chapter 1 - understanding theory
TRANSCRIPT
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MASS COMMUNICATION
THEORY
BARAN & DAVIS (2012)CHAPTER 1
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DEFINING & REDEFINING MASS/MEDIATED COMMUNICATION
What is Mass Communication?
Consider what you know about the early
days of radio and televisionwhat wasmeant by mass?
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WRIGHT'S (1959) DEFINITION OF MASS
COMMUNICATION:
Directed toward large, heterogeneous, and
anonymous audiences.
Messages are transmitted publicly, often timed
to reach audience members simultaneously.
The communicator tends to be, or to operatewithin, a complex organization that may involve
great expense.
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DEFINING & REDEFINING MASS/MEDIATED COMMUNICATION
What are characteristics of the
new media environment?
Does this change
the meaning of
mass communication?
If so, how?
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SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF THE NEW MEDIAENVIRONMENT (MCMANUS, 1994)
Even 19 years ago, he identified these:
Previously distinct technologies are merging.
Media scarcity --> Media abundance
Shift to content tailored for groups or individuals.
Shift from one-way to interactive media.
Any others to add?
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SCIENCE & HUMAN BEHAVIOR
SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF SCIENCE
1.Uses logical reasoning
2. Uses systematic methods
3. Grounded in empirical data
4. Intersubjective
5. Replicable
6. Cumulative, open to modification
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THE WHEEL OF SCIENCE
Data-gathering
Empirical
Generalizations
Theory
Hypothesis
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SCIENCE IS BASED ON THE LOGIC OFCAUSALITY
Often people think of causes as
necessary or sufficient (cause of flu;
cause of death) But many causes are neither
necessary nor sufficient (Does flu
cause death?)
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REQUIREMENTS FOR CAUSALITY
1. Relationship
between two variables
2. Time order: Cause
precedes effect
3. Rule out other
explanations
(third variables)
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CHALLENGES IN SOCIAL SCIENCE
RESEARCH Human behavior and aspects of our social environment
are difficult to measure
Human behavior is complexall things in the socialworld have multiple causes
Humans have goals and are self-reflexive
The idea of causality in human behavior can betroubling: Does the notion of causality mean people
have no free will?
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THEORY
Basic definition of theory from Littlejohn & Foss (2008):
Any organized set of concepts, explanations, and
principles of some aspect of human experience.
Types of theories differ in assumptions about:
Ontology: The nature of reality, what is knowable
Epistemology: How knowledge is created & expanded
Axiology: The proper role of values in research and
theory building.
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TYPES OF THEORIES
Different school of thoughts define theory differently
depending on their goals and their beliefs about the
social world and knowledge construction.
Social Scientific Theory* [Postpositivist]
Hermeneutic Theory
Critical Theory
Normative Theory
*The others are not generally considered scientific
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TYPES OF THEORIES
Social Scientific Theory
Assumes knowledge about the social world can be
gained through scientific method and empirical data But recognizes that humans have goals, make choices, & make sense of
their world
Strives for objectivity (minimizes influence of subjectivity
on research)
Goals: Explanation, prediction and control
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TYPES OF THEORIES
Hermeneutic Theory
Focuses on understanding and interpreting the social world
When applied to people (as opposed to texts), focuses onhow they interpret and create meaning from their social
experiences
Believes that reality is socially constructed
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TYPES OF THEORIES
Critical Theory
Describes but also criticizes the social world
Concerned with the structure of power and oppression insociety, human agency, and the struggle between the two
Openly political and focused on changing the social world for
the better
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TYPES OF THEORIES
Normative Theory
This type of theory explains how ideal media ought tooperate within a specific system of social values
e.g., the four theories of the press
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CONCLUSION
There is no single definition or the right definition of
theory.
Theory is defined differently based on different schools
of thoughts, with different goals and different
contributions to knowledge.
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THINKING ABOUT THEORY: SEE PAGES 19-20 IN THE TEXTBOOK
Review the questions posed about new technologies, such as
the Internet, Facebook, mobile phones
Consider which questionsraised in the book, or newquestionsthat you think need to be answered
How can these questions be answered? What approach(es)
could be used?