SOC101Y1 Chapter Notes - Chapter 5: Hyperreality, Sociological Perspectives, Culture Industry
Mass media: any technologically based means of communication
between large numbers of people, distributed widely over space or
time.
Media convergence has blended different media
Media teaches us who to be, how to look / act
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Surveillance: what is happening, information
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Interpretation: what is happening and how to respond
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Socialization: society's rules, customs, how to behave
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Entertainment: things we enjoy
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Charles Wright
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Can be negative (i.e. propaganda)
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Creation of nation-state --> unification
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Anyone can express views --> method of change
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'global community'
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Status conferral: focusing media attention on people
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Narcotization: people overwhelmed by the amount of
information
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Propaganda: people negatively influenced
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People may get false information (conspiracy theories?)
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Dysfunctions:
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Functionalist perspectives on media
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Culture industry: marketable commodities, destroys
creativity, mass deception and control of people
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Capitalism creates false needs for goods
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Way to escape monotony of life --> no intellectual
engagement
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Mass media and mass deception
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Conflict theorists: exploitation of working class
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Content easily shifted and controlled by companies
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Favouring classes, silencing minorities
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Media concentration
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Conflict perspectives on media
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Interactionist perspectives on media
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Mostly men work in the media - women are underrepresented
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Stories are likely to mention age and family status
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Ads show women needing help or sexualized
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Women sitting, men standing --> reinforcing roles
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Feminist perspectives on media
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People followed cultural norms from society
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Video games - avatar as "subject AND object" --> we are
detached from ourselves
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Fantasy football --> blending of real performance with
fantasy
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Hyperreality: distinction is gone
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Farmville: social obligations, we are forced to play (because
friends / family are playing)
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Postmodern perspectives on media
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Sociological perspectives on mass media
Lecture 1.5: Reading - Mass Media
October 12, 2016
12:35 PM
READINGS Page 102
