广东外语外贸大学：《国际交流》课程教学资源（PPT课件）mass commu lecture 10 The content of mass communications（Cont.）

Lecture 10 The content of mass communications( Cont Objectives Have an idea on the linguistic approaches to the study of the content; Learn about several analytic tools that media studies engage, Have an understanding on content analysis as one of the research methods

Lecture 10 The content of mass communications (Cont.)  Objectives:  Have an idea on the linguistic approaches to the study of the content;  Learn about several analytic tools that media studies engage;  Have an understanding on content analysis as one of the research methods

Review: Approaches to the study of content Social Cultural Linguistic Political economy: on advertising and commercialism: commercialization of media content; media content and hegemony Information theory: media content as(measured) information Content and media performance

Review: Approaches to the study of content  Social  Cultural  Linguistic  Political economy: on advertising and commercialism; commercialization of media content; media content and hegemony  Information theory: media content as (measured) information  Content and media performance

Review: Social approaches and cultural approaches Media content and social reality Media content and power/inequality Media content and (organizational) bias: e.g journalists, journalism practices Media content and social problems: e. g. violence, gender inequalit lity Media content and cultural values and traditions Media content and mass culture Media content and popular culture(and a variety of sub-cultures) Media content as cultural text

Review: Social approaches and cultural approaches  Media content and social reality  Media content and power/inequality  Media content and (organizational) bias: e.g. journalists, journalism practices  Media content and social problems: e.g. violence, gender inequality  Media content and cultural values and traditions  Media content and mass culture  Media content and popular culture (and a variety of sub-cultures)  Media content as cultural text

Linguistic approaches: how meaning is generated? Semiotics or Semiology: studies of signs a Structuralism: uncovering structures that indicate relationships Discourse analysis: analyzing the implications of language use and the relationship between language and its users

Linguistic approaches: how meaning is generated?  Semiotics or Semiology: studies of signs  Structuralism: uncovering structures that indicate relationships  Discourse analysis: analyzing the implications of language use and the relationship between language and its users

Semiotics: meaning and signs a Semiotics sees communication as the generation of meaning in messages--whether by encoder or decoder Meaning is not an absolute, static concept to be found neatly parceled up in the message, but an active process. It is generated, created, or negotiated between person and message Meaning is the result of the dynamic interaction between sign, signifier, and signified. Thus meaning is historically located and may well change with time

Semiotics: meaning and signs  Semiotics sees communication as the generation of meaning in messages—whether by encoder or decoder.  Meaning is not an absolute, static concept to be found neatly parceled up in the message, but an active process. It is generated, created, or negotiated between person and message.  Meaning is the result of the dynamic interaction between sign, signifier, and signified. Thus, meaning is historically located and may well change with time

Signification: analyzing meaning Denotation: the common-sense and obvious meaning of a sign Connotation: the interaction between the sign and its user when the sign meets the feelings or emotions of the users and the values of their culture Myth Symbol: standing for sth else through convention E.g. a Rolls-Royce is a symbol of wealth and status

Signification: analyzing meaning  Denotation: the common-sense and obvious meaning of a sign  Connotation: the interaction between the sign and its user when the sign meets the feelings or emotions of the users and the values of their culture.  Myth:  Symbol: standing for sth else through convention. E.g. a Rolls-Royce is a symbol of wealth and status

Myth A myth is a culture's way of thinking about something, a way of conceptualizing or understanding It Myth is a societal story that expresses prevailing ideals, ideologies, values, and beliefs Myth is a kind of narrative structure EXercise: tell each other what occurs to your mind when you see or hear the following words Women, men, diamond, perfume, policeman

Myth  A myth is a culture’s way of thinking about something, a way of conceptualizing or understanding it.  Myth is a societal story that expresses prevailing ideals, ideologies, values, and beliefs.  Myth is a kind of narrative structure.  Exercise: tell each other what occurs to your mind when you see or hear the following words: Women, men, diamond, perfume, policeman

Myth Myths are pre-existing and value-laden sets of ideas derived from the culture and transmitted by communication Myths are the meanings by which society organizes itself and symbolically comes to terms with faults and problems that arise, thus maintaining its value consensus Binary oppositions: good and evil, civilization and Wilderness, law and lawless, etc Discussion: new myths in reforming China

Myth  Myths are pre-existing and value-laden sets of ideas derived from the culture and transmitted by communication.  Myths are the meanings by which society organizes itself and symbolically comes to terms with faults and problems that arise, thus maintaining its value consensus.  Binary oppositions: good and evil, civilization and wilderness, law and lawless, etc.  Discussion: new myths in reforming China

Structuralism a Structuralism Vs empiricism: how people make sense of the world vs, what the world S Structuralism in linguistics: language is a structural system to cover all cultural process. All languages are different. But all languages share a structure of differences and combination

Structuralism  Structuralism vs. empiricism: how people make sense of the world vs. what the world is.  Structuralism in linguistics: language is a structural system to cover all cultural process. All languages are different. But all languages share a structure of differences and combination

Content analysis: brief introduction Have a hypothesis Choose a sample or samples Establish a set of key word or phrase that best represent your hypothesis Choose a unit of analysis from the content of your samples, Count the frequency of the references to relevant word or phrase, per chosen unit of content Express the results as an overall distribution of the complete universe or chosen content

Content analysis: brief introduction Have a hypothesis; Choose a sample or samples; Establish a set of key word or phrase that best represent your hypothesis; Choose a unit of analysis from the content of your samples; Count the frequency of the references to relevant word or phrase, per chosen unit of content Express the results as an overall distribution of the complete universe or chosen content