Thursday, Dec. 1

1
Thursday, Dec. 1

• Questions from Tuesday?
• Ad content assignment concerns or questions?
• Uses and gratifications
• The real world vs the reel world
• Final study guide review

2
Uses and gratifications

• What people do with media
• Information
• Personal identity
• Integration and social interaction
• Entertainment

3
Information

• Find out about relevant events and conditions
• Seek advice on practical matters or opinion
• Satisfy curiosity and general interest
• Learn

4
Personal identity

• Find reinforcement for personal values
• Find role models
• Identify with valued other (in the media)

5
Integration and social interaction

• Gain insight into circumstances of others
• Identify with others to gain a sense of belonging
• Have a basis for conversation and social
  interaction
• Have a substitute for real-life companionship

6
Entertainment

• Escape or relax
• Get intrinsic cultural or aesthetic enjoyment
• Fill time
• Emotional release
• Sexual arousal

7
An important assumption underlying cultivation
theory

• Mass media portray a consistent image
• Eg. TV world
• Eg. The Mook and The Midriff

8
How does the cultivation theory relate to
stereotypes?

• Mass media portray homogenous images
• Mass media portray attitudes already in culture
  (conservative function)
• If stereotypes exist in culture, media will
  likely propagate and maintain them

9
The real world vs. the reel world

• Some groups arent portrayed in media
• Less than 3 of people portrayed on TV are over
  65
• Disabled rarely shown
• Only 10 of actors are service or blue collar
  workers
• In US about 67 of the US labor force have blue
  collar or service jobs

10
Latinos in the reel world

• 12 of Americans are Latinos
• Only 6.5 of prime time actors are Latinos
• Only 4 are Latino youth
• Stereotypical portrayals
• Lazy or alcoholic
• The Latin Lover
• Spitfires
• Gang members
• Maids and gardeners

Data from US Census web site Data from class
readings
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African-Americans in the reel world

• 13 of people in the US are African American
• 16 of prime time actors are African-American
• 16 of actors are African-American youth
• Stereotypical portrayals in the media
• Singing or rapping
• Playing football, basketball, or baseball
• Involved in crime-related activities
• Portrayed as welfare recipients or sex and drug
  addicts

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Asians in the reel world

• 4 of Americans are Asian-Americans
• 4 of adult actors are Asian
• 1 of youth are Asian
• Asian-American women portrayed in stereotypical
  ways
• The Lotus Blossom
• Dragon Lady

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Women in reel world

• Only 35 of prime time actors are female
• 41 of actors are girls
• In the real world Average American woman is
  54, 140 lbs
• Wears a size 14 dress
• In the reel world Average fashion model is 510
  and weighs 110 pounds
• Thinner than 98 of American women

14
Summary of cultivation theory

• Mass media tell us what is normal
• Primary cultural storytellers
• This has important implications for us
• Creates a skewed vision of reality
• Perpetuates stereotypes

15
Cultivation theory and uses and gratifications

• Information
• Youth learn about stereotypes
• Personal identity
• Stereotypical images may not facilitate positive
  identity development
• Few and negative role models

16
Final study guide

• Refer to hand-out

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Upcoming assignment due dates

• Ad content assignment due Dec. 6
• Instructions and grading outline online
• Term papers due Dec. 8
• Instructions and grading outline online
• Final Monday, Dec. 12 from 245 5pm
• Final study guide online

18
Next week

• Read
• Gerbner, Television Violence At a Time of
  Turmoil and Terror