Symbolic Convergence Theory (Comm Theory)

Introduction

Some kinds communication on some kinds of issues , brought to the attention of some kinds of people under some kinds of conditions , have some kinds of effects (Berelson , 1948

There are many different ways in which researchers have analysed the effect that various media have on their audiences . The potential for negative effects on audiences has been a matter for general concern since the earliest days of the mass media , and this public concern preceded the research into effects . Many hundreds of studies have been undertaken to examine the effects

of media on different audiences Researchers have examined the contribution of cinema , the press and especially , television to aggressive behaviour , anti social behaviour pro social behaviour , attitudes , prejudice , sexual habits , morality and so on . It is still common place today for people to believe strongly that television exerts a powerful influence on the behaviour and general social attitudes of children and young people

The Theory : Cultivation Analysis

The Theory of Cultivation hypothesis of Gerbner (1973 ) maintains that the effects of media are more significant in the long term . This theory sees the crucial importance of television in daily life , so much that it dominates our `symbolic environment . What Gerbner means by this is that some people in the audience come to believe in the reality or `mediated reality , shown on television rather than their own personal experiences of reality . This doses not affect all the viewers and he maintains that the important difference lies between heavy and light viewers . The former are those who , because they watch more television ,come to believe in this mediated reality . In essence , the world presented to them is mean . It is full of bad language and fear

Cultivation analysis is part of the research tradition referred to as `cultural indicators . It investigates (i ) the institutional processes underlying the production of media content (ii ) the images represented to the audience within media content and (iii ) the relationships between exposure to television 's message and audience beliefs behaviours

The central assumption of this theory is that media represent the world in a highly selective , stereotyped and distorted way . The effect of that is cumulative , so that heavy viewers come to assume that the images they see are a reflection of the world outside their windows . Gerbner and his associates have undertaken many content analyses , examining in particular the amount of crime and violence on American television

Review of Literature

If we apply the work of Lea and Young (1993 ) to an understanding of the relationship between the media and crime , then factors such as social class , ethnicity and neighbourhood may have a more significant influence on the audience 's perception of crime than their television viewing . Lea and Young assert that anxiety about crime is realistic because people who live in areas of high-recorded crime do see and experience a great deal of crime in their lives . This lived experience - that is `situational reality ' - and knowledge of crime is the root cause of their...