ENGL 112 Study Guide - Final Guide: Research On The Effects Of Violence In Mass Media
Document Summary
In their sociological analysis of television violence, fiske and hartley offer the reader a theory of television violence. The authors use gerbner"s study to identify the key traits associated with violence in television programs: masculinity, logic and efficiency. In fiske and hartley"s theory, television violence, which differs from real violence, is seen as neither good nor bad because it is impersonal, meaning it reflects social values and the tensions between different social groups. Television violence, they argue, is interpreted by viewers according to prevailing social values; since efficiency is a valued social concept, viewers interpret efficiently performed violence as the attractive, successful and virtuous product of socially esteemed groups. When television violence is performed inefficiently, fiske and hartley"s theory suggests that viewers interpret it as the product of socially deviant groups.
