Mass media | Society and Culture | MCAT | Khan Academy

Summary

The script discusses mass media's role in society, highlighting its functions as a source of entertainment, socialization, and a promoter of consumer culture. It explores how media reflects societal norms and divisions, with a focus on gatekeeping by a few, often leading to underrepresentation and stereotyping of minority groups. The conflict and feminist theories critique media's reinforcement of dominant ideologies and gender roles. The interactionist perspective examines how media influences personal interactions and societal behaviors.

Takeaways

• ?\ud83c? Mass media encompasses various forms of communication like print and digital media that disseminate information within a culture.
• ?\ud83e? The way mass media is consumed varies across different cultures and age groups, influencing how individuals access information.
• ?\ud83e? From a functionalist perspective, mass media serves to entertain, socialize, and enforce social norms by presenting a standardized view of society.
• ?\ud83e? Mass media fosters a sense of community and shared experiences, such as watching the Olympics or attending a movie premiere.
• ?\ud83e? It can also reflect societal expectations and values by rewarding and punishing certain behaviors, influencing what is considered acceptable.
• ?\ud83e? As a promoter of consumer culture, mass media exposes individuals, especially children, to a vast amount of advertising, shaping consumer behavior.
• ?\ud83e? The conflict view highlights how media may reflect and exacerbate societal divisions based on factors like race, ethnicity, gender, and social class.
• ?\ud83e? Gatekeeping refers to the control exerted by a few individuals or corporations over the media content that the public consumes.
• ?\ud83e? The dominant ideology often influences mass media, leading to underrepresentation and stereotyping of minority groups and women.
• ?\ud83e? Feminist theory critiques mass media for its stereotypical and sexist portrayals of women, enforcing traditional gender roles and sexual objectification.
• ?\ud83e? The interactionist perspective examines how mass media shapes everyday behaviors and interpersonal interactions, such as online dating and social communication.

Q & A

What is mass media and what does it include?

Mass media refers to the dissemination of information within a culture, including print media like books, newspapers, and magazines, as well as digital media such as TV, movies, radio, and the internet.

How does the consumption of mass media differ across cultures and age groups?

Consumption of mass media varies; for instance, older generations might rely more on TV and newspapers, while younger individuals primarily consume information online.

What is the functionalist view on the role of mass media in society?

The functionalist view suggests that mass media serves to entertain, socialize, and enforce social norms by presenting a standardized view of society and providing collective experiences.

Can you provide an example of a collective experience facilitated by mass media?

Watching the Olympics on television or attending a movie on its opening night are examples of collective experiences facilitated by mass media.

How does mass media influence societal expectations?

Mass media can influence societal expectations by rewarding and punishing certain behaviors, such as promoting the idea that criminal behaviors are bad and should be avoided.

What is the role of mass media in promoting consumer culture?

Mass media promotes consumer culture by exposing individuals, especially children, to a large number of advertisements and sales promotions across various platforms.

What is the conflict view's perspective on mass media?

The conflict view focuses on how mass media reflects and may exacerbate societal divisions based on race, ethnicity, gender, or social class.

What does the term 'gatekeeping' mean in the context of mass media?

Gatekeeping refers to the process by which a small number of individuals or corporations control the flow of information and media content that reaches the public.

How does gatekeeping affect the representation of different social groups in media?

Gatekeeping can lead to underrepresentation or stereotyping of minority groups, women, LGBT individuals, and working-class people, as the gatekeepers are often white, male, and wealthy.

What is the feminist theory's view on mass media representation?

Feminist theory views mass media as perpetuating stereotypes and misrepresentations that align with the dominant ideology, particularly focusing on gender roles and the portrayal of women.

How does the interactionist perspective analyze the impact of mass media?

The interactionist perspective examines how mass media shapes day-to-day behavior and blurs the line between solitary and group activities, as well as how media connections evolve over time.

Outlines

00:00

📺 Understanding Mass Media

The script discusses mass media as a means of disseminating information across cultures, encompassing both traditional print media like books, newspapers, and magazines, as well as digital media such as television, movies, radio, and the internet. It highlights how media consumption varies by culture and age, using the example of the narrator's grandmother preferring TV and newspapers versus the narrator's online consumption. The functionalist view is presented, emphasizing mass media's role in entertainment, socialization, and the enforcement of social norms. It also discusses how mass media fosters a collective societal experience and can bring people together, as seen in online communities. The script further explores the media's role in promoting consumer culture and its potential impact on future generations. The conflict view is introduced, focusing on media's reflection and exacerbation of societal divisions, such as those based on race, ethnicity, gender, or social class. The concept of 'gatekeeping' is explained, illustrating how a few individuals or corporations control the information that reaches the public, potentially leading to the dominance of certain ideologies and the underrepresentation of minority groups.

05:00

👩‍💻 Stereotypes and Media Representation

This paragraph delves into the feminist theory's perspective on mass media, which critiques the media for stereotyping and misrepresenting society, particularly in terms of gender roles. It points out the underrepresentation of women and the perpetuation of traditional sex roles, where women are often portrayed as shallow or obsessed with their appearance, leading to their sexualization and objectification. The paragraph also touches on the interactionist perspective, examining how mass media influences individual behavior and blurs the lines between solitary and group activities, using the example of watching a movie in a theater. It discusses the evolution of communication methods over time, from phone calls to emails and text messages, and the increasing trend of meeting romantic partners online, which would have been unfamiliar to previous generations.

Keywords

💡Mass Media

Mass media refers to the various means of communication that reach a large audience. It encompasses print media like newspapers and magazines, as well as digital media like television, radio, and the internet. In the video, mass media is discussed as a means of disseminating information across different cultures and age groups, highlighting its role in society and its impact on how people consume information.

💡Entertainment

Entertainment in the context of mass media is one of its primary functions, as it is meant to occupy people's leisure time. The video mentions that from a functionalist perspective, mass media provides entertainment, which can include shared experiences like watching the Olympics on television.

💡Socialization

Socialization through mass media refers to the process by which individuals learn the norms, values, and behaviors of their society. The video explains that mass media acts as an agent of socialization, enforcing social norms and presenting a standardized view of society.

💡Collective Experience

A collective experience is a shared event or activity that brings people together, often facilitated by mass media. The video gives examples such as watching the Olympics on TV or attending a movie premiere, illustrating how mass media can create a sense of community and shared identity.

💡Consumer Culture

Consumer culture is the promotion of acquiring material goods and services, often driven by mass media. The video discusses how mass media, particularly through advertising, influences consumer behavior and shapes a culture focused on consumption, with examples like the high number of commercials seen by children.

💡Gatekeeping

Gatekeeping in mass media refers to the process by which a small number of individuals or corporations control the flow of information. The video explains that gatekeeping can be done by either the government or large media corporations, and it affects what material is presented to the public.

💡Dominant Ideology

The dominant ideology refers to the prevailing set of beliefs and values in a society, often reflected and reinforced by mass media. The video points out that mass media tends to privilege certain social, economic, and political interests, which are typically those of the dominant group.

💡Underrepresentation

Underrepresentation in mass media means that certain groups, such as racial minorities, women, and LGBT individuals, are not adequately or accurately portrayed. The video notes that these groups are often underrepresented and stereotyped in media content due to the dominance of white, male, and wealthy gatekeepers.

💡Tokenism

Tokenism is the practice of making a symbolic gesture to include members of minority groups without actually addressing the underlying issues of diversity and representation. The video mentions that some corporations attempt to improve diversity but sometimes resort to tokenism, such as adding a single minority character to a TV show.

💡Feminist Theory

Feminist theory, as applied to mass media, critiques the way media stereotypes and misrepresents society, particularly in terms of gender. The video explains that feminist theory focuses on the representation of men and women in the media, noting that women are often underrepresented, stereotyped, and sexualized.

💡Interactionist Perspective

The interactionist perspective examines how mass media influences individual behavior and social interactions on a micro level. The video discusses how mass media blurs the line between solitary and group activities, such as watching a movie in a theater, and how it changes the way people connect with each other over time.

Highlights

Mass media disseminates information through various channels like print and digital media.

Media consumption varies across cultures and age groups.

Functionalist view sees mass media as a provider of entertainment and socialization.

Mass media presents a standardized view of society and provides a collective experience.

Shared experiences like watching the Olympics or movie premieres are examples of mass media's unifying function.

Mass media can also dictate societal norms and expectations.

Media sometimes glorifies behaviors that society deems wrong.

Mass media promotes consumer culture, with children exposed to a large number of commercials.

Conflict view highlights how media reflects and may exacerbate societal divisions.

Gatekeeping is the process by which a few control what material is presented in the media.

Gatekeeping can be controlled by governments or large media corporations.

Mass media often reflects the dominant ideology, privileging certain interests.

Gatekeepers of media are predominantly white, male, and wealthy, leading to underrepresentation of minority views.

Media portrayals of minority groups are often stereotyped or unrealistic.

Some corporations attempt to improve diversity but sometimes result in tokenism.

Feminist theory critiques mass media for stereotyping and misrepresenting gender roles.

Interactionist perspective examines how mass media shapes individual behavior and social interactions.

Media blurs the line between solitary and group activities, like watching a movie.

The way we connect with others using media has evolved over time, such as through email and text messages.

The rate of meeting romantic partners online has increased, reflecting changes in social interactions.

Transcripts

- [Voiceover] What exactly are we talking about

when we talk about mass media?

Well, we're talking about the dissemination of information,

or how information is transmitted within a culture.

And this can include print media,

like books, newspapers, and magazines,

as well as digital media,

like TV, movies, radio, and the internet.

Exactly how this media is consumed

changes across cultures and age groups.

For example, my grandmother gets a lot of her information

about current events through TV and newspapers,

but I primarily get this information online.

And when we look at mass media,

we can look at the role it plays in our society

through different sociological perspectives.

So according to the functionalist view,

one of the most important functions of mass media

is to provide entertainment.

So it's meant to occupy our leisure time.

But the functionalist view also says that mass media

can also act as an agent of socialization

and an enforcer of social norms.

It presents a standardized view of society

and provides a collective experience

for members of that society.

Think about the shared experience

of watching the Olympics on television,

or being with a group of people

to see a movie on opening night.

Mass media also functions to bring people together.

And there are entire internet-based communities

that are focused on things like

LGBT rights or childcare,

or fans of music groups that sing songs about Harry Potter.

But mass media can also tell us

about what society expects of us

through what it rewards and punishes.

So when we hear something about

criminal behavior from mass media,

it is often talked about in terms of

bringing criminals to justice.

Which reinforces the idea that criminal behaviors

are bad and should be avoided.

However, the media can sometimes also glorify behaviors

that society as a whole would deem to be wrong.

Things like intense physical violence.

Mass media also functions

as a promoter of consumer culture.

At the turn of the century, the average U.S. child

saw 20,000 commercials a year on TV.

And that doesn't include ads on the radio

or billboards or signs in front of stores

announcing 50% off sales.

And it's only increased from there.

And it's not necessarily clear what kind of an impact

this might have on the next generation.

The conflict view focuses on

how the media reflects and portrays,

and may even exacerbate,

divisions that exist within our society.

Like divisions based on race, ethnicity, gender,

or social class.

Conflict theory uses the term gatekeeping

to describe the process by which

a small number of people and corporations

control what material is being presented on the media.

It describes how information,

so things that appear in our newspapers,

the stories that are made into movies,

what TV shows are turned into pilots,

it describes how these things move through a series of gates

before they can reach the public.

In some countries, this might be controlled

primarily by the government.

But for others, it's decided primarily

by large media corporations.

Gatekeeping can also have more of an effect

on some media than others.

For example, a lot of control is put on

what big-budget movies are made,

but there is very little overhead control

of what gets posted online.

The conflict theory also describes

how mass media often reflects the dominant ideology.

Giving time and space, or privileging,

certain social, economical, and political interests,

while sometimes actively limiting other views.

The people who make the choices about

what media is produced, the gatekeepers,

are predominantly white, male, and wealthy.

And as a result, stories representing the views

of racial minority groups, women, LGBT individuals,

and working class people are typically underrepresented.

And because of this divide, portrayals of minority groups

can often be stereotyped,

or guided by unrealistic generalizations

about a certain group of people.

And while some corporations have taken the steps

to try to improve this,

they sometimes take it in the wrong direction,

which results in tokenism instead of actual diversity.

Or cases where a single minority member

is added to a TV show or movie

as a stand-in for that entire group.

Feminist theory's understanding of mass media

is similar to what we would see in conflict theory

in that it also holds that mass media stereotypes

and misrepresents society towards the dominant ideology.

Specifically, it focuses on the way that messages

about men and women are represented in the media.

It notes that women are often

underrepresented in media content,

that men are often considered normal

while women are considered to be other.

Think about ads for products.

We have razors and razors for women.

Pens and pens for her.

Depictions of men and women

are often highly stereotyped,

enforcing strict gender roles

and emphasizing traditional sex roles.

So women are more often portrayed as victims

and men as aggressors.

And women are much more likely to be depicted

as shallow or being obsessed with looks,

which also makes it more likely

that they'll be sexualized and objectified.

The interactionist perspective

looks at mass media on the micro level

to see how it shapes day to day behavior.

It looks at how mass media blurs the line

between solitary and group activities.

So think of the act of seeing a movie.

You may be watching it with other people,

but because of societal norms or even theater rules,

you are actually forbidden from talking about the movie

with the people you're with.

It also looks at the fact

that how we connect with other people using media

tends to change over time.

So whereas before I might have called

my grandparents to keep in touch with them,

now I can talk with them via email,

or even text message.

The rate at which people meet romantic partners

online has also increased,

which is something that probably would have seemed

very confusing to just a few generations before ours.