Journalism 614:Sociological Approaches: Social conflict and structure

What are your social norms?

What would spur a negative reaction?– from your peers? – from your family?

What behaviors are taboo? – Social sanctions or isolation for adopting– Serious threat to social status

Sociological Approaches:

Social Control Social Norms

1. Social Control

Present in all social systems– Mechanisms for:

• Establishing conformity, compliance, authority

• Discouraging/punishing deviance

Applies pressure on individuals through:– Incentives (rewards for conformity)– Sanctions (punishments for deviance)

Social Control Opinion

Media as a system of social control– Public opinion as the outcome

Opinion shaped by message environment– E.g., Current events

• Fear and social control (high alert, global warming, economic collapse)

Opinion Social Control

Public opinion as the causal force– Opinion as force that shapes mass behavior

Public opinion as a form of social control– Ex. Massive support for Bush post 9/11 limits

citizens ability to speak out.

2. Social Norms

Norm: Expected pattern of behavior– Stereotypes of behavioral expectations– Shared norms: characteristic of all groups

Norms (positive and negative aspects):– Maintain order (e.g., stopping at red lights)– Enforce conformity (e.g., keeping promises)– Reduce diversity (e.g., clothing trends)

Enforcing Social Norms

Social control: – Examples of social norm agents:

• Parents - prescribed actions

• Peers - peer pressure

• Teachers - enforced expectations

• Religious institutions - moral guidelines

• Mass media - suggested exemplars

• Perceived opinion - acceptable lattitude

Norms are Situation-specific

Jumping up and down shrieking– Yes: At a football game– No: In class

Drinking beer– Yes: At a party– No: In class

Walking around naked– Yes: In a locker room– No: In class

Violation of Social Norms

What about individuals that behave in ways that violate social norms?– Cognitive value

• Attention-seeking

• Ego-enhancement

– Social value• Sub-group bonding

• Conflict with larger group builds solidarity

Media, Social Control, and Social Norms

Media convey social control/norm messages

Depictions of public opinion as social control/norm messages:– 1. Public opinion polls– 2. Sweeping generalizations– 3. Ridiculing “abnormal” behavior– 4. Penalties for legal violations

Mass Society Theory

Social transition from:– Homogeneous communities

• Small, rural, tightly-knit, cohesive, personal• Gemeinschaft

– To Heterogeneous communities• Large, urban, chaotic, transient, impersonal• Gesellschaft

Concerns about Mass Society

Breakdown social ties, social order Anonymity, isolation, anomie, polarization Decline in public responsibility Potential for mass manipulation of publics

– Isolation from others increases media power

Concerns about media reinforcing norms that maintain economic/political institutions

Capitalism and Democracy

Economic norms:– Self-reliance, competition, material acquisition, pursuit

of profit, private property/ownership

– Free markets as supreme economic guide

– Legitimacy of business institutions

Political norms:– Representative democracy, free speech, civil liberties,

limited government, equality

– Constitution as supreme political document

– Legitimacy of political institutions

Conflict in Beliefs - Media

Sometimes norms are in conflict– E.g., Equality and capitalism

• System based on inequity of outcomes

• Equal opportunity, but not necessarily results

• Problems admitting unequal opportunities

Media can play an important role is setting the terms of the conflict, highlighting social divisions, and fostering consensus beliefs

Ex. Consensus Beliefs: American Dream

Four tenets of the American Dream:– 1. American Dream should be open to all– 2. Belief in the probability of success– 3. Success and failure are a function of effort– 4. Pursuit of material acquisition is a virtue

Battle Lines of Opinion Conflict

Divisions within the consensus:– Social class– Political parties– Race/ethnicity– Gender

Social Class Divisions

Most Americans think of themselves as middle class– Social class as a concept is relatively taboo

Public support for income redistribution:– U relationship:

Lo Med Hi SES

Major difference:-Hi SES Liberals vs.Conservatives

Another Class Division

Support for Civil Liberties– Hi SES: Greater support for individual liberties– Lo SES: Greater levels of authoritarianism– This finding may be more a function of

education than social class• Research also shows that education contributes to

more liberal orientations in high SES individuals

Political Party Divisions

Democrats:– Liberal positions on social/economic issues

• Support for reducing social and income disparities

Republicans:– Conservative positions on social/economic issues

• Support for free market and “law and order”

Racial/Ethnic Divisions

America’s most salient divide Contrasting views on racial equality

– Large differences in support for:• Affirmative action

• Anti-discrimination policies

• Support for the president?

Racial/Ethnic DivisionsQUESTIONS WHITES BLACKS

Justice system biased against blacks 33% 54%

Racist police widespread problem 52% 68%

Unfairly treated by police because of race 9% 34%

Police testify truthfully 70% 33%

Blacks treated more harshly by justice system 45% 77%

White juries more likely to convict blacks than whites 40% 59%

Black juries more likely to convict whites than blacks 36% 18%

Jury reached correct verdict in O.J. trial 42% 78%

Gender Divisions

The Gender Gap– In the 1980’s, political gap between men and

women widens• Women more likely to vote Democratic• Women less supportive of wars• Women less supportive of capital punishment• Women more supportive of gun control

Difference in motivations for participation:– Women more socially-motivated, men more

economically-motivated

One thing brings all these groups together…

AN EXTERNAL THREAT/

INTERNATIONAL CRISIS

Rallying around the Flag

The propensity for the American public to put aside political differences and social cleavages to support the president, his policies, and the country during international crises

What is the rally effect?

Robust phenomenon in public opinion Recurrent phenomenon in public opinion Occurs across political parties Occurs across a range of topics

The public rallies behind leadership, roots for the nation, in times of crisis, attack, war

Traumatic Event: 9/11

The Start of War

Rallies Bolster Approval

War beginsWar begins

Comparable to Other Rally Events

Terror AttacksGulf War IVictory in WWII

Pearl Harbor

Cuban Missile Crisis

General Mood Also Rallies In general, are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the way

things are going in the United States at this time?

Rallying Around the EconomyPublic expresses confidence in economy in spite of attacksAnother rally effect, paralleling the other trends

Right now, do you think that economic conditions in the country as a whole are getting better or getting worse?

Bush job approval by Party ID

Support for the war and Party ID

Satisfaction with U.S. by Party

But Rallies Fade….

Is Iraq War Worth It?

March, 2004

Explanations of Rally Effects

Psychologists– The Bandwagon Effect (Trotter)

Sociology:– Conflict Functionalism theory (Coser)

The Bandwagon Effect

Deep roots in Asch’s study of conformity– “following the lead of others” – Herd instinct

Original concept from voting studies– Concern about bandwagon voting• “Going with the winner”

– Initial leaders gain momentum– Primary elections as example

Obama as a Bandwagon Effect?

Conflict Functionalism

Elaborate theory of:– Conflict dynamics– Functions

Core principle:– Conflict with an external group increases

internal solidarity– Principle applies at many levels:

• From roommates to nations

Conditions for Rally Effects

International conflict Vilified enemy Decisive action taken by the President Short Duration Successful Resolution Substantial media attention High public interest Official control of info flow

War, Media, & Rallies

War changes importance of media roles:– Providing information (decreases)– Explaining significance (decreases)– Building solidarity (increases)– Reducing tension (increases)

Identifying the Enemy

Conflict Functionalism relies on enemy– Vilified enemy - External source of conflict– Power of rally enhanced by demonized enemy

Governments also recognize this power:– Leads to use of propaganda

Propaganda Techniques

Classic techniques of demonization– Lee & Lee (1939) and (1952)

• identify 9 common techniques

• First book analyzed Father Coughlin speeches

• Second is systematic study of propaganda

Function:– Induce motivation to fight

– Frame issue and parties to conflict

– Stimulate and manage opinion formation

– Enhance rally effects