To what extent can it be argued that violent films cause violence in society?

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Edwin Loo 13K                08/03/2008

Sociology Essay

To what extent can it be argued that violent films cause violence in society?

The claim that violent films, as well as violent media, cause violence in society can be both supported and contradicted with reference to sociological studies and theory. Proponents of the Hypodermic Model would argue that the media message, in this case violence, directly affects and changes the behaviour of the audience, hence resulting in violent behaviour. The Cultural Effects Model argues that a media message of violence will eventually socialize the audience to accepting it as normal- resulting, in some cases, with violent behaviour. On the other hand, the Interpretive Model argues that the violent media and films will depend on the audience, while the Structured Interpretation Model argues that a dominant media message of violence can be read in different ways, leading to different reactions.  However, it is clear that violent media can have an influence on society- with the theories differing mainly on the extent and form of this effect.

It can be said that violent films can cause violence in society. The Hypodermic Model, within which it is argued that the media message directly affects and changes the behaviour of the audience, can be used in support of this argument. It is also backed up by theorists; including Shannon and Weaver (1949) as well as Marcuse in One Dimensional Media (1964) who both argue in favour of the idea that the media can directly change behaviour, hence leading to the conclusion that violence in the media should result in violence in society. Bandura and Ross in the Bobo Doll Experiment (1963) found a correlation between exposing young children to a violent media message and a violent response when placed in the same scenario. Eron (1967), investigating the claim that violence in the media caused violent behaviour by interviewing schoolchildren, found a correlation of 0.12 to 0.33 between the preference for violent television programs and aggression. However, this view as well as the Hypodermic Model used to justify it can be contradicted by other research. Feshbach and Singer’s (1971) field experiment involving a ‘media diet’ of violent content for young boys concluded that violent media exposure resulted in a reduction in aggressiveness. Newburn and Hagell (1994) in a study on media consumption and deviance cast doubt on the supposed causal connection between media products such as films and anti-social behaviour including violence. Bandura and Ross’s Bobo Doll Experiment has also been criticized for lacking ecological validity due to its lab-based nature, and also for ethical concerns, mainly on the use of children.  Eron’s correlation study is also criticized for not controlling environmental factors, including the possibility that the children studied may have been previously exposed to violent films and media. Both studies also relied on a definition of what constituted ‘violence’. The fact that the studies were conducted more than a decade ago, as well as the changes in society since then may in fact mean that they are no longer relevant or valid in this day and age. Violence in the media is now usually portrayed as negative, or with a consequence attached- otherwise, it is portrayed as ‘rightful’ or ‘legal’ violence with a clear justification. Adherents of the Interpretive and Structured Interpretive Models would also criticize the studies for failing to take into account the thought processes and social experiences of the audience.

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The Cultural Effects Model can be used to justify the view that violent films and media cause violence in society. The Model argues that a constant or consistent media diet of violence will eventually socialize the audience into accepting violence as normal- and hence resulting in greater violence in society. Parke et al (1977) argued that young children not prone to violence could become more aggressive if exposed to a steady stream of violence in the media- clearly supporting the view as well as the Cultural Effects Model. Anderson and Dill, in the ‘General Affective Aggression Model’ that involved ...

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