Why do sociologists have to deal with mass media? Mass media is a big part of modern societies. It seems to be omnipresent and therefore has an impact on societies. It influences and changes society, it favours and it discriminates certain groups of the society. The effect on the audience is not arbitrary but dependent on issues of strong interest for sociology namely, class, gender, social context, ethnicity but also other factors like age and sexuality. Since the 1960s media research expanded to examine the effects on the audience and its feedback.
In this essay we will examine how the mass media reinforces social inequalities. To do this we will take a brief look at what kind of social inequalities existed in the era before the appearance of the mass media. Then the way of how the mass media reinforces these existing social inequalities today, towards the way in which minorities will be treated. Moreover the focus of this essay will shift to how different groups of people can approach the mass media in terms of its access. Finally this text will give a brief outlook to the possible future development will be presented in its outlines.
In addition to that lopsidedness will be avoided by portraying not only the incriminatory theories that affirm the reinforcement of social inequalities through the media like the functionalist theory or the Marxist′s point of view but also some imposing views.
′Media′ is the plural word of ′medium′. "A medium is a means of communication such as print, radio or television. The mass media are defined as a large-scale organization which use one or more of these technologies to communicate with large numbers of people." (Marshall 1996: 313). ′Social inequalities′ are "unequal rewards or opportunities for different individuals within a group or groups within a society" (Marshall 1996: 313). We have to be very critical with that definition otherwise we can find an unjust treatment for every person and therefore everybody would be unequally treated.
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Table of Contents
1. Why do sociologists have to deal with mass media?
2. In this essay we will examine how the mass media reinforces social inequalities.
3. ‘Media’ is the plural word of ‘medium’.
4. Some social inequalities that were established in the society of the past were for example, slavery, woman, disability.
5. Let us say that mass media emerged around the middle of the 17th century.
6. According to functionalists like Lazarsfeld, Merton and McQuail the media informs its clients about the world they live in.
7. Franklin D. Roosevelt, the thirty-second President of the USA (1933-1945) who was hit with poliomyelitis.
8. But media is also able to reinforce inequalities in different manners.
9. Other cases in which the media supported the biased view of the audience in consideration of disadvantaged social groups are for example the movies.
10. Until the 1970s gangsters, criminals, outlaws and so forth, were often figured in films by people of black colour.
11. Has the situation for minorities improved up until 2002?
12. The fact that the mass media is owned by fewer people, the so-called media moguls.
13. The concentration of ownership of the media makes the owners to global players.
14. The language aspect applies equally to another medium, namely the film.
15. Media conglomerates try to dominate the markets for instance through the distribution of U.S. films.
16. But not only films and TV-news reinforce existing inequalities, newspapers contribute to it as well.
17. On the basis of the previous paragraphs it can be ascertained in advance that discrimination of minorities takes place through all kinds of media.
18. I introduced already the issue of commercials.
19. Multinational corporations, like the big soft drink producers, with markets all over the world also advertise in almost every country.
20. Up until now mainly negative facts about the mass media were mentioned.
21. So far we have regarded how certain groups of people are displayed in the media.
22. Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) contributed to produce gender, claims Stephen Lax (2001: 47).
23. A further inequality is the ownership of computers.
24. As I mentioned already above language, media and inequality are connected.
25. The Internet can also be a very important agent for minorities because publishing in it is quite cheap in comparison to other types of mass media.
26. One theory that tries to explain the idea that people can be influenced through propaganda, commercials, or hidden discrimination is the ‘Silver Bullet Model’ or ‘Hypodermic Needle Model’.
27. How might the future be perceived as?
28. Another point to be taken into consideration is the uncontrolled impact of the media towards the audience.
29. The main conclusion of this essay is that the mass media still reinforces social inequalities.
30. To use modern media-technology, money and special skills are necessary.
31. It is a great pity that the mass media does not persuade fair treatment of all kinds of people.
Research Objectives and Themes
The primary objective of this work is to investigate the extent to which mass media perpetuates and reinforces historical and contemporary social inequalities. The central research question examines how media structures, ownership, and content representations influence societal power dynamics and the marginalization of specific groups.
- Mechanisms of media influence on social perception and inequality
- Historical evolution of media influence and social representation
- The economic motivations behind media ownership and content production
- Socio-economic barriers in accessing Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs)
- The role of media in stereotyping marginalized communities
Excerpt from the Book
The Role of Media in Reinforcing Existing Social Inequalities
The fact that the mass media is owned by fewer people, the so-called media moguls, does not contribute in soothing existing social inequalities. The opposite is the case. Marxists argue that the rich, who own the media, use it to influence the masses (Macionis & Plummer 1997: 587). This influence can be for instance assumed when the news are about strikes. The owners of the media do not want to lose their power, so the event is shown in a way that suits them. If the strike of the employees will endanger their position, violence of the strikers against the employers might be shown. The audience might understand this violence as unjustified and therefore might not support it. Hence it follows information can be published in a way to favour different social groups, usually the ones who are better off and to discriminate others, usually those who are poor. This unfair treatment of the less well-off is nothing new, but the usage of the mass media to occasionally evoke a wrong public opinion is something new.
The concentration of ownership of the media makes the owners to global players, which own newspapers, journals, TV-networks and radio stations around the world. The aim of the media moguls is to make profit. To make profit a big audience has to be approached through media products, be it a magazine, a tabloid or a TV-show. In this business money is mainly earned through commercials. Since minorities are a small part of a society they are no real target group for commercials. TV-programmes, newspapers and so forth would be very expensive without or little advertisements.
Summary of Chapters
The fact that the mass media is owned by fewer people, the so-called media moguls: This chapter analyzes how concentrated media ownership by a wealthy elite serves to maintain power and influence public perception in favor of dominant social groups.
The concentration of ownership of the media makes the owners to global players: This section discusses the profit-driven nature of media corporations and explains why marketing interests often lead to the neglect or stereotyping of minority groups in media content.
Keywords
Mass Media, Social Inequality, Media Ownership, Minorities, Stereotyping, Commercialization, Propaganda, Information Technology, Digital Divide, Socio-economic Status, Media Moguls, Representation, Ideology, Globalization, Social Norms
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this sociological work?
The work investigates the complex relationship between mass media and the maintenance of social inequality, examining how media content and ownership structures impact the perception of marginalized groups.
What are the primary thematic fields covered?
Key themes include media ownership concentration, the role of media in gender and racial stereotyping, the impact of information technology access, and the influence of commercial pressures on public discourse.
What is the central research question?
The essay explores how the mass media reinforces existing social inequalities and whether these mechanisms of influence have changed or evolved in the era of modern media and digital technology.
Which methodology is employed in this research?
The author utilizes a sociological theoretical framework, referencing functionalist and Marxist perspectives, combined with qualitative analysis of historical and contemporary media representations.
What topics are discussed in the main body?
The main body covers the historical roots of social inequality, the influence of propaganda, gender and race in advertising, the digital divide regarding technology ownership, and the role of global media conglomerates.
Which keywords define this study?
Relevant keywords include Mass Media, Social Inequality, Media Ownership, Stereotyping, Commercialization, and Media Moguls.
How did media represent figures like Franklin D. Roosevelt?
The media played a crucial role in framing Roosevelt's disability by intentionally concealing his physical limitations to maintain his image as a "strong" and "normal" leader, thus reinforcing societal prejudice against disability.
What role does the 'Silver Bullet Model' play in this discussion?
The author discusses this theory to explain the historical assumption that audiences are passive recipients of media messages, though the author notes that modern sociological perspectives now recognize the audience as more active.
- Quote paper
- Robert Conrad (Author), 2002, How, if at all, have the mass media reinforced social inequalities?, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/8222
