SU 5 Media and Society PDF

SU 5: Media and Society Readings Stewart, P & Zaaiman, J (eds). 2020. Sociology: A comprehens ive South African Introduction. First Edition. Cape Town: Juta ( Chapter 18). Macionis, JJ (ed). 2021.Sociology: A global and Southern African perspective. First edition. Cape town, SA. Pea...

SU 5: Media and Society Readings Stewart, P & Zaaiman, J (eds). 2020. Sociology: A comprehens ive South African Introduction. First Edition. Cape Town: Juta ( Chapter 18). Macionis, JJ (ed). 2021.Sociology: A global and Southern African perspective. First edition. Cape town, SA. Pearson. (Chapter 7). Ferrante, J. 2016. Sociology: A South African Perspective. Hampshire, UK: Cengage Learning. (Chapter 21). Learning Outcomes At the end of this study unit you should be able to: Define what is meant by mass media Define and discuss the encompassing concepts of mass media; Understand the various ways in which (social) media are used by society; and Understanding Media as an agent of socialisation Distinguish between Functionalist and Conflict perspectives used to analyse what media is and its role in society; Key Themes: Historical Overview –SA context Understanding Media, Mass Media and Social Media Social Media Use Sociological frameworks (Theories/ perspectives) used to analyse mass and social media and technology in Society Historical overview: Radio Broadcasting was first set up in South Africa in 1920 Decade later: British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) set up Empire services across its colonies End of 1930s African personnel used indigenous languages to broadcast religious services (missionaries/colonialist agenda) The initial aim of broadcasting radio was to counter resistance by educated African elites to colonial rule Later; Radio broadcasting paved the way to the liberation agenda of various African countries Post-liberation regime’s resulted in ‘curbed media access’ ‘media censoring’ in a majority of African countries  1990s – saw a general liberalisation of the airwaves Establishment of private radio stations Flourishing African press and independent print journalism Electoral freedoms Television, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa became a means to promote political agendas Radio, print press and television- an elite and urban phenomenon  Post-Apartheid South Africa: Rapid changes in mass media as a result of political and economic change- continuity and change Diverse and pluralistic interests in the context of democratization of the South African society Debates around mass media freedom? Who controls mass media? Freedom of speech? Media Understood as channels of communication Plural Latin noun, singular = medium TV – medium through which messages are passed Print Media - Electronic media Marshall McLuhan (1964) – media does not only transmit information, but shapes how humans experience their world (local or global) Latent and manifest functions of media messages Media bias Who controls what media messages mean? Mass media Means of transmitting information from single source to a vast number of people “institutions and techniques by which powerful, specialised social groups disseminate standardised commodities in the form of symbolic content to a large number of heterogenous and geographically dispersed audiences” Has become an influential, pervasive, expansive and complex social institution in our time. Almost everything we know or want to know can be known through mass media The ability/ capacity to engage or reach many people or a mass population at once explains the emergences of the term  Giddens: Globalisation and mass media Technological advancement and the compression of time and space Immediacy of mass media Universalisation and liberalisation Local occurrences are shaped by global occurrences vice versa – even though experiences may be contextual Open access (economical, political, cultural) Virtual reality and the “new” mass media Social Media Media that allows people to communicate with each other, share information and form communities based on similar interests and goals – at three levels: Between individuals and small groups-interpersonal Between individuals and large groups Between individuals and a mass audience Because of Mass Media: Ordinary people are able to communicate easily with a lot of people without physical bounds Ordinary people are able to be influential on matters of social and political importance ( previously for the famous and elite) Not centralised in the same way that other forms of media is –there exists an ever- changing community of participants Jurgen Habermas – Public sphere  Social Media Use: The Ultras Habitual social media use Networks are their primary communication and link to family and friends The feel isolation when not able to make use of social media platforms The Deniers Maintain that social media does not control their lives Argue they can easily live without social media Feel isolated and anxious if cut off from social media for an extended period The Dippers Although signed up to social media platforms – not regular users Social media access infrequent The Virgins New sign ups – take first tentative steps Often struggle to get to grips with how social media platforms work May question why they’ve joined? Usefulness and effects of social networks? The Lurkers Hiding in the shadows of cyberspace Watch what others say and do with little to no participation Publicly complain about the triviality of social media and peoples posts Secretly feel anxious that they may not have anything interesting to share while keeping an eye on other peoples posts The Peacocks Easily recognised on social media Uses every opportunity to share anything and everything about their lives Popularity and large social media following  Effects of Social Media on the Individual: Social Media and the Presentation of Self (Goffman 1956) Social Media and self-image (Cooley 1902-looking glass self) (socialisation) Social media and the loss of empathy Social media and conformity Social media, multi-tasing and attention span Social media and addiction Cyber-bulling  Effects of Social Media on Society: Social Media and relationships – family, friendships, dating Social media and culture – popular culture, influencers, socialisation Social media and work Social media and politics Sociological Perspectives Functionalist Theory Each aspect of society is interdependent and contributes to the consensual functioning of society mainstream understanding of mass media Four basic functions of communication via mass media: Surveillance function Interpretation of editorial function Socialisation function Entertainment function Purposes and Functions of Mass media: 1. Surveillance function -Surveying the online environment for news and information (including personal information) – privacy Dataveillance Datamining Data profiling 2. Interpretation or editorial function – monitoring social responses Linked to surveillance function Media evaluates and interprets events in order to respond to readers, viewers and listeners. Example: petrol price increase, it is important for those managing mass media to analyse the significance of this for all stakeholders. This gives media consumers access to collated viewpoints around this specific event. Censoring? Who controls the messages and how they are conveyed? Fake news?  3. Socialisation function – transmitting of culture Agent of socialisation Transmitting of culture Role models and influencers Cultural hegemony 4. Diversion function – entertainment Passive consumption, consuming for relaxation Personalised preferences Creating alternative ‘safe’ associations with others – without emotional attachment  Additional: Functions of Social Media: Agent of socialisation Advancing uniform culture Social integration (virtual communities) Agent of social control Agent and source of social change Source of entertainment Conflict theory Emphasis of power and struggle between social classes over resources Elitism Media as a told of domination used to maintain the control by dominant groups The production of ideas, beliefs, values which constitute and perpetuate dominant ideology “ the ideas of the ruling class are in every epoch the ruling ideas: i.e. the class which is the ruling material force is, at the same time its ruling intellectual force” Gramsci- Cultural Hegemony Media are part of a cultural industry that functions to mask the exploitative and oppressive character of capitalist society Pacify people by feeding them standardised (controlled) images and messages which stifle independent and critical thought  3 approaches for analysing media from a conflict perspective Manipulative model – owners of mass media purposively manipulate content and control/determine how the audience receives it Government, media houses Control of the Media Model – use of media, ‘spinning’ messages to entrench the views of media proprietors through out society In SA context; media ownership is regulated by the Independent Communication Authority of South Africa (ICASA) SABC- government owned, eTv & DSTV are privately owned Gov has the duty to serve the public interest (SABC) Public interest highly debatable – interest of elite (economical, political)  Hegemonic model Gramsci-Hegemony describes how the dominance of a ruling class is maintained over civil society by continual re- establishment of its cultural legitimacy through various forms of persuasion. Persuasive power and exercise of hegemonic control dominant class projecting its own way of seeing the world According to which world-view or whose perspective is the news presented?