LESSON FOUR- sociology

What are the mass media?

technology-driven and usually profit-driven methods of communicating meaningful information

What are three key characteristics of the mass media?

They use technology to communicate, connect large numbers of people, and transmit messages across time and space.

How do the mass media differ from face-to-face communication?

They rely on technology to send and receive messages over distances and across time.

How have audiences become more fragmented over time?

The growth of cable, satellite, and digital media has created many specialized channels that target niche audiences.

What is media demassification?

The process by which ordinary individuals can create and distribute content to many others through digital technology.

What is many-to-many communication?

A communication model in which many people can both send and receive messages through digital platforms.

How did the Internet transform mass communication?

It allowed ordinary users to create, share, and distribute information on a large scale.

What is a major difference between old media and new media?

Old media primarily involved one-way communication, while new media allow interaction between senders and receivers.

How do old media and new media differ in terms of technology?

Old media used separate devices for different functions, while new media combine many functions into a single device.

What is media convergence?

The combining of multiple forms of media into a single device such as a smartphone.

What are time-biased media according to Harold Innis?

Forms of communication that endure over long periods of time but are difficult to move across space.

What are 3 example of a time-biased medium?

Stone inscriptions, monuments, graves, and other durable forms of communication.

What are space-biased media according to Harold Innis?

Forms of communication that are easy to transmit across large distances but are less durable over time.

What are 4 example of a space-biased medium?

Broadcasting, Google Maps, radio, and digital communication.

What did Marshall McLuhan mean when he said, "We shape our tools and our tools shape us"?

Media technologies influence how people think, communicate, and perceive the world.

How did McLuhan believe printing changed society?

It promoted visual thinking, literacy, individualism, rationality, and abstract thought.

How did McLuhan believe electronic media changed society?

They shifted communication away from print and combined visual and auditory experiences.

What is McLuhan's concept of the global village?

The idea that electronic communication makes the world feel like a single interconnected community.

Why did McLuhan describe the world as a global village?

Because communication occurs almost instantly across great distances, shrinking social space.

What is the political economy perspective on the media?

A perspective that examines how power and profit shape media ownership, production, distribution, and content.

What two main areas does the political economy perspective focus on?

Media ownership, production, and distribution; and media influence.

Why is the political economy perspective considered deterministic?

Because it emphasizes how powerful economic interests shape media content and influence audiences.

What are two examples of major media corporations?

Rogers Communications and The Walt Disney Company.

What is vertical integration?

A business strategy in which a corporation controls multiple stages of production, distribution, and sales within the same industry.

How does Disney demonstrate vertical integration?

Disney produces content, distributes it, owns television networks, operates retail stores, and runs theme parks.

Why is vertical integration beneficial to media corporations?

It allows them to maximize profits and promote content across multiple businesses.

What is the propaganda model developed by Herman and Chomsky?

A theory arguing that media content is shaped by powerful economic and political interests.

What is the first argument of the propaganda model?

Alternative non-corporate viewpoints are marginalized.

What is the second argument of the propaganda model?

Content that could offend advertisers is often avoided.

What is the third argument of the propaganda model?

Minority viewpoints are frequently filtered out of media coverage.

What is the fourth argument of the propaganda model?

Governments and corporations respond quickly to criticism directed at them.

What is the fifth argument of the propaganda model?

Dominant social beliefs and ideologies influence what becomes news.

What is cultural imperialism?

The spread and dominance of one culture over others through media, entertainment, and communication.

How does cultural imperialism relate to Canada?

Canadian media consumption is heavily influenced by American television shows, movies, music, and other cultural products.

Why do some scholars argue that American culture dominates globally?

Because American media corporations distribute cultural products throughout much of the world.

What are two criticisms of the political economy approach to media?

It underestimates non-American competitors and overlooks the ability of local cultures to adapt foreign media.

What is glocalization?

The process by which global cultural products are adapted to local cultures and contexts.

How does glocalization challenge cultural imperialism?

It shows that audiences modify and reinterpret foreign cultural products rather than simply accepting them.

How do governments limit media influence?

Through regulations and policies that shape media ownership and content.

Why do critics argue that the political economy approach is too simplistic?

Because it may underestimate audience independence and cultural resistance.

What are dominant ideologies?

Widely shared beliefs and values that support the interests of powerful groups in society.

How do cultural studies scholars view dominant ideologies in media?

They argue that media help reproduce and legitimize existing social inequalities.

How can media reinforce social inequality?

By portraying certain groups in stereotypical ways and normalizing unequal power relations.

How do advertisements sometimes reflect dominant ideologies?

They may present men as powerful and women as objects of desire, reinforcing traditional gender roles.

What is Edward Said's concept of Orientalism?

A Western way of describing Eastern and Middle Eastern cultures through stereotypes and simplified images.

How does the film Aladdin illustrate Orientalism?

It portrays Middle Eastern societies as exotic, mysterious, sensual, and sometimes barbaric.

Why is Orientalism criticized?

Because it can distort understanding of cultures and reinforce stereotypes.

What is reception theory?

The idea that audiences interpret and understand media messages in different ways.

What does it mean for producers to encode media messages?

They create content with a preferred or intended meaning.

What does it mean for audiences to decode media messages?

They interpret and assign meaning to media content based on their own experiences and perspectives.

What are three benefits of social media?

Democratization of communication, new ways of connecting with others, and support for social activism.

How does social media promote democratization?

It allows ordinary individuals to create, share, and distribute content without relying on traditional media organizations.

How does social media help people connect with others?

It enables communication and relationship-building across geographic distances.

How does social media support social activism?

It raises awareness of issues, mobilizes supporters, and helps organize collective action.

What is the digital divide?

The gap between people who have access to digital technologies and those who do not.

What forms of harmful online interaction can occur on social media?

Cyberbullying, cyber harassment, and gender-based online hate.

How are social media platforms commercialized?

They generate revenue primarily through advertising and data collection.

What is surveillance in the context of social media?

The monitoring of user activity by governments, organizations, corporations, or individuals.

What is top-down surveillance?

Monitoring conducted by powerful institutions such as governments and corporations.

What is bottom-up surveillance?

Monitoring carried out by ordinary individuals observing one another online.

What are four major drawbacks of social media?

The digital divide, cyberbullying and harassment, commercialization and data collection, and surveillance.