
 Social networking strengthened web-based
communities.

16.  Functionalist views tend to consider the
audience as passive consumers rather than
active interpreters of media messages.
 They ignore the negative impacts of the
media particularly their destructive role
towards society’s cultural vitality through
their homogenising pressures.

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The Pluralist View:
 Society is made up of many interacting but competing
sections who have more or less equal access to media
resources.
 The media reflect the views of society; if there’s diversity
within society, there will be diversity in the media
contents.
 The media has some influence but they do not determine
people’s views. People’ s perceptions and understandings of
media messages are significantly influenced by their
personal experiences, socioeconomic backgrounds, political
views… etc (refer to interpretative model).
 Media contents are being scrutinised and moderated by opinion-
makers within communities.
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18.  The Pluralist view has been strongly criticised by the
Conflict theorists who regard the media sector as an
industry and examine the ways in which the main
means of communication have been privatised (media
ownership by a few wealthy media magnets).
 The media help to hide, justify or legitimise the
interests of dominant groups in the society.
 Through a wide range of strategies including the
choice of terminology ( e.g. terrorist vs freedom
fighter) the media support their own desired narrative
or systems of thought.

19. Noam Chamsky (1991) for example argues that:
 Economic interests in media ownership work to exclude
those voices that lack economic power and voices that do
survive are those that are least likely to criticize the
prevailing distribution of wealth and power.
 The mass media disseminate propaganda in support of the
ruling groups in society and by doing so they prevent the
airing of other significant issues such as unaccountability
of corporations, or lack of democracy.
 They enable intense surveillance of the society.

20. People can and do think for themselves –
they can resist media propaganda (refer to
interpretive model).
Alternative media sources offer different
messages which enable a wide range of
voices to be expressed and heard.

21. Is Chomsky right?
• Yes
Here’s an example from Fox
News in the US
• No
If it were wholly true how would
people like Murdock; Berlusconi
and Black ever get found out?
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22.  The question on media representations relates
to if, how often & how different social groups
are represented by the mass media?
 Research indicates that media representations
are likely to reinforce rather than challenge
stereotypical images of working class and
minority groups (including minority ethnic
groups, religious communities, homosexuals,
transgenders and disable people).

23.  On social class for example, given that the production of
TV and the film industry is dominated by middle class
professionals, consequently their representations of other
classes could be distorted and negative.
 Media representations of black and ethnic minority groups
tend to show them as problematic social groups. For many
decades ethnic minorities have been defined by the
mainstream media as culturally different.
 Disable people are represented as physically or bodily
different, showing them as dependent, rather than as
living independent lives and are included in media
productions precisely because of their disability.

24.  Until 1970s most media companies operated
within specific domestic markets in accordance
with regulations set by national governments.
The media industry was also differentiated into
distinct sectors – for the most part, cinema, print
media, radio and television broadcasting all
operated independently from one another.
 By the start of 20th century, the global media
market was dominated by a group of about 20
multinational corporations ( Monopolization).
There also has been a shift from public to
private ownership.

25. Effective from September 2015 | FY10 Sociology week 2 - Society
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Media Ownership
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26. Effective from September 2015 | FY10 Sociology week 2 - Society sheffield.ac.uk/international-
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27. The role of media in modern societies is of
crucial significance to the sociological
thought. As discussed, there are great deal of
debates on the capacity of the media in
shaping public opinions and their relationships
with the sources of power.

28.  Review Giddens and Sutton (2015),
Sociology, chapter 18, The Media (pp768-
819) and take notes.
 Revise lecture 7 and take some notes of
your own reflections on the following topic:
Do the media control and shape our
minds?
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