...ICOM101 Major Essay Does Media Discourse Reproduce Social Inequality? Student Name : Pratama Robin Rachel Discourse denotes to the various forms of representation, codes, habits, conventions associated with language are responsible for producing specific culturally and historically located meanings. Media discourse can be described as an interaction through a media platform with the help of verbal or non-verbal communication. It has been found that media can potentially influence the public. The objective of this essay is to find out the role of media discourse in reproducing social inequality. In order to meet this objective, in the following sections the concept of discourse is explained vividly along with its style of operations. A relationship between media discourse and social inequality will be established in this essay. Discourse can be referred to the manner or way of communication between individuals or group. Discourse plays a major role in determining how an individual will understand and interpret a specific thing based upon ideas, thoughts and beliefs. According to Michel Focault, discourse is an entity of sequences, codes and signs in that they are enouncements. Media discourse includes various media outlets such as radio, television, newspaper, magazine, internet etc. The inevitable power of media has been discussed in discourse studies. Many research studies have shown that media plays an important role in influencing the thought process of individuals...
Words: 2427 - Pages: 10
...A social issue (also called a social problem or a social ill) is an issue that relates to society's perception of people's personal lives. Different societies have different perceptions and what may be "normal" behaviour in one society may be a significant social issue in another society. Social issues are distinguished from economic issues. Some issues have both social and economic aspects, such asimmigration. There are also issues that don't fall into either category, such as wars. Thomas Paine, in Rights of Man and Common Sense, addresses man's duty to "allow the same rights to others as we allow ourselves". The failure to do so causes the birth of a social issue. Personal issues versus social issues[edit] Personal issues are those that individuals deal with themselves and within a small range of their peers and relationships.[1] On the other hand, social issues threaten values cherished by widespread society.[1] For example, the unemployment rate of 7.8 percent[2] in the U.S. as of October 2012 is a social issue. The line between a personal issue and a public issue may be subjective, however, when a large enough sector of society is affected by an issue, it becomes a social issue. Although one person fired is not a social issue, the repercussions of 13 million people being fired is likely to generate social issues. Caste system[edit] Caste system in India resulted in most oppressed Untouchables on earth for the past 3000 years . UK recently banned caste system[1] and US is...
Words: 789 - Pages: 4
...A social issue (also called a social problem or a social ill) is an issue that relates to society's perception of people's personal lives. Different societies have different perceptions and what may be "normal" behaviour in one society may be a significant social issue in another society. Social issues are distinguished from economic issues. Some issues have both social and economic aspects, such asimmigration. There are also issues that don't fall into either category, such as wars. Thomas Paine, in Rights of Man and Common Sense, addresses man's duty to "allow the same rights to others as we allow ourselves". The failure to do so causes the birth of a social issue. Personal issues versus social issues[edit] Personal issues are those that individuals deal with themselves and within a small range of their peers and relationships.[1] On the other hand, social issues threaten values cherished by widespread society.[1] For example, the unemployment rate of 7.8 percent[2] in the U.S. as of October 2012 is a social issue. The line between a personal issue and a public issue may be subjective, however, when a large enough sector of society is affected by an issue, it becomes a social issue. Although one person fired is not a social issue, the repercussions of 13 million people being fired is likely to generate social issues. Caste system[edit] Caste system in India resulted in most oppressed Untouchables on earth for the past 3000 years . UK recently banned caste system[1] and US is...
Words: 789 - Pages: 4
...Into the Great Divide The digital divide can be understood as inequalities in four successive types of access: motivation, physical access, digital skills and different usage. It is claimed that the divide has shifted from the first to the last-called types of access in the last ten years. For the purpose of this paper I will touch base on all types of access. Disadvantages Amongst Man Contemporary research of the digital divide and digital skills is marked by a descriptive nature. Inequalities are described using simple demographics of individuals who have more or less access to computers and the Internet and a different level of digital skills. The explanation of these differences has far less attention. One of the reasons for this state of affairs is the predominance of individualistic notions of inequality. Like most social scientific and economic investigations, digital divide research works on the basis of so-called methodological individualism (Wellman & Berkowitz, 1988). Differential access to information and computer technologies (ICTs) is related to individuals and their characteristics: level of income and education, employment, age, sex, and ethnicity, to mention the most important ones. This is the usual approach in survey research, which measures the properties of individual respondents. Making multivariate analyses of several individual properties and aggregating them to produce properties of collectivities, one hopes to find background explanations. This...
Words: 2142 - Pages: 9
...and therefore not having ample opportunity to interact with people from the other group. Discrimination in Northern Ireland has not been helped by the fact that most children either go to protestant or catholic schools and many grow up in neighborhoods that are largely divided along the same lines. The erecting of walls (either real or psychological) between communities is a perfect breeding ground for discrimination. It is the responsibility of society to reject a "them and us" mentality wherever it is encountered and to ensure that young people get the opportunity to mix with people who have different backgrounds or characteristics. Irresponsible behavior by politicians, the media and other influential groups Most people get their views on a wide range of social and political topics from consuming media (TV, radio, Internet, newspapers, etc.) and listening to the views of politicians, religious leaders and other people who have some form of...
Words: 1198 - Pages: 5
...Sociology Introduction One of the most important trends in the study of sociology is the inevitable social inequality in the society. When talk about inequality, sociologists usually link stratifying institutions which label people into social categories such as the educational system and the formal labor market. The three articles discussed below explore the different faces of inequality in society. These articles are Incarceration and Stratification (2010), The Mark of Criminal Record (2003) and The Black-White Test Score Gap (2004). The overarching theme that will be pointed out below is inequality face by black people in the United States. These articles show inequalities face by black people in three different landscapes: incarceration cells, employment, and education. This paper included the role of media in the proliferation of racial inequality between white and black people. Lastly, this paper also presented the missing gaps on literature and how should we address the problem of racial inequality. Summary Inequality is present in incarceration cells. Wakefield and Uggen (2010) claimed that incarceration became a powerful “engine of social inequality that plays a massive and racialized part in the contemporary stratification system” (Wakefield and Uggen, 2010, p. 388). The study conducted by Wakefield and Uggen (2010) covers the scope of imprisonment and the process of selection into prison. The authors then proceed by giving the implications of incarceration in...
Words: 1958 - Pages: 8
...institutions Lack of democracy Ineffective judiciary Unfair elections Lack of free media From The Bulging Pocket and the Rule of Law: Corruption, Inequality, and Trust Inequality –> Low generalized trust & High in-group trust –> Corruption –> Inequality The dilemma of low trust in strangers and high trust only in your own group Inequality and in-group trust lead to clientelism This pattern is difficult to break Two types of inequality: Economic inequality Unfair legal system Makes it more difficult for the poor to have access to the legal system Shielding people at the top Democratic institutions are not sufficient to curb corruption Media consumption, centralization, federalism, the nature of the electoral system, the level of wages paid to officials also don't matter Structural reforms may not matter much for corruption, however: • Democratic countries are far less corrupt than nondemocracies • Countries with strong democratic practices, especially treating everyone equally, are considerably less likely to be corrupt. The only institutional factor that matters for corruption is the fairness of the legal system, not the "efficiency" of the legal system Policy also matters: Strangling regulation leads to higher levels of corruption To combat corruption, you must fight economic inequality....
Words: 334 - Pages: 2
...Stratification Media Analysis Adriane Benjamin SOC/100 Becky Russell Stratification Media Analysis A Time to kill is a film about an African American family living in a small town in Mississippi, where the daughter of an African American couple was raped by a white male that was an affiliated with the Klu Klux Klan. The father of the little girl ended up having to stand trial because he killed one of the men that were involved in his daughter’s rape. He had a long-time friend by the name of Jake Brigance, who were a white male. The main idea circled around whether a black man should ever be allowed to kill a white man, under any circumstances. The issue is not murder but discrimination, and it is compound by the fact that America is a primarily a white country. The issue through this all was racism and being in the south in 1984, where whites still treated the blacks poorly. “This was Mississippi, where for years whites shot blacks for any reason or no reason and no one cared; where whites raped blacks and it was considered sport; where blacks were hanged for fighting back.” ― John Grisham, A Time to Kill Set in the deep south of the back fields of northern Mississippi in the 1980’s, the setting was perfect for there to be battle between the blacks and the white, as it has been brewing since before the civil rights days. Placing the story in this time and place is the most natural discovery of buried hatchets and the most subtle revelations of festering wounds and double...
Words: 913 - Pages: 4
...Part I Define the following terms: Term Definition White privilege rights or immunities granted as a particular benefit or favor for being White Racial profiling any arbitrary police-initiated action based on race, ethnicity, or natural origin rather than a person’s behavior Racism The belief that all members of each race possess characteristics or abilities specific to that race Reverse discrimination actions that cause better-qualified White men to be passed over for women and minority men Part II Complete the following using the MySocLab Social Explorer Map: Income Inequality by Race located on your student website: · Select 1 racial group from the list below: o African American o Asian American o Arab American o Hispanic American/Latino o White/Caucasian · Write a 250- to 350-word summary of the economic, social, and political standings of that group. Use additional resources if necessary, from the University Library or your textbooks. Even though all Americans have experiences hardship since the economic slowdown, African Americans have suffered greatly from this situation. The average income of African Americans has declined by 1.3 percent since 2000. Along with the decrease in income, the unemployment rate of African Americans has increased. African Americans also have higher rates of poverty and slower growing rates of employment than other minority groups. The political standing of African Americans is very interesting....
Words: 1068 - Pages: 5
...Gender Inequality To: Ken Cornwell SOCI 1010 From: Anita Schlicher Fall/2012 Paper III Gender Inequality There have been vast changes in women's rights in the last century. After endless picketing, fighting and jail sentences, women were finally given the right to vote on a national level. Over the course of history, women have found that rights which were automatically granted for men required an exhaustingly large amount of fighting to obtain for themselves. It is unbelievable that the role of the woman had been devalued so much that women were not allowed to do what many women today now consider “basic” things such as receiving an education, holding jobs that did not involve children, or even own property. Even though women today are able to earn college degrees, have careers, own property, vote, and even run for political positions themselves, there are still countless gender inequalities. Children are submitted to gender roles pretty much from the moment they are born. Baby showers involve a sea of pastel blues for boys and soft, delicate pink for girls. Female children are given dolls and doll houses and other cute toys, and...
Words: 2202 - Pages: 9
...Outline and assess Marxists explanations of class inequality There are many concerns in sociology as to whether class is still important. Many argue that it is not important as an individual’s identity is based on status, values and intelligence. Postmodernists claim that class is now dead. We can now be defined by consumption (what we spend money on) rather than class. However, others argue that class in still an influence on people’s lives, affecting certain aspects such as health and education. Marxism is a conflict theory that believes class division within society still exists between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat through the unequal distribution of wealth, power and status. The relationship between the two classes is based upon exploitation and class conflict. The proleteriat produce more goods only to get paid a low wage in return which enables the bourgeoisie to gain large profits. They believe the middle class also exists, but it is fragmented and undergone through the process of polarisation, either rising to the bourgeoisie or falling into the proletariat. The higher classes will get smaller and richer while the working class will get larger and poorer, eventually leading to revolution. Marshall argues that the underclass does not exist, claiming that the underclass would work if appropriate work was available. They also point out that half of those who claim benefits are in full-time work. They believe the concept of underclass is an ideological justification...
Words: 1281 - Pages: 6
...Topic 2 – Mass Media There appears to be an increase in tolerance and acceptance in regards to censorship within various forms of media in modern society. Throughout the rapid globalization of the previous century, society has become increasingly lenient of what filters through popular culture and into the minds of young generations and future leaders. Simultaneously, the standards of what is considered to be inappropriate for the general public have also changed throughout this period; in previous generations we have seen protests against certain content in music, films and various other forms of media for being considered unsuitable for the general public, however over time the voice of protests have been overshadowed by the popularity of the content, thereby over time creating a social tolerance of media content. The material that floods through the media today is significantly more provocative compared to previous decades; if Kim Kardashian’s naked body was the face of the media anytime during the 20th century, the public response would be chaotic, however in 2014 this was not only tolerated but to some extent, it was glorified. Significantly influencing the morals and values obtained by society, the content that flows through the media appears to have a link with social issues such as gender stereotypes, which has shown to produce gender inequality. Throughout recent globalization, it is clear that the values within western culture has rapidly evolved along with technological...
Words: 1970 - Pages: 8
...dropout rates are least among Whites and highest among Hispanics, and college enrollment rates are least among black and highest among whites. Racial gaps in education are supported by the concepts of concerted cultivation and the accomplishment of natural growth. In the text, Unequal Childhoods: Class Race, and family Life, Annette Lareau illustrates how parenting styles differ by social class position and the effects of these different parenting styles on children’s growth. Parents living in the middle/upper-middle class follow concerted cultivation, which includes parents cultivating the talents of their children with questions and discussions and having children be involved in organized activities to provide wide range of experiences. Students are exposed to more resources and opportunities that allow them to be prepared for college applications. Accomplishment of Natural Growth is a parenting style exercised by parents in lower and poor class. Economic constraints put the focus on housing and providing food. The inequalities between urban, working class school and suburban school reflect inequalities in society: parents’ education and careers,...
Words: 1452 - Pages: 6
...Women in sports: Inequality, Discrimination, Media. Introduction From a long time to now, women are continuously struggling to prove that their sex and color of their skin classification made by society to make them feel inferior does not determine what they are worth. Feminists’ quests for equality also include women in the sports world. This paper will discuss about the inequalities and discrimination of a patriarchal society on women in sports. I will demonstrate the social inequalities that exist and what have somehow changed, also how race discrimination affects women of color participating in sports and the impact of media on how they portrayed women image. Body To begin with, inequality is a word that feminists are fighting over of male-domination in the society. When women are participating in sports, what they do is often not considered as a "real" sport or viewed as "real" women. All that to show that women have to fight to gain control and have their activities recognized as normal by the dominant culture, the men. However, today women are more welcome to play sports; they are never viewed as equal to men. For example, women cannot expect having the same salary, sponsorship and resources as the men when it comes to play sports or any...
Words: 500 - Pages: 2
...Normative theory Media theory describes the relationship between media and society which is associated with complex social, political, economical and philosophical principles. A type of media theory termed as ‘Normative theory’ refers to what the media must be doing in a society rather what the media is actually doing. Generally, the central thoughts about obligations of mass communication will be constant with other principles and arrangements in a society. According to Siebert et.al, in their book ‘Four theories of the Press’, the press takes the responsibility of forms and coloration of political as well as social structures within the context in which it operates (1956, pp.1-2). The normative political model of media finds to interfere in the operations of media and restrain the inequality in the surrounding also enables the freedom and brings improvement in the access of public (Siebert et.al, 1956). The press and other media have their own view that reflects the law implemented in their society and runs it accordingly. Moreover, social solidarity, active participation, cohesion, cultural diversity and social responsibility are also concerned by the media. Every culture has its own principles, laws, regulations and priorities (Normative media theory, 2011). There are different media theories which are being implemented by various countries and their localities depending on their own usage and requirements. These theories may include Authoritarian theory...
Words: 621 - Pages: 3
