TOPIC 3 SOCIETY AND MEDIA DEFINITION OF MEDIA
INTRODUCTION
The methods of communicating and networking between and within the world
community have become more varied due to the advancement of technologies in
this century. Socialising through the old and new media as well as various other
platforms has become a popular trend, a cultural innovation and a modern
lifestyle. Society has played an important role in the expansion of media.
As a concept, 'society' refers to a sense of mutual togetherness and sense of
belonging between two people or more. In social studies, society has various
definitions. According to McIver and Page (1961), society is described as an
organised social connection in and through human beings. Meanwhile, according
to Gillian and Gillian (1954), society is the biggest grouping in which mutual
customs, traditions, attitudes and feeling of togetherness are functioning.
Topic 3
Society and Media
By the end of this topic, you should be able to:
1. Define the terms media and mass media;
2. Explain theories on society and media; and
3. Describe the relations between society and media.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
TOPIC 3 SOCIETY AND MEDIA DEFINITION OF MEDIA
What is media? Media is a tool or best referred to as the medium to send
messages to a group of receivers or targeted groups. So, what is mass media? Mass
media refers to the medium of communication such as newspapers, radio or
television. It also includes billboards, films, manuscripts, cinema, magazines,
mails, telephone and so forth. These are also known as traditional media.
Modern media or new media is an interactive way of communicating through the
Internet which also includes various types of social media such as Facebook,
WeChat, WhatsApp, Twitter and Instagram. Mass media is designed to reach the
mass of the people. According to Ryan and Wentworth (1999), the term 'mass'
refers to the audience of the media.
THEORIES OF SOCIETY
Theory is a systematic way of expressing a person's thought or idea as part of a
discipline of knowledge. Theory is a basic fundamental for researcher(s) to
conduct a study of information to produce or expand knowledge in an academic
discipline. A theory is constructed using variables (dependent and independent)
focusing on the scope or concept of the researcher's study. The following subtopics
will look at the different theories related to society.
3.1
3.2
1. Assemble in a group. Identify what you share in common to form
a society. Name your society. Explain what your society is about.
2. Which social media are you most dependent on and why?
ACTIVITY 3.1
3.2.1 Functionalism
Figure 3.1: Émile Durkheim (1858-1917)
Source: http://cdarmangeat.blogspot.my/2015/04/bibliographie-de-la-division-sexuelle.html
Functionalism as propagated by Émile Durkheim (1858-1917) is an approach that
focuses on social equilibrium. If there is a change or an introduction of new
elements within a society, the community tries to be flexible and adjustable to
adapt itself to the changes so that society will remain functional and be able to
survive with the change. This effort gets adjusted with the changes (if any) which
require cooperation from all members of the affected society. We can liken this to
the scientific system of a food cycle in living creatures, where humans eat fish to
survive and fish eat weeds to survive in the ecosystem. Every person plays a
certain function within society.
3.2.2 Theories during the Age of Enlightenment
I have always thought the actions of men the best interpreters of their thoughts.
John Locke
Enlightenment philosophers cherish explanation a cause, science, religious
tolerance a and what they call 'natural rights' a life, liberty, and property. These
thinkers want to enlighten and improve human conditions.
John Locke (1632-1704) viewed human nature in an optimistic political approach.
He believed in the equality of all individuals, male and female, in the concept of
nature, and that humans have a right to autonomy and freedom.
John Locke believed that each person rationally pursues happiness and pleasure.
Locke considered women to have 'natural differences' from men, one that
justified domination of women by men. While property rights were an extremely
important individuality of male rights he did not believe that this could be
extended to women a thus denying women equality because of what Locke
regarded as the 'natural difference' between men and women.
Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712a1778) is best known for the concepts of social contract
and the state of nature. He stated that 'Man is born free; and everywhere he is in
chains' (Zeitlin, 1997). Rousseau (see Figure 3.2) began with an optimistic view of
human nature, that men are born perfect, that men are equal and have sympathy
with one another. He believed that people are generally isolated in a state of
nature, but with the development of cooperation, society begins to develop, and it
is society that creates inequality and war.
Figure 3.2: Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712a1778)
Source: http://www.philosophypages.com/hy/5d.htm
Rousseau argued that moral and political inequalities are purely conventional in
origin. He was one of the earliest ideologists to discuss 'inequality in society' and
argued that change could occur in a way that would overcome some of the
inequalities. This is what he termed the social contract, whereby the individual is
absorbed into the common, general will and without losing his own will.
THEORIES OF MEDIA
In this subtopic, we will further explore two other theories or concept that is
believed to be closely related to society and media. In order to analyse the link
between media and children, youth groups or society as a whole, in a more
meaningful manner, we would need to initially understand that the link is
complex and that none of them exists in a vacuum.
3.3.1 Media and the Public Sphere
Habermasism is a poststructuralist approach made popular by Jürgen Habermas
(1929), focusing on the relation between media and the public sphere. Habermas
(see Figure 3.3) defines the public sphere as a virtual or imaginary community
which does not necessarily exist in any identifiable space. In its ideal form, the
public sphere is 'made up of private people gathered together as a public and
articulating the needs of society with the state' (Media Studies, 2007). Starting
from the 1830s, political powers influenced the middle-class. Bourgeois became
known as the key factor that weakened the public sphere and flattened the printed
mass media by existence and participation of public relations and advertising
which Habermas also referred to as political tactics in buying consumers over
media.
1. Among the three philosophers discussed, which two do you think
differed the most? Why?
2. Work in groups of three. Pick one philosopher for each group. Ask
each group to search for more information about the chosen
philosopher. Discuss their thoughts and approaches with the rest
of your coursemates.
ACTIVITY 3.2
Figure 3.3: Jürgen Habermas (1929apresent)
Source: https://www.citelighter.com/philosophy/
philosophy/knowledgecards/jurgen-habermas
The Internet today perhaps would best be described as the new public sphere
(which is also an important essential of modern polity) where people all over the
world use as a medium to express and share thoughts, news, and information with
the mutual community (Mohd Azizuddin Mohd Sani, 2009).
3.3.2 Dependency Theory
According to this theory, society or communities are dependent on the media. This
theory is a contribution to the 'uses and gratification theory' by Katz, Blumler and
Gurevitch (1974). Figure 3.4 shows the dependency model by Sandra Ball-Rokeach
and Melvin DeFleur (1976). The model shows the relationship between media,
society and audience; and its effects on the audience's cognitive, affective and
behavioural patterns.
Figure 3.4: Dependency model
Source: Ball-Rokeach and DeFleur (1976)
According to Littlejohn and Foss (2005), the following two key factors contribute
to audience dependency towards media:
(a) Media usage fulfil audience needs; and
(b) Social stability.
Ball-Rokeach and DeFleur (1976) further discuss the first factor by explaining that
you will be more dependent on media that meets a number of needs than on media
that satisfies just one need. Media can serve a number of functions, such as
monitoring government activities, reporting news, enabling you to keep in touch
with friends and providing entertainment. On the other hand, the second factor
describes how the reliance on media will increase when social change and conflict
are high. For example, during the Arab Spring, people were more dependent on
social media such as smartphones, Twitter, Facebook and e-mail to get more
information about events, protests, as well as demonstrations and later mobilising
revolutionary sentiment. Having more audience dependent on any media will
increase the influence that media has over the audience.
Go online and conduct research on the dependency theory in the media
industry. Explain the impact of media on cognitive, effective and
behavioural effects using the theory.
ACTIVITY 3.3
? Society and media complement each other.
? Communities depend on media technologies to get information and
knowledge.
? Media technology has now become a necessity in the daily lives of people all
over the world. Media is used as tools for people to spread and share what they
know as well.
? Theory is constructed using variables to focus on the area of study by a
researcher.
? Functionalism focuses on social equilibrium. Communities will try to be
flexible and adjustable to adapt to new changes in society so that they remain
functional and able to survive with change.
? John Locke had an optimistic political approach to human nature in that he
believed all individuals were equal and had a right to autonomy and freedom.
? Rousseau was one the first ideologists to discuss inequality in society. 'Social
contract' was the term he used to explain how individuals would be absorbed
into the common general will without losing their own will.
? Theories of media include Habermasism and the dependency theory.
? Public sphere is defined as a virtual or imaginary community which does not
necessarily exist in any identifiable space.
? The dependency theory focuses on the relationship between media, society
and audience. It also explores the effects of these factors on an audience's
cognitive, affective and behavioural patterns.
? Media usage and social stability are the two key factors that contribute to
audience dependency on media.
Dependency theory
Equality
Functionalism
Habermasism
Mass media
Media usage
Modern media
Natural rights
Political inequalities
Public sphere
Traditional media
Ball-Rokeach, S., & DeFleur, M. (1976). Theories of mass communication (3rd ed.).
New York, NY: Longman.
Constitutional Rights Foundation. (2004). Constitutional rights foundation, bill of
rights in Action: Hobbes, Locke, Montesquieu, and Rosseau on government.
Retrieved from http://www.crf-usa.org/bill-of-rights-in-action/bria-20-2-
c-hobbes-locke-montesquieu-and-rousseau-on-government.html
Gillian, J. L., & Gillian, J. P. (1954). Cultural sociology. New York, NJ: Macmillan.
Katz, E., Blumler, J. G., & Gurevitch, M. (1974). Uses and gratifications research.
Public Opinion Quarterly, 37(4), 509-523.
Littlejohn, S. W., & Foss, K. A. (2005). Theories of human communication
(8th ed.). Toronto, Canada: Thomson Wadsworth.
McIver, R. M., & Page, C. H. (1961). Society: An introductory analysis. London,
England: Macmillan.
Media Studies. (2007). Jurgen Habermas and the Pulic Sphere. Retrieved from
http://www.media-studies.ca/articles/habermas.htm
Mohd Azizuddin Mohd Sani. (2009). The public sphere and media politics in
Malaysia. Newcastle upon Tyne, England: Cambridge Scholars.
Ryan, J., & Wentworth, W. M. (1999). Media and society: The production of culture
in the mass media. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
Zeitlin, I. (1997). Ideology and development of sociology theory (6th ed.). Upper
Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
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