SOC313H1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: George Gerbner, Cultivation Theory, Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting
Document Summary
Mass media are large organizations that use technologies to communicate w/ large numbers of people. Two important sociological characteristics: they allow a few people to communicate with a great number, historically, the audience had no effective way of answer back. Millions of people are consuming information from the mass media influences over how millions of people think all at the same time. How do these media messages control us, and who controls these powerful media. Media serve as gatekeepers by choosing to put an issue on the public agenda, or not. Central premise: reality is socially constructed, with real social consequences, media play a central role in this social construction, by influencing our knowledge and beliefs media control our behaviour. Setting the agenda: herbet gans"s deciding what"s news (1979) Gans studied four major news organizations: cbs/nbc/time/newsweek. Carried out participant observation at the four companies, interviewing personnel at all levels. Media and disadvantaged groups: creating and maintaining stereotypes.
