cmn 277: lecture 5 - media & social construction

describe general issues in media influence

• impact on values

  • influences our core values & moral attitudes

• values defined

  • acceptable & unacceptable behavior exist, forming our moral compass

• coastal media centers

  • reflect & promote specific regional cultural values

define value transmission through media

transmits specific cultural values about family structure, sexuality, & social norms

define family over material success

portrays family as more valuable than power

define age-appropriate sexuality

presents premarital sex as acceptable for adults while maintaining stricter standards for teenage characters

define traditional family harmony

media depicts nuclear families as more stable than non-traditional family structures, potentially reinforcing stereotypes

define broadcast standards

sexual explicitness remains largely unacceptable on TV while cable & streaming devices operate under different guidelines

define excessive materialism

advertising may encourage overconsumption by portraying material success as primary indicator of personal achievement

define religious underrepresentation

media rarely depicts characters attending religious services, potentially minimizing religion’s role in american life

define religious programming concerns

specialized religious TV may only reach existing believers while potentially devaluing traditional churchgoing by offering spiritual content as a substitute

define acquiring values from media

understanding how individuals internalize media messages requires examining the socialization process & recognizing that entertainment content can influence attitudes & behaviors, even when audiences only seek amusement

define entertainment’s hidden influence

audiences seek entertainment unknowingly absorb serious social messages, making media powerful because it bypasses sonscious critical evaluation

define sleeper effects

when media messages show no immediate behavioral changes but produce delayed effects after initial exposure, demonstrating long-term influence

define accumulation theory (theories of social construction)

how consistent media messages across multiple platforms create cumulative effects on audience attitudes & values over periods

define adoption process (theories of social construction)

describes the stages through which individuals accept new ideas, technologies, or behaviors promoted via channels

1. awareness stage

2. interest development

3. evaluation process

4. trial period

5. full adoption

define modeling processes (theories of social construction)

explains how people learn behaviors by observing & imitating attractive media figures

1. model encounter

2. personal identification

3. memory & reproduction

4. reward achievement

5. reinforcement cycle

define social expectations theory (theories of social construction)

explores how media teaches social norms & behavioral expectations for various situations

define cultivation theory (theories of social construction)

focuses specifically on TVs power to shape viewer’s perceptions of reality through repeated exposure to consistent themes; focuses on screen media only

describe consistent thematic content (cultivation theory)

describe reality perception shift (cultivation theory)