COMM610 F10/Class notes

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Media effects doctoral seminar

• Sandra J. Ball-Rokeach

Contents 1 Aug 24 1.1 Homework 1.2 Direct effect models 1.3 Mass society 1.4 Durkheim 1.5 Katz, Lazersfeld 1.6 "Opinion leaders" 1.6.1 Selectivity processes 1.7 2 step flow 1.7.1 "Weak effects model" 1.8 2 step flow today

Aug 24

• "Tiger ladies"
• Women successful in SBRs experience of 60s aca fields
• Stereotype of lacking collegiality

Homework

1para each, email to SBR:

• What is the nature of human nature?
• What is the proper social order?
• Is equality possible?

Direct effect models

• WWII era
• Using movies, and other entertainment media to inculcate soldiers with anti-German feelings
• Early days of behaviorism
  • Pavlov, operant conditioning
• Conception of human nature based on universal "drives"
• Message is unfiltered
  • "Magic bullet"
  • "Hypodermic needle"

Mass society

• Homogeneous
• Individuals are anonymous to each other
• K. Genevieve case, complete privatization, individuation
• Nothing exists but for the "I"
  • In "traditional societies", people speak of "we"
  • Modern society provides a breaking point for "I" from "We"
• Only thing that people share is the media
  • Media is all-powerful, only filter on the "I"

Durkheim

• People need allegiances to groups and society "as a whole"
• Social system made up of many parts
• Study requires engaging with interacting parts
  • Not enough to look at one part alone

Katz, Lazersfeld

• Laz working at Columbia.edu
  • Later accused of doing "Administrative research", research for the benefit of the wealthy, powerful
• Did not believe that it was a "mass society"
• Classic studies in political campaigns
  • Peoples Choice, best methodology for its time on studying political campaigns
  • Laid foundation for "2-step flow" model

"Opinion leaders"

• Different interests within a group
• Individuals become experts of a kind on various topics
  • Take on a kind of knowledge labor for the group
  • Filtering
• Each interpersonal group reconstructs the media "message" in its own image via selectivity processes

Selectivity processes

• Exposure, choosing which and how much media
• Perception, different perception based on norms, values, needs, interests, attitudes
• Retention

2 step flow

• Message is sent
• Received by opinion leader
• Opinion leader reshapes the message
• Opinion leader re-transmits the message to the group

"Weak effects model"

"Conservative" theory

• Group is entirely in charge of the message
• Message reconstructed to conform to what the group already believes
• Power of media to bring about change is "little, if any"

2 step flow today

• Remains the dominant model
• Katz Personal influence is still in print