Mass Communication Theory Foundations, Ferment, and Future (with InfoTrac)

by Baran, Stanley J.; Davis, Dennis K.

• ISBN13: 9780534637972
• ISBN10: 0534637973
• Edition: 4th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-03-24
• Publisher: Cengage Learning

Summary

Preface. Section One: INTRODUCTION TO MASS COMMUNICATION THEORY. 1. Introduction. 2. Understanding and Evaluating Mass Communication Theory. Section Two: ERA OF MASS SOCIETY AND MASS CULTURE. 3. The Rise of Media Industries and Mass Society Theory. 4. The Rise of Media Theory in the Age of Propaganda. 5. Normative Theories of Mass Communication. Section Three: THE RISE AND FALL OF LIMITED EFFECTS. 6. Limited Effects Theory Emerges. 7. Middle-Range Theory and the Consolidation of the Limited Effects Paradigm. 8. Challenging the Dominant Paradigm: Children, Systems, and Effects. Section Four: CONTEMPORARY MASS COMMUNICATION THEORYSEARCHING FOR CONSENSUS AND CONFRONTING CHALLENGES. 9. Emergence of Critical and Cultural Theories of Mass Communication. 10. Media and Audiences: Theories About the Role of Media in Everyday Life. 11. Theories of Media, Culture, and Society. 12. Trends in Mass Communication Theory: Seeking Consensus, Facing Challenges. References. Index.

Author Biography

Stanley J. Baran (Ph.D., University of Massachusetts) is professor of Radio/TV at San Jose State University. Dennis K. Davis (Ph.D., University of Minnesota) is professor in the School of Communication at Pennsylvania State University.

Table of Contents

Preface	xiii
Section One Introduction to Mass Communication Theory	1	(39)
Introduction	2	(21)
Defining and Redefining Mass Communication	6	(2)
Five Eras of Media Theory	8	(1)
The Era of Mass Society and Mass Culture	9	(1)
Emergence of a Scientific Perspective on Mass Communication	10	(2)
The Limited-Effects Paradigm Emerges	12	(1)
Cultural Criticism: A Challenge to the Limited-Effects Paradigm	13	(2)
Emergence of a Moderate-Effects Perspective	15	(2)
Ongoing Debate over Issues	17	(2)
Summary	19	(1)
Exploring Mass Communication Theory	20	(1)
Significant People and Their Writing	21	(2)
Understanding and Evaluating Mass Communication Theory	23	(17)
Overview	24	(1)
Science and Human Behavior	24	(4)
Ambivalent Social Science	28	(1)
Defining Theory	29	(1)
Post-Positivist Theory	30	(1)
Hermeneutic Theory	31	(1)
Critical Theory	32	(1)
Normative Theory	33	(1)
Evaluating Theory	34	(2)
Mass Communication Theory	36	(1)
Summary	37	(1)
Exploring Mass Communication Theory	38	(1)
Significant People and Their Writing	39	(1)
Section Two The Era of Mass Society and Mass Culture	40	(88)
The Rise of Media Industries and Mass Society Theory	42	(29)
Overview	43	(1)
The Beginnings	44	(2)
The Rise of Yellow Journalism	46	(1)
Cycles of Mass Media Development and Decline	46	(3)
Mass Society Critics and the Great Debate over Media	49	(3)
Assumptions of Mass Society Theory	52	(7)
The Rise of the Great Debate over Media	59	(1)
Early Examples of Mass Society Theory	60	(1)
Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft	61	(2)
Mechanical and Organic Solidarity	63	(1)
Mass Society Theory in Contemporary Times	64	(3)
Summary	67	(1)
Exploring Mass Communication Theory	68	(1)
Significant People and Their Writing	69	(2)
The Rise of Media Theory in the Age of Propaganda	71	(23)
Overview	73	(1)
The Origin of Propaganda	74	(2)
Propaganda Comes to the United States	76	(4)
Behaviorism	80	(1)
Freudianism	81	(1)
Magic Bullet Theory	82	(1)
Harold Lasswell's Propaganda Theory	83	(1)
Walter Lippmann's Theory of Public Opinion Formation	84	(2)
Reaction against Early Propaganda Theory	86	(1)
Modern Propaganda Theory	87	(3)
Libertarianism Reborn	90	(1)
Summary	90	(1)
Exploring Mass Communication Theory	91	(1)
Significant People and Their Writing	92	(2)
Normative Theories of Mass Communication	94	(34)
Overview	96	(2)
The Origin of Normative Theories of Media	98	(1)
The Origin of Libertarian Thought	99	(4)
The Marketplace of Ideas: A New Form of Radical Libertarianism	103	(4)
Government Regulation of Media	107	(1)
Professionalization of Journalism	108	(1)
Limitations of Professionalization	109	(2)
Social Responsibility Theory of the Press: A Postwar Compromise	111	(3)
The Cold War Tests Social Responsibility Theory	114	(1)
Using Social Responsibility Theory to Guide Professional Practice	115	(2)
Is There Still a Role for Social Responsibility Theory?	117	(2)
Civic Journalism	119	(2)
Other Normative Theories	121	(2)
Summary	123	(1)
Exploring Mass Communication Theory	124	(2)
Significant People and Their Writing	126	(2)
Section Three The Rise and Fall of Limited Effects	128	(96)
Limited-Effects Theory Emerges	130	(31)
Overview	131	(2)
Paradigm Shifts	133	(1)
The Paradigm Shift in Mass Communication Theory	134	(3)
The Two-Step Flow of Information and Influence	137	(4)
Limitations in the Lazarsfeld Model	141	(2)
Limited-Effects Theory	143	(1)
Attitude-Change Theories	143	(2)
Carl Hovland and the Experimental Section	145	(2)
The Communication Research Program	147	(1)
Emergence of the Media Effects Focus	148	(1)
The Selective Processes	149	(5)
The Hovland-Lazarsfeld Legacy	154	(2)
Limitations of the Experimental Persuasion Research	156	(2)
Summary	158	(1)
Exploring Mass Communication Theory	159	(1)
Significant People and Their Writing	159	(2)
Middle-Range Theory and the Consolidation of the Limited-Effects Paradigm	161	(28)
Overview	164	(1)
Building a Paradigm	165	(1)
Robert Merton: Master Paradigm Maker	166	(2)
The Functional Analysis Approach	168	(2)
Information-Flow Theory	170	(3)
Information (Innovation) Diffusion Theory	173	(2)
Joseph Klapper's Phenomenistic Theory	175	(3)
An Apology for Mass Entertainment	178	(1)
Elite Pluralism	179	(2)
C. Wright Mills and The Power Elite	181	(2)
Assumptions of the Limited-Effects Paradigm	183	(1)
Drawbacks of the Limited-Effects Paradigm	184	(1)
Contributions of the Limited-Effects Paradigm	185	(1)
Summary	185	(1)
Exploring Mass Communication Theory	186	(1)
Significant People and Their Writing	187	(2)
Challenging the Dominant Paradigm: Children, Systems, and Effects	189	(35)
Overview	190	(1)
Focus on Children and Violence	190	(3)
Television Violence Theories	193	(1)
Catharsis	194	(1)
Social Learning	195	(2)
Social Cognition from Mass Media	197	(2)
Aggressive Cues	199	(2)
The Context of Mediated Violence	201	(1)
Active Theory of Television Viewing	202	(1)
The Developmental Perspective	203	(1)
Media and Children's Socialization	204	(2)
Systems Theories of Communication Processes	206	(2)
The Rise of Systems Theories	208	(1)
Mathematical Theory of Communication	209	(2)
Modeling Systems	211	(1)
A Simple Systems Model	211	(1)
Applying Systems Models to Human Communication	212	(1)
Adoption of Systems Models by Mass Communication Theories	212	(2)
Closed versus Open Systems	214	(1)
The Utility of Systems Models	215	(1)
Estimating Causality	216	(1)
A Focus on Structure and Function	217	(3)
Summary	220	(1)
Exploring Mass Communication Theory	220	(1)
Significant People and Their Writing	221	(3)
Section Four Contemporary Mass Communication Theory: Searching for Consensus and Confronting Challenges	224	(163)
Emergence of Critical and Cultural Theories of Mass Communication	226	(33)
Overview	227	(1)
Changing Times	228	(2)
The Cultural Turn in Media Research	230	(1)
Macroscopic versus Microscopic Theories	230	(1)
Critical Theory	231	(1)
Comparing Cultural Theories with Those Based on Empirical Research	232	(2)
The Rise of Cultural Theories in Europe	234	(1)
Marxist Theory	234	(2)
Neo-Marxism	236	(1)
Textual Analysis and Literary Criticism	236	(1)
The Frankfurt School	237	(1)
Development of Neo-Marxist Theory in Britain	238	(3)
Political Economy Theory	241	(1)
The Debate between Cultural Studies and Political Economy Theorists	242	(1)
Cultural Studies: Transmissional versus Ritual Perspectives	243	(1)
Symbolic Interaction	244	(5)
Social Construction of Reality	249	(4)
Research on Popular Culture in the United States	253	(2)
Summary	255	(1)
Exploring Mass Communication Theory	256	(1)
Significant People and Their Writing	257	(2)
Media and Audiences: Theories about the Role of Media in Everyday Life	259	(39)
Overview	261	(1)
Audience Theories: From Source-Dominated to Active Audience Perspectives	262	(2)
Limitations of Early Audience-Centered Research	264	(1)
Confusion of Media Functions and Media Uses	265	(3)
Revival of the Uses-and-Gratifications Approach	268	(2)
The Active Audience Revisited	270	(4)
Uses-and-Gratifications and Effects	274	(1)
Development of Reception Studies: Decoding and Sensemaking	275	(4)
Feminist Reception Studies	279	(1)
Framing and Frame Analysis	280	(6)
Information-Processing Theory	286	(4)
Processing Television News	290	(2)
Some Final Words to Clear the Mist	292	(3)
Summary	295	(1)
Exploring Mass Communication Theory	296	(1)
Significant People and Their Writing	297	(1)
Theories of Media, Culture, and Society	298	(54)
Overview	300	(2)
Marshall McLuhan: The Medium Is the Message and Massage	302	(1)
Harold Innis: The Bias of Communication	303	(1)
McLuhan: Understanding Media	304	(3)
Social Marketing Theory	307	(5)
The Knowledge Gap	312	(3)
Agenda-Setting	315	(6)
The Spiral of Silence	321	(3)
Media System Dependency Theory	324	(6)
Cultivation Analysis	330	(3)
The Controversy	333	(1)
The Products of Cultivation Analysis	334	(1)
The Mean World Index	335	(1)
A Final Note on Cultivation	335	(2)
Media as Culture Industries: The Commodification of Culture	337	(4)
Advertising: The Ultimate Cultural Commodity	341	(1)
News Production Research	341	(4)
Media Intrusion Theory	345	(3)
Summary	348	(1)
Exploring Mass Communication Theory	349	(1)
Significant People and Their Writing	350	(2)
Trends in Mass Communication Theory: Seeking Consensus, Facing Challenges	352	(35)
Overview	354	(3)
Communication Science	357	(1)
Two Views of Communication Science	358	(3)
An Example of Communication Science	361	(2)
Social Semiotics Theory	363	(4)
The Communications Revolution	367	(3)
The End of Mass Communication	370	(1)
Globalization and Media	371	(2)
Globalization Problems	373	(1)
The Role of Media in Globalization	374	(2)
Challenges from Cognitive Psychology and Biological Science	376	(4)
The Media Literacy Movement	380	(2)
Two Views of Media Literacy	382	(1)
Summary	383	(1)
Exploring Mass Communication Theory	384	(2)
Significant People and Their Writing	386	(1)
References	387	(18)
Index	405