Linking key terms

1
Linking key terms

• L.O. To be able to link and apply key terms to
  different sociological theories about media usage

Key terms Decoding, Uses gratifications
approach, Agenda setting, Norm referencing

• Starter With your partner, discuss what you
  would think of The Only Way is Essex if you were
• a 15 year old girl
• A 26 year old female professional
• A 46 year old male doctor
• A 70 year old retired male bus driver

2
Decoding audience are active decoders of tv
content i.e. different people interpret tv
content in a different way

1. What factors do you think could affect the way
   different people decode media content e.g. age?
2. Explain the difference between active and passive
   consumers.
3. Explain how the decoding theory is different to
   the hypodermic syringe theory.
4. Why is this theory inconsistent with the conflict
   approach theory?

3
Make a list of all the reasons why people watch TV

• Uses Gratifications theory (McQuail 2003)
  looks at what we get out of the media i.e. what
  use is it to us? What gratification (enjoyment)
  do we get from it?
• Information (e.g news, documentaries)
• Personal Identity (e.g. watching talk shows to
  get an insight into ourselves)
• Personal relationships (e.g. substitute for real
  life relationships by watching reality tv shows)
• Entertainment diversion

4

• Agenda Setting the theory that the mass media
  focus on particular news stories so limit what
  information we receive.

1. Does this sound like a Marxist, feminist or
   functionalist theory?
2. In what ways has technological change made this
   theory less convincing?
3. Explain how this theory fits with the conflict
   approach.
4. Explain how this theory fits with the pluralist
   approach.

5
Norm Referencing The mass media refers to
particular groups in society in either a positive
or negative way.

• 1) Give one example of a social group that is
  portrayed in a positive way and one that is
  portrayed in a negative way.
• 2) How does the term folk devil fit in with
  this theory?
• 3) How does the term labelling fit in with this
  theory?
• 4) Why may sociologists argue that norm
  referencing is dangerous?

6
Key Term Review

• Without looking back at your notes, write a short
  paragraph about each of the following key terms
• Decoding approach
• Uses gratifications approach
• Agenda setting
• Norm referencing

7
Impact of Technological Change

• L.O. To be able to analyse the impact of
  technological change on
• politics
• democracy
• media audiences

Key terms Digitalisation, convergence,
interactivity, digital divide
Starter Match the statistic with the fact
35.9 million
people in the world own a toothbrush
of houses in the UK have digital TV
4.8 billion
80
of houses in the UK have internet access
3.5...
people in the world have a mobile phone
households in the US have 4 or more TVs
60
of the population of Africa have access to the
internet
4.2 billion
8
Impact of Technological Change

• L.O. To be able to analyse the impact of
  technological change on
• politics
• democracy
• media audiences

Key terms Digitalisation, convergence,
interactivity, digital divide
Starter Match the statistic with the fact
35.9 million
households in the US have 4 or more TVs
4.8 billion
people in the world have a mobile phone
80
of houses in the UK have digital TV
of the population of Africa have access to the
internet
3.5...
60
of houses in the UK have internet access
4.2 billion
people in the world own a toothbrush
9
Recap

• What is new media?
• What does technological change mean?
• What does stratification mean?

A the way society is structured or statified
into different levels, with the richest at the
top and poorest at the bottom
10
Digital Divide (Boyle 2005)

• Stratification between those with access to new
  media those who dont.
• Wealth
• Education
• Age
• Geography

11
Development in technology What the term means What the development means for the consumer
Digitalization
Interactivity
Convergence
The internet
Multi-channel television, ability to record,
remind, select shows
Consumer is actively choosing what to watch when
Consumer is actively taking part in a
show/accessing further info
Pressing the red button to interact with shows
e.g. vote, get further info
Lots of forms of multimedia in one product e.g.
smart phones
Easier access to information at any time, in any
place
Access to a huge amount of information, although
not necessarily accurate
World wide wireless access to information through
multimedia
12
Has technological development led to a reduction
in the power influence of media owners?

1. Which approach would agree with this conflict
   or pluralist?
2. Why would some sociologists agree with this
   statement?
3. Why would some sociologists disagree with this
   statement?

13
Could the internet safeguard democracy?

1. What does democracy mean?
2. In what ways does the internet safeguard
   democracy?
3. In what ways does the internet undermine
   democracy?

14
Exam Questions

• Describe one way in which individuals/groups
  could use the internet in order to participate in
  the political process and explain how this might
  give them power. (5 marks)
• Describe one way in which the mass media could
  have a negative effect on turnout in a general
  election and explain why this could be a problem
  in a democratic society. (5 marks)