Chapter 6
Functionalists believe the function of media is to entertain. They also socialize us, enforce social norms, confer status, and promote consumption.
Agent of Socialization – The media increase social cohesion by presenting a common, more or less standardized view of culture through mass communication.
Enforcer of Social Norms – The media often reaffirm proper behavior by showing what happens to people who act in a way that violate societal expectations. These messages are conveyed when the bad guy gets clobbered in cartoons or is thrown in jail on CSI. Yet the media also sometimes glorify disapproved behavior, when it is physical violence, disrespect to a teacher or drug use.
Media does also play a critical in human sexuality. Many people object to the widespread availability of pornography on the web. Others are concerned about the way sexual predators use chat rooms to take advantage of children.
Conferral of Status – The mass media confer status on people, organizations, and public issues. Whether it is an issue like the homeless or a celebrity. They single out one from thousands of other similarly placed issues or people to become significant.
Promotion of Consumption – Twenty thousand commercials a year is the average number of commercials the average child in the United States watches on television.
Narcotizing Dysfunction – The phenomenon in which the media provide such massive amounts of coverage that the audience becomes numb and fails to act on the information.
The conflict theorist believes in a process called gatekeeping. Gatekeeping is an individual who decides where ads go and what timeframe to a certain age group it will appeal to the most.
C. Wright Mills observed the real power of the media is that they can control what is being presented.
Gatekeeping in the internet is that the media can send virtual messages to an electronic