SOC 105 Chapter Notes - Chapter 10: Critical Role, Total Television, Global Community

• School: Ryerson University
• Department: Sociology
• Course: SOC 105
• Professor: Carmen Schifellite

Document Summary

Function of mass media: to entertain, socialize, enforce social norms, confer status, and promote consumption. Dysfunction of mass media: acts as a narcotic, desensitizing viewers to distressing events. Agent of socialization: increase of social cohesion when media presents a common, more or less standardized view of culture. Enforcer of social norms: the media often reaffirm proper behavior, but often glorify disapproved behavior: play a critical role in sexuality: widespread availability of pornography. Conferral of status: media confer status on people, organizations and public issues. Dysfunction the narcotizing effect: media perform a dysfunction, media provide huge amounts of coverage that the audience becomes numb and fails to act on the information. Emphasis: socialization, enforcement of social norms, conferral of status, promotion of consummation, dysfunction. Conflict view: the media reflect many of the divisions in the world, including those based on race, gener, ethnicir, and social class.