BMS100 EXAM STUDY NOTES

What is Media

What is Media

- various methods for communicating information

- "into the midst of things (of the story)" - Horace

- language affects the way you think it's misleading + misinterpreting

- form + content = relationship

- media can feel like a sense of belonging

- media mediates the way we engage with one another

reader's perspective theory

how we immerse ourselves into the media

- creating + contributing

"the medium is the message" (McLuhan)

1. The sensory experiences of new media shape our thinking: great evolution through human history.

2. The medium itself is more important than the content. Medium impacts society not by its content but by its use.

Example: The innovation of light, books, and smartphones.

- context over content

- the environment in which influences society (how we accept/react)

- the user is the content

- the message is what we take for granted

- relationships with the media = many things

History of media (from speech to print)

- media has always been a collective = a part of a larger community.

- consistency of media through history, our ancestors used similar forms that are still upheld today

EI WRITING AS A MEDIA

Examples of media through history (from speech to print) 4 MAIN POINTS

1. 776 BCE-394 CE = Greek Olypmic Games-public ritual = collective

2. 3700 BCE= Mesopotamia-hieroglyphics (picture that conveys ideas that represent the cultural significance of expression- thinking visually)

3. 1920's= radio- listening = a connection, belonging and participation

4. 1950's=TV-domestic lifestyle - gathering to watch

What makes us human?

- language constructs reality + language is an extension of memory which improves learning

- complex communication systems to express what we think

EI. Descartes - "I think therefore I am"

- animals are confined and restricted of sense humans are not

- develop consciousness

Media Evolution

- 150000 BCE = SPEECH

- 3000 BCE = WRITING

- 1450 CE =PRINT AND PRESS

- 1950'S = COMPUTER

- FUTURE

THEUTH VS THAMUS

THEUTH = BELIEVED THAT MEMORIZATION CREATED WISER PEOPLE THEREFORE WRITING IS GOOD BECAUSE IT PROMOTES IT

THAMUS = ARGUED WRITING MAKES YOU RELY ON PHYSICAL WHICH IS BAD AS YOU SHOULD JUST REMEMBER (against writing)

The medium is ------- neutral

NEVER

- there is always bias

- you can't suppress your reading ability as writing takes over

- "Reading is the technology of the world" - Walter J. Ong

- it becomes internalized/natural

media reality

- media does not codify/represent the external reality = they create/shape our reality

- impacts the way we share our identity and how we communicate

EI. Social Media = inclined to showcase the best parts of ourselves (filters)

EI. videos, photos, etc = tangable concepts that people create to make new realities

The Chicago School of --------------------------

human ecology

Communication

- a gift shared = Latin translation

- community is created through communication

- primary tie to community = "communication creates community"

Historical Context of the CHICAGO SCHOOL

- INDUSTRIALIZATION/URBANIZATION

-Chicago 1920's = increased population growth + diverse multi-cultural city forming

- expansion, intercultural city

- Chicago was a laboratory for scholars

- Chicago 1892 = first department of sociology and anthropology (cradle of sociology in the US)

Philosophical Context of the CHICAGO SCHOOL

PRAGMATISM

- practise and experience

- practical thoughts and senses

- EI JOHN DEWEY= Communication is a practical act (center to pragmatist)

- opposite of idealism

Intellectual Context of the CHICAGO SCHOOL

"SPENCERISM"

-Hebert Spencer

- sociological context = aka social darwinism

- the idea of an organism as a society

- evolutionism = city evolves like organism

Scope and Focous of the CHICAGO SCHOOL

Newspaper Communities

- communities (immigrant) formed around newspapers and as a form of knowledge

- newspaper - literacy - history - coping - community - unify society = glue

- social media has now taken over role of newspaper(similar dynamics)

DOMINANT MEDIUM = NEWSPAPER (Chicago school)

approach of the CHICAGO SCHOOL

media as glue to society = qualitative/optimistic

QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

- 1st to focus on ethnical groups, workplace, sexism, etc...

pioneers of the CHICAGO SCHOOL (main 4)

1. Dewy

2. Park

3. Cooley

4. McKenzie

Legacy of the CHICAGO SCHOOL

SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM (ERVING GOFFMAN)

- self and society = a larger mind/collective entity

- organic version of society

- primary groups (fundamental in shaping a person within society, neighbours, family, friends, etc)

- secondary groups = media is replacing primary groups

Why study the Chicago School? (7 reasons)

1. social culture and communication

2. communication is the primary mover of social order

3. qualitative research methods of social investigation (idealism between community and research)

4. pioneering cultural studies approach =fundamental in humanities (British Intellectual)

5. Journalism = classic texts (newspaper is the most important medium)

6. the city as a laboratory for urban and social studies research and policy work

7. Human ecology = urban studies and ethnographic research = society living and an entity/organism (Darwinism)

John Dewey (the Chicago school)

United States pragmatic philosopher who advocated progressive education (1859-1952)

PURPOSE OF HIS STUDIES = well-being in society, stimulate intellectual insights, philosophy found in newspapers

- communication is NOT transmission but is a fundamental relationship

Charles Cooley (the Chicago school)

-Symbolic Interactionist (1864-1929)

-came up with The Looking Glass Self

- social darwinism = humans are animals communicating in an environment (social environment)

- origins of humankind

- communication = foundations

Robert Ezra Park (the Chicago school)

- The Chicago School director

- pioneer of urban sociology and race relations

- journalism - yellow journalism

(1864-1944)

- author = the city = 1925

2 Functions of media (Park)

1. referential = foster facts, ideas, and objective way of understanding

ei public

2. expressive = feelings, emotions, opinion, etc

ei crowd

Roderick McKenzie (the Chicago school)

(1885-1940)

- Coined Human Ecology = studies human life and human activity in different ecosystems and different cultures in the present and in the past in order to gain a better understanding of the factors which influence the interaction between humans and their environment.

Social Constructionism (Chicago school)

- social construction of reality

- sociological perspective that views humans reality through language and shared understandings

"if a person perceives a situation as real it is real in its consequences" - Thomas Theorem

Which school uses the City as a medium?

The Chicago School

- city as a state of mind, way of life, role played by urban environment = focal point

The Frankfurt school of ------------

critical theory

Frankfurt School of Critical Theory historical context

WORLD CONFLICTS

- Frankfurt Germany = 1920

- turbulent 20th century after 1st world war

- dictatorships, fascists, authoritarianism

Frankfurt School of Critical Theory intellectual context

HISTORICAL MATERIALISM / MARXISM

Frankfurt School of Critical Theory scope and focus

CULTURE INDUSTRY / SOCIAL CLASSES

Frankfurt School of Critical Theory pioneers (4 main)

1. Adorno

2. Horkheiner

3. Benjamin

4. Marcuse

Adorno

1903-1969

- literary scholar

- philosopher

- musicologists

- sociologist

- hates Walt Disney

Horkheimer

1895-1975

- head of the Institute

- philosopher

- sociologist

- charismatic

- social psycologist

manufacturing a false consciousness = mass culture (frankfurt)

- collective consciousness

- spreading false values

- creates a false sense of consciousness

- material means of production

- happiness = commodity

- belonging (ei. advertising in 1940s)

- imaginary sense of enjoyment

- inflect pleasure

- pursue unattainable dreams

Frankfurt School of Critical Theory approach

MEDIA CONTROLLED BY ELITES (PESSIMIST)

- news = cultural imperative

- target = foster political debate

- media = national "togetherness"

- media = not glue of society but promotes a false snes eof togetehrness and the illusion of belonging

- social sameness

- misinformation as a mass deception tool

hegemony

leadership or dominance, especially by one country or social group over others

- ruling class/dominant ideals = bourgeoise

Marxism

- will for revolution

- philosophical context

- Karl Marx = father of communism = hates capitalism

- "from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs"- 1875

- proletariat VS bourgeoise = unbalance of society

- conflict theory = social class conflict = revolution

- social political economic conflict

historical (dialectical) materialism

culture was downgraded to material means

- high culture VS low culture

- egalitarian perspective on culture

- culture = means of production = highest class

- theory postulates that all institutions of human society (e.g., government and religion) are the outgrowth of its economic activity.

Critique of Mass Culture

- manipulate, control, take over, working class

KEY TERM= culture industry - organ of soft domination

EI. movies, news, etc... (small pleasures)

- Sale of entertainment products mass produced for public acts as false consciousness and does not inspire thought.

- We desire more stuff to make us happy which perpetuates capitalism. This is an elitist mode of thought.

- uses lower classes = distopian world

Walt Dinsey

EVIL = worst aspect of capitalism

- controlling the masses

- "Most dangerous man in United States" - Adorno

- the American dream narrative

- consumerist society = control of culture industry

- shallow and appealing = pleasure to control masses

Mass Media as viewed by functionalism and conflict theory (frankfurt)

PRIMARY INSTITUTIONS FOR THE CONSUMER SOCIETY

- failure of enlightenment = promise of rational world

- benefit highest classes

- cinema = organ of soft dominant

- mass media target culture industry

- threat for working class

- affects peoples values

- internet monoplies = new ruling classes

what do they mean by sameness? (frankfurt)

- same entertainment, enjoy ent, etc

- commodification of culture and media

- the culture of industry, business, and power

- culture industry posses = conformity

- not helping ppl thrive = conform

- flatten lower class = presenting false dreams

consumerism (frankfurt)

- the creation of false needs

- inflicting pleasure = flattened

- making people feel like capitalism can satisfy their needs

- capitalist economy

- massification of cultural values = mediated society

the Columbia School of -------------------------

empirical research (administrative)

Columbia School - historical context

POPULAR FEARS/PROPAGANDA

- limited effects of propaganda *effects are NOT weak NOT changing THEY ARE = effects only in certain circumstances (certain conditions)

Propaganda for social objectives (Columbia school) - 3 conditions

1. monopolization

2. canalization

3. supplementation

Propaganda for social objectives - MONOPILIZATION

- control whole means of communication

- totalitarian regimes ei. Nazism

- suppress counter propaganda/ other voices

- ei. death of Queen = no counterway of event because of media broadcasting

- main monopolistic messages= some ads. on tv, radio, social media, etc...

Propaganda for social objectives - CANALIZATION

- instead of changing beliefs

- propaganda works if your existing beliefs are channelled toward a specific discourse

- political campaigns use fostering prior beliefs

- uses society to gain a common narrative based on common beliefs

Propaganda for social objectives - SUPPLEMENTATION

- can't change mind but persuade you because of prior beliefs

- it only works if they can build on face-to-face relations

Columbia School - intellectual context

BEHAVIORSIM/POSITIVISM/LIBERALISM

Behaviorism (columbia)

direct effect models

- environmental stimuli shape our actions and behaviour

- external factors manipulate individuals

- communication research = Coined by Columbia

- direct effects are measurable = assumption that you can have measurable evidence of effects

Positivism (columbia)

the belief that knowledge should be derived from scientific observation

- scientific, quantitative, objective knowledge

- knowledge must be measurable/quantifiable

- abstract + universal laws/principles to govern social behaviour.

Columbia School - scope and focus

MEDIA AFFECTS/AUDIENCE

MEDIA AFFECTS/AUDIENCE = social functions of mass media

- conformity to people

- giving status that fosters social norms to social values

- social media = accommodate to existing values

MEDIA AFFECTS/AUDIENCE = Unlimited affects - columbia

- the model of direct effects (behaviourism)

- agenda theory

- cultivation theory

- stimulus-response

- media inject messages to a passive audience

MEDIA AFFECTS/AUDIENCE = the fourth estate - columbia

- the power of the press and news media

- generate social stimuli in people

- changing behaviour = direct effect theory

Columbia School - approach

INDIVIDUAL MEDIA USE/ INFLUENCE (EMPIRICAL +- CONSEQUENCES

Columbia School = DIRECT EFFECTS

- empirical research

- effects of media on children

- children most sensitive to media within society

- the seduction of innocent children

ei. crime comics = negative literature for children = changing children into animals

- Columbia goes beyond assumptions

Columbia School - pioneers (2 MAIN)

1. Lazzerfeld

2. Merton

Paul Lazzerfeld - Columbia

1901-1976

- Chain of Comunication

- direct effects

- very deterministic but very influential

chain communication network

ORIGINAL METHOD=

communicator + message + medium + receiver + effect

Robert Merton -Columbia

THEORY =any society has important cultural goals which provide a frame of aspirational reference

WHY PEOPLE DO WHAT THEY DO

- strain theory 1938

1. status confederal function

2. enforcement of social norms

3. narcotizing dysfunction

Columbia School - legacy

USES AND GRATIFICATIONS THEORY (KATZ, McQUAIL)

- understanding why people use certain types of media, what needs they have to use them, and what gratifications they get from using them.

Frankfurt in a nutshell

1. what media does to people

2. direct unlimited effects

3. stimulus < response model

4. mass influence

5. passive audience

Columbia in a nutshell

1. what people do with media

2. limited effects

3. two-step model

4. personal influence

5. active audience

6. theory base = people can be manipulated

7. how people respond

Administrative research (Columbia)

- founded by media outlets

- to do research (paid)

- working with the media realm to serve the market

- contribute to media ecology