Evaluate the influences of the mass media on our lifestyles today using two sociological perspectives
TRACY THORNTHWAITE
Evaluate the influences of the mass media on our lifestyles today using two sociological perspectives.
The mass media has a massive influence on our lifestyles today.
Although there are a number of ways to define the mass media, one is that there is a 'physical distance' between those communicating. This can include past forms of communication such as drums, town criers and smoke signals. However the explosion of the 'technical age' in the late twentieth century has revolutionized the mass media today, bringing it to the masses through television, radio, newspapers and the internet to name but a few, giving limitless choices to the population.
The pluralist theory of the mass media is that we are free to watch or read what we want. The media reflects what the public want, and reacts to the demand of the public. If someone is not interested in the mainstream view points, there will be a media output to cater for their interests. Pluralists believe the media has some influence on the population although it may be bias, for example, favouring one political party. Sceptics argue that the freedom of choice is illusory as there are censorships for example pornography, racism and violence, so the public's choice is limited because of the censorships.
The Marxist theories of the mass media argue that the media do not only influence the public, but they also control them. Marxists say that the mass media promotes established values and conservative views. The media dose not promote change, it is controlled by the rich capitalists who own it. Basically the capitalist ruling class own and control the mass media to promote their own interests and continued wealth. Ralph Miliband's study, The State in Capitalist Society, gives an example of a Marxist approach. Miliband emphasised the importance of ideology used as a means of social control. This is where the people are persuaded to accept the gross inequalities of society without question. Other Marxist sociologists described hegemony in the mass media, the dominant classes controlling the information available to the masses so they can control their ideas and the knowledge they receive.
Some sociologists studied models of mass media communication and how they affect the audiences. The first studies by the Frankfurt School, in the 1920's, developed the 'hypodermic syringe model. This model suggests that the audience is passive and easy manipulated so much so that the media messages are injected into the audience. Although sociologists have criticised this model, which reflects the Marxist ideology, Ang (1990) argued that it can be identified with the modern term 'couch potato'. Modern day television addicts that are glued to the television for their next fix.
An alternative view is the 'two ...
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Some sociologists studied models of mass media communication and how they affect the audiences. The first studies by the Frankfurt School, in the 1920's, developed the 'hypodermic syringe model. This model suggests that the audience is passive and easy manipulated so much so that the media messages are injected into the audience. Although sociologists have criticised this model, which reflects the Marxist ideology, Ang (1990) argued that it can be identified with the modern term 'couch potato'. Modern day television addicts that are glued to the television for their next fix.
An alternative view is the 'two step' model, was first identified in the late 1940,s by Paul Lazarsfeld, Bernard Berelson and Hazel Gaudet. This model argues that certain individuals, called opinion leaders, pay close attention to the media and pass on information, including their own opinions, to audience groups. There are opinion leaders in all classes of society and they have influence over people in certain groups such as family, friends and colleagues.
Herta Herzog, one of Lazarsfeld's team, investigated what gratifications radio listeners got from daytime quizzes and serials. The results showed that even the most potent of the mass media could not influence someone who had no use for it in their lives. This uses and gratifications model ties in with the pluralist theories. Katz (1959) suggested that an advert for beer may amuse one individual and encourage them to buy it; yet another individual may take the opportunity to make a cup of tea during the break as they have no interest in the product.
Television is the most influential branch of the mass media, 97% of the population own a television set. The BBC was the first television station to broadcast programs in 1936. However television sets were a luxury item only owned by the rich. By 1955 when ITV first broadcasted, approximately 12% of the population watched television.
Television reached the mass of the population in the early 1960s. The three channels that were available were class orientated. The BBC's two channels catered for the middle class audience, while ITV catered for the working class audience, this was reflected by the type of programs show by the channels. The choice of channels today is phenomenal, apart from the five terrestrial channels; the public has access to hundreds of satellite and cable channels.
Our lifestyles are influenced by the types of programs we watch and the adverts that are screened in the breaks. There are programs to influence all aspects of our lifestyles, the television channels are saturated with shows that tell us where to buy a home, how to decorate it, what to wear, what we should eat and even how much your favourite vase would be worth at auction! There is a degree of exercentialism in these programs; the audience are manipulated in to doing what the show suggests and not making the decision themselves.
The stereotypical view of looking young and wrinkle free like the celebrities we watch has been taken to extremes by the recent edition to the list of lifestyle programs. Make over shows that involve members of the public undergoing plastic surgery to achieve the 'perfect' face and body. The Marxist approach could look on this as manipulation, persuading someone that they need 'movie star' looks to fit in with society. Some sociologists could suggest that the hypodermic model could be applied; the idea that the individual needs surgery to improve their looks is injected into that person to make them go to the extremes of surgery.
One of the most popular kinds of programs on television today are the soap operas. In theory these shows are supposed to mirror the everyday lives of normal people. Millions of people in all over the world join in this Parasocial activity, people are addicted to watching these parallel societies to the point were reality and fiction cannot be separated. Some soap stars are shouted at or even attacked in the street by viewers when they have played the part of the 'baddie'. The addiction to soap operas can affect someone's lifestyle to the point that they have to be just like their favourite character. They become a surrogate member of the fictional society, trying to mirror the lifestyles of the characters the watch.
Statistics show that older people watch the most television, including video and DVDs. On average people aged 4 and above watch television for 25 hours a week. In children, boys watch more than girls, in adults, women watch more than men. People over 65 watch twice as much television than those aged 4 to 15. This may be because they have more time due to retirement, or they have health and mobility problems so they are confined to their homes.
Lifestyles can be affected by the approaches to gender in the mass media. Although there have been changes over the years, especially in advertising, where near nude male models are used to sell male beauty products along with the female models, women are still portrayed in sexist ways. There is still the female stereotype portraying women as either domestic servants or sex symbols. For example, The Sun newspaper still includes the 'page three' girls, semi naked and with a quote aimed at the men who read the paper, where as the women's page leans to dieting and fashionable clothes. Advertising still tends to use women to sell washing powder and cleaning products and use men to advertise cars and beer.
Although the portrayal of ethnic minorities has improved over the years, with laws about discrimination and racism, they have had some bad press in the past, mainly through news reporting. Although black youths were involved in the notorious Toxteth riots in 1981, there were a large number of white youths involved, yet these riots were described as 'black' or 'race' riots. The research by Hall et al (1979) into the crime of mugging concluded that the style of policing, mainly in ethnic communities, placed the blame of this crime on black youths. Since the media reported on the evidence of the police 'being black' labelled a person as a criminal, this must have had a devastating effect on the lifestyles of the ethnic minorities.
Social interaction is an important part of our lifestyles, as part of families especially. Families sat down and watched television together, discussed their favourite programs that they watched as a family. In most homes today there is more than one television, in some homes there is a television in every room! This means members of the family can choose what they want to watch, for example three members of a family could all be watching different programs in different rooms.
Lifestyles today have changed with the emersion of the internet. You can shop on line, bank on line, it is easier and quicker to e mail someone in Australia than to go out and post them a letter. People can do everything from home, information that would once have to be researched for example, in a library, is now available at the touch of a fingertip. The emphasis on social interaction is highlighted here as people do everything from home so they don't see or speak to others.
The influences of the multimedia on our lifestyles today could be seen as most powerful. We are inundated with information telling us how to do all the things we used to do ourselves. Marxists see this as manipulation of the capitalists to line their own pockets. Pluralists are more liberal in their views saying we get the media we want. It can be argued that the mass media has changed the lifestyles of the population dramatically over the years and it will give sociologists food for thought for many years to come.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
SOCIOLOGY AN INTERACTIVE APPROACH BY NIK JORGENSEN, JOHN BIRD, ANDREA HEYHOE, BEV RUSSELL AND MIKE SAVVAS
SOCIOLOGY IN FOCUS BY PAUL TAYLOR, JOHN RICHARDSON, ALAN YOE, IAN MARCH, KEITH TROBE AND ANDREW PILKINGTON
www.aber.ac.uk/marxistmediadocuments
www.bath.ac.uk/%ehssbpn/theory
bbc.co.uk
www.mediaEd.org.com
www.cosmci.co,zo/acm04htm
http://cobmedia.homestead.com
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