Download Functions of Mass Communication for Society (macroanalytical)

Slide 1
Joseph R. Dominick
University of Georgia-Athens
© 2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 2
Part I
The
Nature and History
of
Mass Communication
© 2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 3
Chapter 2
Chapter Outline
Perspectives on
Mass Communication
Paradigms for Study
Functional Analysis
Functions of Mass Communication for Society
(macroanalytical)
Functions of Mass Communication for Society
(microanalytical)
Critical / Cultural Perspective
© 2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 4
Paradigms for Study
A paradigm is a model or pattern
that a person uses to analyze
something.
© 2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 5
Paradigms for Study
 Functional approach to mass communication
How do people use it?
What benefits do people receive from it?
 Critical/cultural approach to mass
communication
What are its power relationships?
How do people interpret it?
What does it mean to people?
© 2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 6
Paradigms for Study
 Example: Operation Iraqi Freedom
 March 19, 2003
 War dominated media reporting for 6 weeks
 Functional perspective
 Why did people watch?
 What did they get out of it?
 Critical/cultural perspective
 Questions of objectivity
 Role of corporate ownership of the media
© 2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 7
Functional Analysis
 Two levels of analysis
Macroanalysis
“Wide-angle lens”
What is the intention of the source?
What is the purpose of the communication?
Microanalysis
“Close-up lens”
What does the receiver receive?
What does the receiver do with the communication?
© 2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 8
Functions of Mass Communication
for Society
(macroanalytical)
Surveillance
Warning surveillance
– example: weather reports and storm warnings
Instrumental surveillance
– example: stock market prices
Consequences
Speed of propagation of truth and error
Most news is not verifiable by receiver
Credibility and Conferral
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Slide 9
Functions of Mass Communication
for Society
(macroanalytical)
 Interpretation
Selective inclusion
Express viewpoints and analysis
 Linkage
Buyers and sellers – example: eBay
Specialized communities – example: MMORPGs
Individuals and experts
Overreliance
© 2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 10
Functions of Mass Communication
for Society
(macroanalytical)
 Transmission of Values
Also called socialization function
Example: advertisements and motherhood
 Entertainment
Also called diversion function
Diversion through mass communication
has profound cultural effects
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Slide 11
Functions of Mass Communication
for Society
(microanalytical)
 At micro level, functional analysis
called use-and-gratifications model
 Needs satisfied by media called media
gratifications
 Surveys are typical research approach
© 2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 12
Functions of Mass Communication
for Society
(microanalytical)
 Cognition
Information about current events
General information
 Diversion
 Relaxation
Stimulation
Emotional release
 Social utility – conversational currency
 Withdrawal – creation of barriers
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Slide 13
Conditions on Functional Approach
 Audience use of a medium depends on
Message content
Social context
 Assumptions include
Receivers control their media usage
Competing activities exist
People verbalize their motivations
accurately
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Slide 14
Critical / Cultural Perspective
 Contrast with functional perspective
More qualitative
More humanities-oriented
 Macroanalytic
 Role of media and its relation to
Ideology
Politics
Culture
Social Structure
© 2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 15
Critical/Cultural Perspective
 History
Marx and the Frankfurt School
1930s – 40s
Who controls the means of production?
British Modification
1950s – 60s
Media/individual relationship is more complex
Feminist Movement Influence
1970s – 80s
Patriarchical bias is reinforced by media
© 2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 16
Critical/Cultural Perspective
 Culture
– common values, practices, and rules
that bind people together
 Text
– object of analysis (programs, films, ads)
 Meaning
– interpretations audiences take away
from media text
© 2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 17
Critical/Cultural Perspective
 Polysemic
– different person, different meaning
 Ideology
– text-embedded beliefs, particularly
social and political themes
 Hegemony
– domination and control accepted by
both groups with continual negotiation
© 2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.