Media – A Level Sociology Eduqas Revision

Role of Media in Socialisation

Media, including newspapers, television, radio, and digital platforms, plays a crucial role in the process of socialisation.
Key societal concepts such as norms and values are reinforced and disseminated through different forms of media.
Media can reflect and shape public opinion, and is a tool for transmitting ideologies of different societal groups.
The media is known for its capacity to influence town-wide to global communities, making it a significant tool in secondary socialisation.

Media can mould and express individual and group identities by representing (and sometimes stereotyping) different social groups.
It provides varying views on issues like gender, race, class, and sexuality, and can put forth certain identities as desirable or acceptable.
Through repeated exposure, individuals may be subtly influenced to adopt specific identities portrayed as positive, and distance themselves from identities portrayed negatively in the media.

Media is a primary agent in the transmission of culture, conveying societal norms and values.
With global media platforms, an exchange of cultural norms, also known as cultural globalisation, has become increasingly prevalent.
However, there’s a critique that globalisation through media often leads to the dominance of Western culture and values, a concept known as cultural imperialism.
Many believe that the media also contributes to the reinforcement of stereotypes and social prejudices, thereby maintaining social inequalities.

Media can be seen as a means of social control by dictating societal norms and acceptable behaviours.
It can also propagate values of competition and individualism common in capitalist societies.
By focusing on certain stories, issues, or perspectives over others—a process known as agenda setting—the media can influence what people view as important, controversial, or normative.
This control mechanism is often subtle and pervasive, making it significantly influential in shaping public opinion and ideological views.

Critics argue that the media can perpetuate inequalities, by disproportionately representing and favouring certain social groups over others—commonly those in positions of power or with privileged backgrounds.
Media’s latent influence is often referred to as soft power as it can subtly condition individuals to accept the dominant cultural norms and values.
The concept of media literacy has emerged as a critical skill to read, analyse, and discern media messages and to counter subtle conditioning.
A media’s portrayal of societal issues is often contested, as different social groups may resist or oppose the messages being communicated, leading to the fostering of alternative media platforms and narratives.