audience theories Flashcards
(9 cards)
bandura - social learning theory (active)
violent behaviour is learned through modelling
humans can learn through social interactions - social learning can happen from what we see
representations of violence in media can have a big impact on audiences
Katz and Lazarsfeld - two step flow (active)
we are more likely to be affected by the media if we discuss it with others
our opinions are affected by the way those we socialise with have viewed the media - opinion leaders
Hall - reception theory (active)
media producers encode messages using media language and audiences decode them but not always how the producer intended
dominant/preferred reading - audiences accept and agree with message encoded
negotiated reading - audiences accept and reject messages (accept some, reject others)
oppositional reading - audiences use their own knowledge to reject messages and take a contrary reading to intended
jenkin - fandom theory (active)
fans appropriate media texts and produce readings that were not intended by producers - fan fiction, fan art
digital media has enabled larger fan communities to build/communicate
producers rely on fan labour for free promotion
participatory culture can lead to social change
Jenkins takes a cyber-utopian view: that digital media leads to positive social change
Shirkey - end of audience theory (active)
because of digital media, anyone can make media
instead of one sender to many recipients, we now have many senders reaching many recipients
digital tech has lead to ‘communities of practice’ - like minded people communicating online from different areas
Katz and blamer - uses and gratification (active)
we use different media products for different reasons
1. surveillance - we want to find out more about society/world
2. personal identity - we watch tv for models for our behaviour e.g we may identity with a soap character/their situation
3. personal relationships - we use media to ind out more about circumstance of other people
4. diversion - enjoyment, relaxation, fill the time
Cohen - moral panic (passive)
the media enforces an exaggerated reaction to a perceived social problem, often amplified by the media, which can lead to societal changes and sends society into mass hysteria
gerbner - cultivation theory (passive)
media products can shape our perception of the world
mass media is influential and has replaced the role of institutions
tv violence can cultivate fear and lead to mean world syndrome
Frankfurt school - hypodermic needle theory (passive)
the media has a powerful impact on us and can change our ideas/behaviours
the media influences us by ‘injecting’ ideologies into our minds which trigger a response - we are immediately influenced
