Thinking as a Sociologist

in sociologist •  8 years ago 

Thinking as a sociologist I would use human behavior, beliefs, customs, values, and cultures to challenge the ideas and images portrayed by the media. While people may have a natural sense of how the media represents certain phenomena, we need to learn some particular research techniques for how to analyze these representations.   It is very useful to model these different techniques, demonstrating how you use them in analysis of a particular example.  Here are a few steps for challenging the ideas and images portrayed by the media that I found: Select certain groups, worlds, topics, issues, or phenomenon, and then find different representations of this topic/phenomenon in magazines, TV, newspapers, literature, Web sites. Note patterns in these representations in terms of similarities in portrayals/images instances of stereotyping categories. Note value assumptions in terms of who has power, who solves problems, how problems are solved. Define what appeals are made to what audiences? Whose beliefs or values are being reinforced or validated? How are certain products linked to certain representations for certain audiences? By following all of the steps above you will get an understanding on how to challenge the ideas and images portrayed by the media. After getting an understanding you will be fully equipped to dig deeper into the media instead of just taking what they say and believe it. Everything that the media says is not always true and the steps above allows you to prove it through human behavior, beliefs, customs, and values. After reading those steps I have challenged a lot of media that is going on throughout this past week.

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pretty useful for sure, but extremely tedious, isn't it?
Maybe, if critical and independent thinking is something we are already taught in school that could make a difference... but then again who is teaching us and how do they represent certain phenomena?

Exactly!