Deck 6: The Mass Media

Question 1

Which of the following would have the greatest impact in terms of reaffirming social norms of proper behavior?

A) watching a televised execution of a mass murderer
B) watching and listening to a televised cable newscast
C) watching and listening to a Celine Dion video
D) watching a televised funeral procession

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Which sociologist purported that newspapers helped to socialize immigrants to the customs and culture of the U.S.?

A) Robert Park
B) Deena Weinstein
C) David Demers
D) Paul Lazarsfeld

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Magazines would be considered

A) transmitters.
B) mass media.
C) opinion leaders.
D) narcotizers.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Which of the following would be an example of cyberbullying?

A) sending a nude photo of a friend to others
B) All of these answers are correct.
C) sending a photo of a friend cheating to others
D) sending a photo of a friend drunk to others

Question 5

Which of the following would the functionalist perspective most likely view as creating the greatest collective experience?

A) the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001
B) a person exercising in a public park
C) police arresting a shoplifter
D) a college student studying quietly in the library

Question 6

What were the primary media vehicles by which people bonded in the U.S. during, and in the aftermath of, the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001?

A) television, radio, and phones
B) newspapers and television
C) phones and Internet
D) Internet, radio, and television

Question 7

Which sociological perspective would be most likely to focus on the functions of the mass media in conferring status on people, organizations, and public issues?

A) conflict perspective
B) interactionist perspective
C) functionalist perspective
D) feminist perspective

Question 8

Which sociological perspective would likely contend that the role of the mass media is to provide socialization, enforce social norms through public events, and create social stability and cohesion through collective experiences?

A) functionalist perspective
B) interactionist perspective
C) conflict perspective
D) feminist perspective

Question 9

Which of the following is considered one way the media reaffirm proper behavior in society?

A) newscasters discussing narcotic desensitizing
B) movie and TV scenes depicting the rape of women
C) movie and TV scenes showing criminals getting caught by authorities
D) a daytime talk show discussion on homosexuality

Question 10

If someone failed to contribute money because massive amounts of media coverage made him or her less sensitive to the needs of victims of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, this would be an example of

A) the narcotizing effect.
B) socialization.
C) selfishness.
D) globalization.

Question 11

Which of the following terms refers to the phenomenon whereby massive amounts of coverage result in the audience becoming numb and failing to act on the information regardless of how compelling the issue was presented?

A) narcotizing dysfunction
B) surveillance function
C) gatekeeping
D) None of these answers is correct.

Question 12

Sociologist Robert Park studied

A) how newspapers helped immigrants to the U.S. adjust to their environments and taught them the customs and opinions of people in their new home country.
B) the history of radio broadcasting.
C) rock music as a social problem.
D) the role the Internet played in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 tragedy.

Question 13

What term do we use for the flow of content across multiple media and the accompanying migration of media audiences?

A) culture gap
B) information superhighway
C) digital divide
D) cultural convergence

Question 14

Which of the following have sociologists suggested is a dysfunction of the mass media?

A) providing a collective experience
B) conferring status
C) integration of a common view
D) having a narcotizing effect

Question 15

The function of media advertising is to support the economy, provide information about products, and underwrite media costs associated with

A) surveillance of the social environment.
B) enforcement of social norms.
C) conferment of status.
D) promotion of consumption.

Question 16

Communities developing around common interests or shared identities that are emerging online is referred to in the text as

A) identity cells.
B) online nests.
C) interactive niches.
D) tribalism.

Question 17

Which nation has the largest number of the top 100 worldwide brands?

A) Great Britain
B) Japan
C) Germany
D) United States

Question 18

Which of the following terms is used by sociologists to refer to print and electronic means of communication that carry messages to widespread audiences?

A) narcotizers
B) opinion leaders
C) transmitters
D) mass media

Question 19

People ignoring credible warnings about terrorist attacks due to the massive amounts of coverage in the aftermath of September 11, 2001, is an example of

A) the narcotizing dysfunction.
B) gatekeeping.
C) the surveillance function.
D) the dominant ideology.

Question 20

People, organizations, and public issues appearing regularly on the covers of prominent magazines is a method used to

A) provide fortune.
B) promote objectivity in reporting.
C) confer status.
D) celebrate events.

Question 21

Which of the following statements is NOT correct?

A) Massive amounts of information tend to numb and desensitize an audience.
B) The numbing effect of the narcotizing dysfunction may prevent people from taking action in response to compelling issues.
C) The narcotizing dysfunction of the media was identified in the 1980s after the deluge of cable news programming.
D) Paul Lazarsfeld and Robert Merton created the term narcotizing dysfunction.

Question 22

Which sociological perspective would be most likely to focus on gatekeeping as a process that reflects a desire to maximize profits by those with power and authority?

A) interactionist perspective
B) global perspective
C) functionalist perspective
D) conflict perspective

Question 23

Which sociological perspective would be most likely to support the idea that a dominant ideology is created through media images and is used to construct a reality based on protecting the interests of the powerful?

A) global perspective
B) functionalist perspective
C) conflict perspective
D) interactionist perspective

Question 24

A major network news agency that discourages reporting of issues concerning homosexuality is most likely practicing

A) gatekeeping.
B) a surveillance function.
C) a narcotizing dysfunction.
D) a dominant ideology.

Question 25

Which medium experiences the least amount of gatekeeping?

A) television
B) publishing
C) the Internet
D) radio

Question 26

In the U.S., one out of every four women is considered obese. How many characters are portrayed as obese on television?

A) less than 1 out of 100
B) 20 out of 100
C) 30 out of 100
D) 3 out of 100

Question 27

How many primetime series out of nearly sixty-aired in recent years-did researchers find focused on minority performers?

A) 2
B) 13
C) 24
D) 41

Question 28

The process by which a relatively small number of people control what eventually reaches the audience is referred to as

A) gatekeeping.
B) the narcotizing dysfunction.
C) the dominant ideology.
D) the surveillance function.

Question 29

Which sociologist(s) first identified the effects of viewer fatigue and created the term narcotizing dysfunction?

A) Paul Lazarsfeld and Robert Merton
B) Robert Park
C) Deena Weinstein
D) David Demers

Question 30

The U.S. government was heavily criticized for which of the following media monitoring behaviors after the September 11, 2001, attacks?

A) editing Clear Channel Radio news program broadcasts
B) censoring ABC Nightly News reports
C) authorizing wiretaps of U.S. citizens' telephone conversations
D) censoring college newspaper Internet content

Question 31

There is very little representation of the racial diversity of the U.S. on television, even though ________ percent of all youths in the U.S. are children of color.

A) 45
B) 77
C) 27
D) 58

Question 32

The creation of unreliable generalizations that distort the reality of persons, groups, and cultures is indicative of

A) the narcotizing dysfunction.
B) stereotyping.
C) posture enabling.
D) the surveillance function.

Question 33

Which sociological perspective(s) would be most likely to emphasize that the mass media exacerbate many divisions in our society, including those based on gender, race, ethnicity, and social class?

A) interactionist perspective
B) conflict and feminist perspectives
C) functionalist perspective
D) global and interactionist perspectives

Question 34

George is the executive producer of a small recording company with an established label. He rejects a popular local band because it competes with a group already on their label. He functions as a

A) gatekeeper.
B) comptroller.
C) watchdog.
D) censor.

Question 35

The U.S. is a major player in the global media domain. However, other nations play a role in creating a dominant ideology, as evidenced by the popularity of ________, which originated in Sweden.

A) Survivor
B) CSI
C) Fear Factor
D) Friends

Question 36

Eli Pariser wrote The Filter Bubble, which discusses the

A) way in which search engines filter our searches to what we are already familiar with.
B) access or lack of access created by the digital divide in the United States.
C) monopoly created by Google.
D) competition between search engines.

Question 37

Worldwide, low-income groups, racial and ethnic minorities, rural residents, and the citizens of developing countries have far less access than others to the latest technologies. This gap is referred to as the

A) digital enclosure.
B) digital world.
C) digital divide.
D) digital dam.

Question 38

Realistic portrayals of minorities and working-class persons tend to be ignored by mass media decision-makers primarily because

A) most decisions are made overwhelmingly by wealthy White males.
B) minorities and working-class people feel ashamed of their social position.
C) viewers only enjoy fantasizing about being rich and powerful.
D) most decisions are driven by Nielsen ratings.

Question 39

The term media monitoring is used most often to refer to

A) interest groups' monitoring of content.
B) the government censoring media.
C) parents checking what their child watches.
D) studios following what is a "hit."

Question 40

What is the term used for the set of cultural beliefs and practices that helps to maintain powerful social, economic, and political interests?

A) the surveillance function
B) gatekeeping
C) the narcotizing dysfunction
D) the dominant ideology

Question 41

Which of the following statements concerning media portrayal of gender roles would the feminist perspective most likely endorse?

A) Women are overrepresented in most television roles.
B) Men are often portrayed as compliant, working-class persons.
C) Women are portrayed as overweight and dull in most television roles.
D) Women are often portrayed as being in need of rescue by males.

Question 42

A person who influences the opinions and decisions of others through day-to-day personal contact and communication is referred to as a(n)

A) opinion leader.
B) gatekeeper.
C) concentrator.
D) specialist.

Question 43

Who predicted over 45 years ago that the rise of electronic media would create a "global village," thereby reducing the barriers created by physical distance?

A) Darnell Hunt
B) Vivian Gornick
C) Marshall McLuhan
D) Erving Goffman

Question 44

How many contributors who texted donations after the Haitian earthquakes encouraged friends and family to do the same?

A) 43%
B) 57%
C) 25%
D) 17%

Question 45

Which sociologist pioneered research on opinion leaders?

A) Deena Weinstein
B) Erving Goffman
C) Paul Lazarsfeld
D) Robert Park

Question 46

Fans of the TV show Star Trek (known as Trekkies) meet in costume at a convention celebrating the anniversary of the show's conception. Which sociological perspective would be most likely to focus attention on this event?

A) conflict perspective
B) global perspective
C) interactionist perspective
D) functionalist perspective

Question 47

Which aspect of Darnell Hunt's research on audiences was somewhat unique, particularly with regard to his analysis and interpretation of the data?

A) He went beyond noting racial differences in perceptions, and analyzed how they were manifested.
B) He researched Whites, African Americans, and Latinos.
C) He divided people into groupings.
D) He analyzed the data on a computer.

Question 48

According to data collected in 2009 concerning the use of the Internet,

A) women are more likely to use email to maintain friendship networks.
B) women are more likely than men to join fantasy leagues.
C) women are more likely to use the Internet daily.
D) about half of women use the Internet daily.

Question 49

Even if the audience for a certain form of mass media is spread out over a wide geographic area and the members do not know one another, they will be somewhat distinctive in terms of

A) age, gender, income, political party, formal schooling, and race and ethnicity.
B) general interest.
C) the size of the grouping.
D) None of these answers is correct.

Question 50

Which sociological perspective is more likely to study the media's influence on society from the micro level to determine how social behavior is shaped?

A) functionalist perspective
B) conflict perspective
C) feminist perspective
D) interactionist perspective

Question 51

Among the major sociological perspectives of functionalism, conflict theory, interactionism, and the feminist perspective, conflict theorists would be most likely to suggest that the mass media serve a useful function in society by bringing members together in a collective experience.

Question 52

Which sociologist studied the social composition of audiences to explain how an audience interprets news coverage?

A) David Demers
B) Darnell Hunt
C) Erving Goffman
D) Vivian Gornick

Question 53

Which metaphor for the media's reach does sociologist Todd Gitlin consider more apt than "global village?"

A) global quagmire
B) global torrent
C) global wave
D) global city

Question 54

The increase in the use of mass media, specifically electronic media, has allowed for abuses of personal privacy.

Question 55

Which sociological perspective would most likely be concerned with manipulation of "photo ops" to create an image of self-serving reality?

A) feminist perspective
B) functionalist perspective
C) conflict perspective
D) interactionist perspective

Question 56

Sociologist Paul Lazarsfeld

A) described the depiction of women as reflecting "innumerable small murders of mind and spirit (that) take place daily."
B) studied how newspapers helped immigrants to the U.S. adjust to their environments and taught them the customs and opinions of their new country.
C) researched rock music and found no sociologically credible evidence that rock caused sexual promiscuity, rape, drug abuse, satanism, or suicide.
D) pioneered the study of opinion leaders in his research on voting behavior in the 1940s.

Question 57

The media often reaffirm proper behavior by showing what happens to people who violate social expectations.

Question 58

Which sociological perspective is most likely to be concerned with television distorting gender roles and stereotyping, often rooted in the media's willingness to promote more traditional views?

A) functionalist perspective
B) conflict perspective
C) feminist perspective
D) interactionist perspective

Question 59

According to Darnell Hunt's research on audiences, which viewers were less animated when watching a 17-minute film clip of the 1992 riots in Los Angeles?

A) Blacks
B) Asians
C) Whites
D) Latinos

Question 60

In his study of the social composition of audiences, which of the following characteristics did sociologist Darnell Hunt suggest would be most likely to affect the interpretation of news coverage?

A) class
B) gender
C) occupation
D) race

Question 61

The media audience is always a secondary group of observers who are spread over a wide geographic area and can most accurately be analyzed from the functionalist perspective.

Question 62

The narcotizing dysfunction can desensitize an audience to suffering and can influence the degree to which that audience might conclude that a solution to a crisis has already been found.

Question 63

U.S. media policy has not been overhauled since the 1930s, and it needs to be.

Question 64

Discuss the similarities between the conflict perspective and feminist perspective regarding the significance of the media in shaping social attitudes.

Question 65

The definition of screen time has changed as new mass media like the Internet have been developed.

Question 66

Twenty-two percent of viewers who watch the Super Bowl do so only for the commercials.

Question 67

The mass media seldom collect and define facts for their audiences because most media presentations reflect the values and orientations of the audiences themselves.

Question 68

A producer who declines adding a gay character to a storyline because she feels it would "upset certain audience members" is performing a gatekeeping role.

Question 69

Female and male athletes are treated equitably by the media.

Question 70

Why does the lack of Internet connectivity impact developing nations in such a negative way?

Question 71

Globalization of the dominant ideology has weakened the dominating reach of the U.S. into the rest of the world.

Question 72

The way the members of an audience interpret the media is often influenced by social characteristics such as occupation, race, education, and income.

Question 73

Discuss the role of the media from the conflict perspective. Define the term gatekeeping and give examples to illustrate its effects on society.

Question 74

Discuss how the recent war with Iraq may have had a narcotizing effect for some viewers, and provide illustrations to support your answer.

Question 75

Discuss the role of the media from the functionalist perspective and give examples to illustrate the impact of the media on social life.

Question 76

Discuss how the interactionist view is useful in analyzing the role of the audience when trying to understand the impact of the media on social life.