Media, Deviance & Stratification

• These notes cover various key terms and theoretical perspectives.
• They also address discussion questions related to media, deviance, and stratification.

Key Terms and Their Simplified Meanings

• Gatekeeping: Media or institutions deciding which information reaches the public; an example is a news editor choosing stories for publication.
• Prior Restraint: Government preventing content publication before it reaches the public; an example is a court order stopping a newspaper from printing a story.
• Consumption: Using goods, services, or information; in media studies, it refers to how people absorb media content, like watching TV or reading newspapers.
• Narcotizing Effect: Bombarding people with media information makes them less responsive to social or political issues.
• Conformity: Adjusting behavior to match a group or society; an example is dressing a certain way to follow school trends.
• Social Disorganization Theory: A breakdown in community institutions leads to increased crime and deviance.
• Cultural Transmission Theory: Culture, values, and norms are passed from one generation to the next through socialization.
• Retribution: Punishing someone for committing a crime
• Recidivism: The tendency of a convicted criminal to reoffend.
• Deterrence: Discouraging crime by instilling fear of punishment through strategies like harsh penalties.
• Global Divide: Separation or inequality between different parts of the world in wealth, technology, and opportunities.
• Colonialism: One country controlling and exploiting another for economic and political gain.
• Modernization: Societies transitioning from traditional systems to industrialized structures.
• Victimless Crimes: Crimes involving consensual behavior where no clear victim is harmed, like drug use or gambling.
• Color-blind Racism: Ignoring racial differences as a way to overcome racism, which can hide inequalities.
• Contact Hypothesis: Direct contact between groups under the right conditions can reduce prejudice.
• Assimilation: Minority groups adopting the culture and norms of the dominant society.
• Glass Ceiling: An invisible barrier prevents certain groups from rising in a hierarchy, especially in the workplace.
• Disengagement Theory: As people age, they withdraw from social roles and responsibilities.
• Social Mobility: The ability to move up or down the social hierarchy.
• Upward mobility means moving to a higher social status.
• Downward mobility means dropping to a lower social status.
• Intra-generational mobility signifies a change in status within an individual’s lifetime.
• Inter-generational mobility signifies a change in status from one generation to the next.
• Dependency Ratio: The number of dependents compared to the working-age population.

Major Theoretical Perspectives and Topics

Functionalist Perspective

• Explains how parts of society work together to maintain stability.
• Media disseminates shared cultural values and norms, reinforcing social cohesion.
• Deviance clarifies boundaries and reaffirms societal values.
• Social stratification is necessary to ensure qualified people fill important roles.

Conflict Perspective

• Emphasizes struggles between groups over power, resources, and inequality.
• Media reflects and perpetuates the interests of dominant groups.
• Deviance is a label imposed by those in power to control challenging groups.
• Stratification results from conflict where powerful exploit less powerful groups.

Interactionist Perspective

• Focuses on daily interactions and how individuals create social reality.
• Media influences daily interactions and shapes understanding through symbols.
• Deviance is defined by social reactions and labels in everyday interactions.
• Micro-level interactions reinforce or challenge social hierarchies.

Ethnicity/Ethno-nationalism

• Studies how shared cultural traits shape group identity.
• Media constructs ethnic identities, highlighting cultural symbols that can stereotype ethnic groups.
• Ethnic minorities may be disproportionately labeled as deviant due to media bias and societal prejudices.
• Ethnic and national identities are often linked to social and economic inequalities.

Gender Roles

• Focuses on social expectations about behaviors deemed appropriate for men and women.
• Media reinforces traditional gender roles, influencing societal perceptions.
• Behaviors outside gender norms are often labeled deviant.
• Gender roles contribute to stratification by creating unequal opportunities, limiting women’s advancement.

Discussion Questions

Theories for Crime Decrease Since Mid-1990s

• Improved policing strategies like community policing and data-driven approaches.
• Economic factors may have reduced incentives for crime
• Demographic shifts with fewer young people, who are often more likely to commit crimes.
• Social and cultural changes through increased awareness and programs addressing at-risk behaviors.

Problems with Using “Race” to Classify Humans

• Oversimplifies genetic, cultural, and social differences.
• Race is historically misused to justify inequality and discrimination.
• It is a social construct, not a biological reality, leading to harmful categorizations.

Social Costs of Inequality and Shrinking Middle Class

• Reduced social mobility, with less opportunity to improve socioeconomic status.
• Increased social tension that can lead to unrest and breakdown in cohesion.
• Economic impact due to a smaller middle class.
• Links to poorer health outcomes and less access to quality education.