CULTIVATION THEORY

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CULTIVATION THEORY

• OF George GERBNER

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Basic Idea

• Heavy viewing of television creates an
  exaggerated belief in a mean and scary world
• This television effect is enhanced because of the
  decline of religion as the major storyteller in
  society
• Television is the major source of violent images

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Defining Violence

• Overt expression of physical force (with or
  without a weapon, against self or others) to
  compel involuntary action
• Incidence of portrayal of violence fairly
  constant
• Two-thirds of major characters caught up in
  violence heroes as likely to be implicated as
  villains
• Less privileged members of society more likely to
  be victimized such people are under-represented
  AND victimized.
• Marginalized people express the most FEAR of
  violence

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Heavy Viewers

• Are less selective in what they view
• More likely to expect to be involved in violence
• More worried about walking alone at night
• More likely to overestimate the size of law
  enforcement
• Are more distrustful of people

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Mainstreaming

• Mainstreaming is what happens when heavy viewers
  develop a commonality of outlook through constant
  exposure to the same images and labels
• They tend to be conservative but describe
  themselves as moderate

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Resonance

• Resonance occurs when repeated symbolic
  portrayals of violence cause viewers to replay
  real-life experiences with violence over and
  over.
• Resonance amplifies cultivation patterns

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Critique

• Heavy viewers often more likely to live in
  dangerous neighborhoods
• Correlations between heavy TV viewing and belief
  in a mean and scary world tend to be only small,
  but they are consistent
• Could it be that the mean and scary world belief
  causes heavy television viewing?