1 Media Effects and Socialization

BAHRIA UNIVERSITY
BACHELOR OF SCIENCES IN COMPUTER SCIENCE

INTRODUCTION TO MEDIA

MEDIA EFFECTS AND SOCIALIZATION

ADEEL ROYAGE

01-233072-001
BSCS-VI
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PAKISTANI MEDIA AND PUBLIC AWARENESS

INTRODUCTION

Media is some messages or information about some incident, issues, science and technology
and all what’s happening around you. It is the most important phenomenon by which a
nation is realized about their right and wrong rights and what is happening around. To has
many impacts on our socialization. To make people aware of their surrounding is very
important to think and to make system correct and argue on different topics to improve
themselves and society.

There are two most common types of media i.e. print media and electronic media. In past
many years ago print media was very famous among the people of the world to update
themselves about issues and incidents happening in the world. But with the passage of time
electronic media got great popularity. But still print media cannot be ignored as it has
importance for many other purposes. Newspapers, magazines are different forms of print
media and T.V channels, radio, internet and sms are part of electronic media.

HISTORY OF MEDIA IN PAKISTAN

As compare to other developed countries, media in Pakistan was not so strong in the
beginning. When Pakistan came into being there was only one print media “Dawn
Newspaper”. It played a great role to develop awareness for Pakistan creation among the
Muslims of sub-continents. After Pakistan came into being it worked a lot to keep people
know everything about their right and left. But Pakistani government became stronger and
media was restricted to publish much news about the landlords, leaders and beaurocrates.
Many important information uses to kept hidden from the public. There was lots of
information there were keep hidden from the people. Public used to be exploited by
keeping them unaware about the reality. That’s why always system of Pakistan had
problems and never able to keep stand any system for long time. Injustice is also one of the
reasons of weak media in Pakistan.

With the passage of time many other print media came into market. But instead of
performing their duties i.e. to publish right news to keep people aware of their right and
wrong they just started working for earning money not for the people awareness about
issues happening inside or outside the country. Not any one could say that this news is how
many percent true. There were always misgivings in almost every news. There was media
but they lost their trust from the public by exploiting them by giving many wrong news. But
some or any how reality was also there. How much reality exists no one could say with
hundred percent sureties.

In past, electronic media was also there but at that time it has not so much importance.
Because at that time only radio and T.V was used for this purpose and there were limited
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resource to access these things. But after sixties or seventies with more progress in
information technology and internet, the world became like a global village. During this age
electronic media got a great popularity to be exchange information and knowledge in just
few seconds. Any incident, issues or any type of news can be known by all people of the
world just in few seconds. In this period of time T.V channels and internet played a great
role. It made the media stronger and people from different resources get hundred percent
true results or reality.

In the beginning stage of this progress electronic media in Pakistan, of course was not of
great importance but now it has become very strong. Any news can be published without
any threat of landlords, government or private. Many T.V channels, internet services and
sms etc are playing this role to keep people aware of issues, incidents and all many other
news.

This age is called “Media Revolution Age” in which media play a great deal to make people
aware of their surroundings. International news like sports, entertainment, science and
information technology, business, engineering, medicals and all kinds of news are being
watched or listen and read by the people of world. This also caused for people to update
themselves with latest technology and science and to progress more for their country and
nation. Media played a great role to correct system of country.

Although in past media in Pakistan was not so strong but now it has great power. Media can
publish anything about anybody. Either its prime minister, president of country or a very
common man. It was the media who helped the Chief Justice of Pakistan Chaudhary
Muhammad Iftikhar to be won to keep the justice alive in the country.
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MEDIA EFFECTS AND SOCIALIZATION

The communication media are the different technological processes that facilitate
communication between (and are in the "middle" of) the sender of a message and the
receiver of that message. As already explained media include newspapers, magazines, radio,
and films, CDs, internet, etc. The media communicate information to a large, sometimes
global, audience. Near-constant exposure to media is a fundamental part of contemporary
life but it is TV that draws our attention the most as one of the primary socializing agent of
today's society.

 98.3 % of households (hh) have TV sets (2.3 sets per hh)

 99% of hh have a radio (5.6 radios per hh on average)
 65% have cable TV
 82% have VCR (US Census Bureau, 1996).
 by 1999: 1/2 of US hh have a home computer, 1/3 of hh have internet access @
home
 TV sets are turned on for an average of 7 hours each day
 Average American spend 2.5 hours a day in front of TV ( = 38 solid days of TV viewing
in a year)

Media are very integral part of our lives and therefore they generate popular interest and
debate about any social problem that we can think of.

 Does TV have too much sex and violence?

 Are the news media biased?
 Have TV talk shows gone too far with their sensationalized topics?
 Should the content of Internet be regulated?
 Are media shaping our values?
 IS TV harmful for our children?
 Do media drive foreign policy?
 Are newspapers insensitive to minorities?
 Is emphasis on body image harmful to our society?
 Should the names of rape victims be reported?
 Should tobacco advertising be restricted?
 Should the media cover criminal trials?
 Do media reports of crime heighten the fears of citizens?
 Is coverage of political campaigns fair?
 Is advertising ethical?
 Do paparazzi threaten First Amendment Rights?
 Does concentration of ownership jeopardize media content?
 Does the globalization of media industries homogenize media content?
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In order to address such questions we need an understanding of the mass media's role in
contemporary social life. What is the nature of the relationship between media and society?
From a sociological perspective we can consider the role of media in our daily lives (the
micro level) within the context of larger social forces such as the economy, politics, religion
and technological development (the macro level)

MEDIA AND SOCIALIZATION

Socialization is the process of developing a sense of self connected to a larger social world
through learning and internalizing the values, beliefs, and norms of one’s culture. Through
socialization we learn to perform certain roles as citizens, friends, lovers, workers, and so
forth. Through internalization our culture becomes taken-for-granted. We learn to behave in
socially appropriate and acceptable ways. Some social institutions have explicit roles in
socializing the young (such as the family and schools) and others have less intentional but
still powerful roles in the process (such as adolescent peers).

Where do the media fit in this process? An average American high school graduate spent
more time in front of the TV than in the classroom (Graber 1980). The media is a powerful
socializing agent. For sociologists significance of the media is not limited to the content of
media messages. Media affect how we learn about our world and interact with one another.
Media literally mediate our relationship with social institutions. We base most of our
knowledge on government news accounts, not experience. We are dependent on the media
for what we know and how we relate to the world of politics because of the media-politics
connection. We read or watch political debates followed by instant analysis and
commentary by "experts." Politicians rely on media to communicate their message. Similar
dynamics are present in other mediated events such as televised sports and televangelism.
media is part of our routine relations with family and friends. They define our interaction
with other people on a daily basis as a diversion, sources of conflict, or a unifying force.
Media have an impact on society not only through the content of the message but also
through the process.

SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION

Sociological imagination helps us grasp the relationship between history and biography.
Through a sociological imagination we can see how our personal lives are connected to
social world (micro-macro connection). Our personal choices are shaped by larger social
forces around us such as the historical or cultural context and social institutions. In this
context, media's importance is apparent. Media often act as the bridge between our
personal/private lives and the public world. We see ourselves and our place in society
through mass media. It is because of this connection that we need to pay special attention
to mass media if we want to understand how society functions.
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Media play many different - and maybe incompatible- roles. For the audiences, it is a source
of entertainment and information while for media workers; media is an industry that offers
jobs- and therefore income, prestige and professional identity-. For the owners, the media is
a source of profit and a source of political power. For society at large, the media can be a
way to transmit information and values (socialization). Therefore depending on whose
perspective and which role we focus on we might see a different media picture.

STRUCTURE VS AGENCY

By structure sociologists suggest constraint on human action while agency indicates

independent action. Each social relationship we will look at will exhibit this tension between
the structure and agency. Social structure "describes any recurring pattern of social
behaviour" (Croteau and Hoynes 2000: 21). For example, family structure could be defined
as a pattern of behaviours associated with the culturally defined idea of 'family.' Another
example is educational system which is a structure comprised of students, teachers,
administrators in their 'expected roles.' Having an education makes it possible for many
Americans to achieve a better life standard but it also can be very constraining (required
courses, assignments, deadlines, grading criteria that limit actions of students and teachers).
When we talk about structure in this class it is very important to consider the constraining
nature of structure. Therefore it is inevitable that we will also refer to agency in the same
context. Agency is intentional and undetermined human action. For example, even though
the educational system is rigid in many ways it is up to the student how much time and
energy to be spent on schoolwork. Students do have agency however that agency is limited
by the structural constraints.

It is very important that we recognize how human agency reproduces social structure. As we
accept and act out our appropriate roles in this system we reproduce the system. Therefore,
while structure constrains agency, "it is human agency that both maintains and alters social
structures" (Croteau and Hoynes 2000: 22).
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CLASS PERSPECTIVE:

Below are some questions we will try to answer in this class through a sociological
perspective. Our class will take a critical look at media's role in society. Therefore we will
question taken-for-granted assumptions about how things work.

 Who owns the media- and why does it matter?

 How are media products created?
 What should be government's relation to regulating the media?
 Why are some images and ideas so prevalent in the mass media, while others are
marginalized? Whose voices are not heard?
 How has growth in mass media influenced the political process?
 What impact do mass media have on our society and on our world?
 How do people use and interpret the mass media?
 What is the effect of technological change?
 What is the significance of the increasing globalization of mass media?