Media Literacy: culture transmission Flashcards
What is the defintion of culutre?
the expressed and shared values, attitudes, beliefs, and practices of the members of a group; The expression of those similar ideas in the daily lives of the members of the group is called that group’s culture.
How does a group express its culture?
A cultural group expresses its culture in how group members dress, what they write or create, what they eat, read, watch, and other similar creative choices.
How are cultural values and beliefts shared?
One way that cultural values and beliefs are transmitted, or shared, is through the media. For decades, mass media such as newspapers, magazines, TV, movies, art, and music have shared information about cultural practices to a broad audience. More recently, digital media such as blogs, podcasts, and social media have made it much easier to express a particular cultural belief by interacting with others.
What cultural message would you from a concert comericals mainly foucusing on the audience rather than the band?
One thing you notice right away is the large crowd of people enjoying the concert and swaying their arms to the music. Bright lights and fog create a spectacle that is exciting to watch. Also, the focus is on the audience, not the band—in fact, the action onstage is barely visible. That indicates that the message being conveyed has more to do with the audience’s experience. Note, too, that viewers don’t see the downside of going to a concert. There’s no pushing or shoving, no one complaining that they can’t see or that it’s too hot, and of course, no mention of the cost of tickets.
When you put all these observations together, a cultural message becomes clear: “People who go the band’s concerts have a good time.” The message appeals not only to fans of the band, but to anyone who enjoys going to concerts. That makes sense, given the purpose of the advertisement: to spread the idea that going to the band’s concert is something lots of people want to do.
When you encounter a piece of media, consider any cultural messages that it might convey, either directly or indirectly. To critically analyze the information, ask yourself these questions:
- Who created the piece of media? Why did they do so?
- In what way do the text and images attract my attention?
- Which attitudes, beliefs, and values are represented?
- Which points of view (if any) are left out?
- How might people from different cultures interpret this information? How might their interpretations compare?
- In what way has the application of technology played a role in creating the message?
How might media content connect the value of an item or idea to culture?
The media content might point out that the item or idea is a necessary part of belonging to that culture. For example, the media source might claim that teens who are considered “cool” wear a particular brand of sneakers or watch a particular TV show.
Careful users of media don’t just see or hear content. Instead, they analyze it in order to better understand the persuasive techniques a media source might be using. They ask questions like these:
- What is the purpose of the media?
- What product or idea is the media selling? How does the media source want us to think or feel about the effect the product will have?
- What information about the product or idea does the media share with the audience? What information might be missing—and why was it left out?
Consider a commercial for a sugarless gum that the makers say whitens teeth. The commercial claims that 50 percent of users saw whiter teeth in two weeks after chewing whitening gum. How is the advertisement using a cultural value to persuade audiences? Evaluate the evidence used to support the ad.
The advertisement is persuading the audience by recognizing the value of white teeth to those who are particularly image conscious. Although the ad is trying to persuade its audience to buy the gum, the evidence doesn’t completely support why they should. Citing the percentage of users who saw whiter teeth after chewing whitening gum is meant to provide statistics as evidence. However, the statistics don’t name a particular brand of gum, so it’s not clear that they can be applied to the gum in the commercial. Also, the fact that 50 percent of users saw whiter teeth in two weeks implies that 50 percent did not.
What if a different commercial for the gum uses a background of a snow-covered landscape and the phrase, “Our gum leaves your teeth as pure as snow”? What persuasive technique is that ad using, and what message does it send about why you should buy the gum?
This ad is using descriptive language and imagery to persuade viewers that their whole being will feel cleansed by chewing this brand of gum.
In what way might the advertisement incorporate inclusive language into the content?
The advertisement could show a group of appealing people enjoying a particular activity; as the words “Look your best!” appear on the screen, the audience would see that the people are all chewing the brand of gum being advertised.
Main purpose of media?
to inform
This fact makes it all the more important to be a savvy media user and carefully analyze information we see and hear through the media. To analyze a particular media message, we can ask questions about the source of the media and the information it conveys:
- What do I know about this media source? How can I learn more about its values and beliefs?
- What issues does the source usually focus on? How does the source make these issues seem important?
- What does the source want me to think or believe? Why do they seem to feel that way?
- Do I know anyone whose opinion has been shaped by this media message? How do their values and beliefs compare to mine?
