To Syllabus

To read a scholary article: what is the thesis, from within what literature(s) does thesis emerge, what supporting evidence, method of gathering/analyzing evidence, documentation of evidence, findings as a result of the analysis, discussion of those findings & what is the social importance or relevance of the thesis.

What is thesis of Hall's article?

That a new paradigm, critical cultural studies, helped researchers think about media in terms of the social and political significance of language, focus on the ideological work of meaning-making and therefore investigate areas that behavioral research takes for granted. "The world has been made to mean." Look for research questions.

What does it mean to say the difference between mainstream and critical paradigms not principally methodological and procedural?
--i.e. this is a theoretical break, not principally a methodological one

What is the impact of the new paradigm on forming questions & levels of analysis?
--It raises questions about systems and structures not at the level of conscious intentions and biases. Questions of behavioral research: what changes can media effect in behaviour of individuals exposed to influence and methods: media effects have to be subject to empirical tests. Mass society model also concerned with effects but more effects of 3 types: cultural (debased mass society), political ( vulnerability of masses to false appeals), and social (break up of organic/communities and exposure of masses to commercialized influences of elites via media) Frankfurt School leading proponents.

American main stream: Lazarsfeld
Euro main stream: Adorno

What does it mean to say questions are theoretically outside the frame of reference?
--Questions not asked are does pluralism work and how? But assumption was: pluralism works and research proceeded to measure it!

Why & how is power highlighted?

What does this mean: effects of reality? "taking as established fact that which should be questions) note the coming together of social and symbolic elements that are/are not specific to mass communication; i.e. the exchange and use values depend on the symbolic value which the message contains-commodity, yes, but distinct

The value of pluralist theory was that it included the element of consent, but in an idealist and power-free interpretation. But that cannot explain how in formally democratic societies powerful classes maintain rule:

Look at the discussion on of "freedom" and how that concept gets articulated socially and differently

--- how to articulations become historically secured; here is an example of how the effects of reality are what is analyzed-note the terms "tendential class articulation" and absolutely determined class character

Based on your critical reading, can you answer these questions?

What does the phrase "struggle over meaning" suggest? What is its importance to studying mass communication generally? What is its importance in pragmatic application? How about "struggle over access to the means of signification"? Or "competence to perform in language"?