Don't know yet Flashcards
causal relationship (soc. scientific approach)
Not only are 2 variables related, but one causes the other.
effect size (soc. scientific approach)
the strength of a relationship between 2 variables (or the difference between the control and experimental groups)
partial correlation (soc. scientific approach)
the relationship observed after controlling for the influence of other variables
internal validity (soc. scientific approach)
the extent to which you can say that no other variables, beyond the one you are studying, caused the result
external validity (soc. scientific approach)
the extent to which a result can be generalized to a population as a whole
Two central propositions (to understanding media effects): self understanding
The questions that we ask about media are the questions arising from the social condition we are in.
Ex) Being a wealthy person in a higher social class, you want to know more about politics and their influence on you.
Two central propositions (to understanding media effects): complexity
The questions regarding how media affects our lives come in many different forms.
Ex) Two vastly different questions: 1) How does media influence who we end up voting for. 2) How does media influence what we wear in the morning?
Historical Conditions (led to renewed interest in media effects)
1) War propganda (Ex. 1989 Spanish-American War, 1917 WWI, the rise of the Nazi’s)
2) ‘New’ mass media (Ex. radio, motion pictures)
3) Practical concerns (Ex. election & marketing campaigns)
4) And the question: “What does media do to the society?”
Media effect: dominant perspective
- Paul Lazarsfeld and Robert Merton’s 1948 article, “Mass Communication, popular taste, and organized social action”
- “problems that change in accord to the altering demands of society and economy”
- “… role of radio, print, and film in society has become a concern to many.. “
“.. Many are alarmed by the ubiquity and potential power of mass media..”
3 Historical Conditions
1) Status conferral
2) Enforcement of social norms
3) Narcotization (dysfunction)
Status conferral (historical conditions)
Object/individual group which receives attention and becomes more noticeable as light is shined upon them.
Ex: When celebrities take charge of organizations because of their status and fame.
Enforcement of Social Norms (historical conditions)
- Pressure results from not conforming.
Ex) Promoting unhealthy body shape for women.
Narcotizing dysfunction (historical conditions)
By bombarding us with information about an issue, media gives us the illusion that we have participated in solving it…
Functionalism
- The biological analogy that SOCIETY is analogous to a living ORGANISM.
a) Inter-relatedness of parts
b) Division of ‘labor’ among parts
c) Usefulness of the parts to the whole
d) Equilibrium (stability)
e) Dynamics of self-adjustment
Media functions (social roles)
1) Surveillance
2) Correlation
3) Socialization
4) Entertainment
