Chapter 6

Question 1

Mass media

Answer 1

mediums that embrace print and electronic means of communication that carry messages to widespread audiences

Question 2

Cultural convergence

Answer 2

flow of content across multiple media, and the accompanying migration of media audiences

Question 3

The media

Answer 3

Entertain us
Socialize us
Enforce social norms
Confer status
Promote consumption
May act as a desensitizing narcotic

Question 4

Agent of Socialization

Answer 4

The media increase social cohesion by presenting a common view of culture

Question 5

Enforcer of Social Norms

Answer 5

Media often reaffirm proper behavior
Can glorify disapproved behavior
Media play critical role in human sexuality

Question 6

Conferral of Status

Answer 6

Single out one from thousands of other people or similarly placed issues, making them significant

Question 7

Hyperconsumerism

Answer 7

buying more than we need or want, often more than we can afford

Question 8

Media advertising

Answer 8

Supports economy
Provides information
Underwrites cost of media
Also contributes to consumer culture that creates “needs” and raises unrealistic expectations

Question 9

Narcotizing dysfunction

Answer 9

phenomenon in which the media provide such massive amounts of information that audience becomes numb and fails to act on the information

Question 10

Gatekeeping

Answer 10

How material must travel through series of checkpoints before reaching the public
Gatekeeping less dominant on Internet

Question 11

Media Monitoring

Answer 11

Expanded to include monitoring individuals’ media usage and choices without their knowledge

Question 12

Dominant ideology

Answer 12

set of cultural beliefs and practices that helps maintain powerful social, economic, and political interests

Question 13

Stereotypes

Answer 13

unreliable generalizations about members of a group that do not recognize individual differences within the group

Question 14

New trend

Answer 14

hyper-local media

Question 15

The Digital Divide

Answer 15

Low-income groups, racial and ethnic minorities, rural residents, and citizens of developing countries have less access to latest technology

Question 16

Feminists share conflict theorists’ view that mass media stereotype and misrepresent social reality

Answer 16

Women underrepresented
Perpetuate stereotypical views of gender
Emphasis on traditional sex roles
Normalize violence against women
Cautiously optimistic about new media

Question 17

social capital

Answer 17

the collective benefit of social networks

Question 18

Online social networks

Answer 18

New way of promoting consumption

New forms of communication and social interaction

Question 19

Egocasting

Answer 19

personal management of media exposure to avoid messages one does not like

Question 20

Mass media distinguished from other social institutions by necessary presence of audience

Answer 20

Identifiable, finite group or a much larger, undefined group

Can view through microsociology or macrosociology

Question 21

media market themselves to a particular audience

Answer 21

Media have become so segmented, they have taken on appearance almost of individualization

Question 22

Opinion leader

Answer 22

someone who, through day-to-day personal contacts and communication, influences opinions and decisions of others

Question 23

McLuhan predicted

Answer 23

a global village

Question 24

Gitlin considers it

Answer 24

a global torrent

Question 25

big data

Answer 25

the rapid collection and analysis of enormous amounts of information by supercomputers, presents a huge challenge to personal privacy

Question 26

Culture lag

Answer 26

material culture (technology) changing faster than nonmaterial culture (norms for controlling the use of technology)

Question 27

Functionalists

Answer 27

generally positive view of Internet—point to manifest function of facilitating communication

Question 28

Conflict theorists

Answer 28

stress danger that most powerful groups in a society will use technology to violate the privacy of the less powerful

Question 29

Patriot Act, 2001

Answer 29

relaxed existing legal checks on surveillance by law enforcement officers