Transcript Section 2: Mass Media as a Social Institution History of Mass Media

Sociology
Chapter 15
Science and the Mass Media
Preview
Section 1: Science as a Social Institution
Section 2: Mass Media as a Social Institution
Chapter Wrap-Up
Sociology
Chapter 15
Section 1: Science as a Social Institution
Read to Discover
• What factors have contributed to the
institutionalization of science?
• How do the norms of scientific research
differ from the realities of scientific
research?
Sociology
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Section 1: Science as a Social Institution
The Institution of Science
• Science emerged as a recognizable system of study in
Greece during the 300s B.C. and was reborn in Europe in
the 1300s as a result of the following factors:
– The Renaissance began in Italy in the 1300s
– The Printing Press facilitated the spread of scientific
knowledge
– The Age of Exploration encouraged advances in
math and astronomy, and sparked curiosity with
biological samples brought back from distant lands
– The Protestant Reformation lessened resistance to
scientific inquiry
Sociology
Chapter 15
Section 1: Science as a Social Institution
The Institution of Science
• The Scientific Revolution emerged in the 1500s,
redefining the nature of the universe, the methods of
scientific research, and the functions of science
• The Enlightenment supported reason over religious
beliefs, using the scientific method and scientific facts
• Industrialization led to the emergence of modern
science in the late 1800s and early 1900s; the central
ideal was progress, and most people saw science as a
tool of progress
Sociology
Chapter 15
Section 1: Science as a Social Institution
Question
How do the norms of scientific
research differ from the realities?
Sociology
Chapter 15
Section 1: Science as a Social Institution
Realities of
Scientific
Research
Norms of
Scientific
Research
 Universalism
 Organized
Skepticism
 Communalism
 Disinterestedness
 Counter-norms
Although
many
scientists try
to or would
like to follow
Merton’s
norms, reality
often falls
short of
this ideal




Fraud
Competition
Matthew Effect
Conflicting
Views of
Reality
Sociology
Chapter 15
Section 1: Science as a Social Institution
NORMS:
• Universalism—Scientific research should be judged solely on
the basis of quality
• Organized Skepticism—No scientific finding or theory is
exempt from questioning
• Communalism—All scientific knowledge should be made
available to everyone in the scientific community
• Disinterestedness—Scientists seek truth, not personal gain
• Counter-norms—Opposite of the four norms above, adopted
by scientists when the issues of their research are not clearly
defined
Sociology
Chapter 15
Section 1: Science as a Social Institution
REALITIES:
• Fraud—Falsification or misrepresentation of scientific data
• Competition—Scientific achievement is measured in terms of peer
recognition and can lead to financial rewards and job security;
competition can result in refusal to share data, a rush to publish
causing possible inaccuracy, and even publishing data with
intentional inaccuracies
• The Matthew Effect—Honors and recognition tend to go to those
who have already achieved recognition
• Conflicting Views of Reality—People define reality in a certain way
and act accordingly; the scientific community’s perception of reality at
any point in time determines appropriate topics for research, methods
which should be used, and even acceptable interpretations of data
Sociology
Chapter 15
Section 2: Mass Media as a
Social Institution
Read to Discover
• What are the major developments in the
history of mass media, and what are the types
of mass media in the United States?
• How do the sociological perspectives of mass
media differ?
• What are some contemporary mass-media
issues?
Sociology
Chapter 15
Section 2: Mass Media as a
Social Institution
History of Mass Media
• Writing and Paper—a written language was
needed to record business and other
transactions; paper was developed some time
between 3100 and 2500 B.C.
• Printing Press—during the 1450s Johannes
Gutenberg developed movable type
Sociology
Chapter 15
Section 2: Mass Media as a
Social Institution
History of Mass Media
• The Industrial Age—with rising standards of
education and increasing requirements for factory
work and life in the city, more people learned to
read and write
• The Computer and the Information Society—
the digital computer completely transformed the
way people store and access information
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Section 2: Mass Media as a
Social Institution
Types of Mass Media
• Print Media—include newspapers, magazines,
and books
• Audio Media—sound recordings and radio
• Visual Media—movies, television, DVDs, and
videocassettes
• Online Media—Internet
• Convergence—integration of different media
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Section 2: Mass Media as a
Social Institution
Sociological Perspectives of Mass Media
• The Functionalist Perspective—focuses on the
ways in which mass media help to preserve
social stability
• The Conflict Perspective—focuses on how
mass media serve to maintain the existing social
order
Sociology
Chapter 15
Section 2: Mass Media as a
Social Institution
Question
What are some contemporary mass
media issues?
Sociology
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Section 2: Mass Media as a
Social Institution
Contemporary Mass-Media Issues
 Children watching
too much television
 Disengagement from
direct social contact
 Violence on television  Decline in social capital
 Ratings systems and  Internet causing decline in
parental controls
face-to-face relationships
 Advertising targeting  The power of the media;
children
agenda-setting
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Chapter Wrap-Up Understanding Main Ideas
1. What four factors contributed to the rebirth of science in Europe?
2. How did world exploration influence societal behavior and the
growth of scientific learning?
3. What forces combined to encourage the development of the urban
newspaper?
4. How do age, education, and income affect media consumption?
How have new technologies affected this trend?
5. What functions do the media serve?
6. According to conflict sociologists, how does the knowledge gap
help maintain social inequality?
7. According to Robert Putnam, how has television led to a decline in
the country’s social capital?