SOCIOLOGICAL THEORIES OF MASS MEDIA

Functionalism and Mass Media

• This lecture is devoted to discuss the functionalist perspective on
mass media. We will examine the views of the following functionalists
on social media; Parsons, Durkheim, Merton, Lasswell and Wright.
• Basically the functionalist view explains the functions of mass media
in society.
Functionalism

• The focus on understanding the effects of mass communications, especially its social consequences and its
impact on maintenance of social order gave rise to a theoretical framework called functionalism.
• The focus of functionalism is on how mass communication serves society.
• Functionalism, a ‘structural’ perspective and a leading sociological stance of the 1940s and 1950s, regards
society as an interdependent system that can only be understood by examining how separate structural
parts relate to each other and to society as a whole.
• Functionalism makes certain assumptions, including the need for stability, and examines ‘the origin and
maintenance of order and stability in society’ (Haralambos and Holborn, 2004: xv). More implicitly,
functionalism argues that if something does not serve a useful purpose in society, it will not endure from one
generation to the next.
• Based on this perspective one would conclude that the purpose of the media has become increasingly useful
to society since its prevalence has only increased. From the Functionalist perspective, the media serves five
essential functions – it acts a means of socialization; enforces social norms; confers status; promotes
consumption; and keeps us informed about our environment.
Functionalism and mass media

• Functionalists say that media integrates human society, brings groups together, contributes to
collective consciousness.
• According to the Functionalist, mass media keep track of what is happening, interpret information,
transmit cultural values, and entertain people.
• These functions support the stability and smooth operation of society.
• People need to know what is going on around them to be productive in society.
• Media can consciously or inadvertently help pass on society’s basic values and beliefs.
• It socializes us into the on-going social order…It transmits cultural heritage, and basic norms and
values.
• It provides pleasure and entertainment-stress management (chill out and watch the Y tube)
• Reinforces shared ideals, justice, democracy, respect for the law amidst freedom and individualism
• Provides social integration, surveillance, reproduces a moral order.
Mass media-a functional Social Institution
• Mass media-newspapers, magazines, television, radio, the internet, can be considered an
institution.
• One of society’s key agents of socialization.
• Functionalists such as T. Parsons-media plays a vital role in the integration, adaptation society.
• The media gathers and disseminates information.
• Parsons (1964) argued that societal behaviour is governed by shared values that become societal
norms, a value-consensus which enables society to function effectively.
Merton’s Contribution

• Merton (1968), remaining within the functionalist tradition, felt that functional unity was unlikely
in complex societies and that all functions, whether of religion, social stratification or even the
family itself, could be met elsewhere within society.
• He distinguished between manifest (intended) and latent (hidden/unintended) functions of the
media. A manifest function could be the need to sell goods for profit. The latent functions
included supporting the status quo by reinforcing values (Merton, 1968).
• Thus, according to Merton, the functions of mass communication can either be manifest or
latent. Manifest functions are the readily observed and intended consequences of the media.
Latent functions on the other hand refer to the impacts that are not as easy to be observed or
those which are unintended.
 Lasswell and Wright’s Functions of Mass Communication

1) Surveillance of the Environment: An important function of the media is to keep up a surveillance of all
the happenings in the world and provide information to the human society. The media has the
responsibility of providing news and cover a wide variety of issues that is of some service to the society.
Media help maintain social order by providing instructions on what has to be done in times of crisis,
thereby reducing confusion among the masses.
• Example: In times of natural disasters, war, health scares, etc., it is the role of the media to create
awareness by providing information on what is happening and of ways in which the disaster can be faced.
2) Correlation of parts of Society: This function relates to how the media’s selection of certain news and its
interpretation affects how society understands and responds to it. People’s attitudes towards political
issues, events, public policy, etc. are influenced to an extent by how the media frames and presents the
issue in their discussions and presentations.
• Example: The media’s reporting on the war in Vietnam played a role in changing the mindsets of
Americans who started opposing sending soldiers to fight a losing war. Hitler used the media in his
propaganda war against the Jews.
3) Cultural Transmission: This refers to the ability of the media to teach the various norms, rules and
values that exist in a society and ensure its transfer from one generation to the next. Television
programmes by and large reflects the society in which they are broadcast and promote the understanding
of a society’s cultural heritage.  Children’s television programmes are designed to showcase good
behaviors and moral standards which children can learn by watching.
• Example:  Shows like Lassie, Full House, Seventh Heaven and the Brady Bunch promoted family values.
4) Entertainment: This popular function of the mass media refers to the ability of the media to help relax
people and create a means of escape from the stress of everyday life. The entertainment function of
mass media has both positive and negative effects. The low quality of content is often criticized but the
other benefits like helping people experience new events, stimulating emotions and helping people pass
their leisure time show how important this function is.
• Example: Television offers opportunities for people to view events that they would otherwise not be
able to participate in like the Oscars, Independence Day Rallies, the Olympics, etc.
• Charles Wright developed what became known as the classic four functions of the media. He stated that
media theorists ‘noted three activities of communication specialists: (1) surveillance of the environment, (2)
correlation of the parts of society in responding to the environment, and (3) transmission of the social
heritage from one generation to the next (Wright, 1959:16).
• He also identified a fourth element -entertainment – and distinguished between the intended purpose of the
mass media and its consequences.
The following are set of basic ideas about media tasks (functions) in society:
a) Information-providing information about events and conditions in society and the world,
Indicating relations of power, Facilitating innovation, adaptation and progress.
b) Correlation - explaining, interpreting and commenting on the meaning of events and
information, providing support for established authority and norms, Socializing, co-ordinating
separate activities, Consensus building, setting orders of priority and signalling relative status.
c) Continuity- expressing the dominant culture and recognizing subcultures and new cultural
developments, Forging and maintaining commonality of values.
d) Entertainment- providing amusement, diversion and the means of relaxation. Reducing
social tension.
Mobilization- campaigning for societal objectives in the sphere of politics, war, economic
development, work and sometimes religion.
CRITIQUE OF FUNCTIONALISM
• Whereas functionalists believe that societal norms govern human behaviour, Marxists argue that the
controlling factor is the economic system.
• They offer a conflict perspective where the mass media legitimises the status quo, enabling hegemonic
control over the dissemination of information.
• Marx argued that members of the elite produced the dominant societal ideas to conceal exploitation of
the working class while the mass media manipulated information to normalise inequality (Haralambos
and Holborn, 2004).
• Functionalism has also been critiqued on the grounds that the value-sets presumed to characterise Western
society have never been conclusively demonstrated, and the ‘content of values rather than value-consensus
as such can be seen as the crucial factor with respect to social order’ (Haralambos and Holborn, 2004:943).
• Functionalists have been criticized for seeing social order in terms of value-consensus on the grounds that
consensus is presumed, not proven, to exist.
• Critics also note that research has not demonstrated widespread commitment to the value-sets assumed to
underpin Western society, and suggest that value-content is the crucial factor (Haralambos and Holborn,
2004).
• Marxism argues that functionalism does not explain social conflict, and sees the mass media as another tool
used by the elite to maintain their power and privilege.