1. Does Media Effect Our Behaviour?

Question 1

1. Individual Perspectives

Answer 1

• Norris: claim that media coverage of political issues can influence voting behaviour.
• Gerbner et al: focused on representations of violence in certain types of media and suggest that these contribute to violent crime and antisocial forms of behaviour in real life (especially among the young)
• Some Sociologists have focused on the power of advertising and how it may have an instant effect on the sales of a product, especially if it is promoted by a celebrity. Many advertisements are aimed at children and use ‘pester power’ to promote product.

Question 2

2. Theoretical Perspectives

Answer 2

• Feminists such as Morgan etc have suggested that the consumption of pornography encourages sexual violence / negative attitudes towards women.

• Feminists; Orbach: Expressed concerns about the representations of young women, particularly size zero models that may produce a generation of females with eating disorders
• Feminist Gunter: critical of representation of gender roles within the media (men advertising cars and women advertising washing up liquid have subtle effects)

• Interactionists such as Cohen: media creates moral panics which increase social anxiety and have even led to changes in social policy

• Marxists such as Marcuse: media transmitted a ‘mass culture’ which was directly injected into the hearts and minds of the population making them more vulnerable to bourgeoisie propaganda
- Contemporary Marxists: way the media is organised enforces cultural values that reflect the ruling class ideology.

Question 3

3. Two Main Aspects of Media Effects Debate

Answer 3

1. Important to separate effects on behaviour from effects on attitudes
2. Claims that media has an effect upon its audiences can also be divided into…
   - Those who assume audiences are passive, homogeneous and vulnerable
   - Those who assume audiences are actively interacting with media and are using media to help them make choices about their identities

Question 4

Summary

Answer 4

1. Individual Perspectives
2. Theoretical Perspectives
3. Two Aspects of Media Effects Debate