Lesson APPROACHES TO THE RELATIONSHIP
4 BETWEEN MEDIA AND SOCIETY
Few will argue about the critical im
significant is interrogatin
interact.
portance that media play in society. What is more
ig the various Perspectives that frame how media and societyMedia and Social Control
The first approach is the mass society approach which sees society as an integrated
whole, with structures and institutions holding power and authority and exerting
Control over society. The concept of “mass” arose during the 19th century, along with the
phenomenon of industrialization and the creation of a working class. Personal, traditional,
and communal ties within family and community were slowly being eroded and replaced
with more individualistic and impersonal connections. Bennett (1982, 30) notes that the
term “mass” suggests more than the common sense notion of large groups of people;
instead, it implied that the creation of media was now directed toward an undifferentiated
audience, and that the traditional categories used in segregating audiences (e.g., gender,
class, location, and even race) are dispensed with.
The media is seen as a powerful agent in establishing social control in societies
characterized by the dominance of industries, growing urban centers, alienation of citizens
from their social institutions, and lack of strong citizen organizations.Media was owned by thé elite classes, and it follows that it serves the interests of its
‘owners. It is seen to protect the interest of power holders and will not offer an alternative
view or action that will compromise the stability and security of the power wielders. The
public is a passive recipient and
consumer of media content.
Closely allied to the mass
society approach is the Marxist
approach, particularly the base-
superstructure model. Media
institutions are part of the
superstructure, along with other
social and cultural institutions.
The base, on the other hand, is
made up of economic institutions
and economic _ relationships
which determine the nature and
behavior of the superstructure. In
a capitalist society, the economic
‘ownership of media institutions
dictates whose interests media
will serve.
MAINTAINS AND
LEGITIMATES
THE BASE.
(Everything not to do with
‘production in society)
EDUCATION,
FAMILY, RELIGION,
POLITICS MEDIA
Ce
Pasa cns
ec
Cos
Reiareetcue
“The Marxist Base
Superstructure
Model”
SHAPES THE
SUPERSTRUCTURE