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Communication in Society 200
final exam
47
Communication
Undergraduate 2
12/03/2010

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Term
semiotics
Definition
focuses on the signification, or how meaning is created
Term
myth
Definition
the connotative meaning that signs carry wherever they go; makes what is culture seem natural
Term
sign
Definition
anything that can create meaning or "stand for something else"
Term
index
Definition
a signifier that is physically caused by the signified
Term
icon
Definition
a sign in which a signifier structurally resembles the signified
Term
symbol
Definition
when the signifier and signified are linked only by convention
Term
signifier
Definition
the physical aspect of the sign
Term
signified
Definition
the meaning communicated by the signifier
Term
denotation (first order signification)
Definition
the literal or primary meaning
Term
connotation (second order signification)
Definition
denotation loses its history and instead reinforces the dominant values of a culture
Term
deconstruction
Definition
attempt to uncover the history of a sign
Term
post-modernism
Definition
rejection of logic and inevitable progress; little narratives; praxis
Term
cultural studies
Definition
neo-Marxist critique that sets forth the position that mass media manufacture consent for dominant ideologies
Term
economic determinism
Definition
belief that human behavior and relationships are ultimately caused by differences in financial resources and the disparity in power that those gaps create
Term
ideology
Definition
frameworks through which we interpret, understand and make sense of social existence
Term
democratic pluralism
Definition
myth that society is held together by such common norms as equal opportunity, respect for diversity, one person one vote, individual rights and rule of law
Term
cultural industries
Definition
the producers of culture, radio, fashion, television, music, film, magazines, newspapers, etc.
Term
hegemony
Definition
struggle between ideologies
Term
hegemonic ideology
Definition
the dominant ideology
Term
episteme
Definition
how a culture thinks -- defines the conditions for the possibility of knowledge or for the world view of an age
Term
discursive formation
Definition
process by which unquestioned and seemingly natural ways of interpreting the world become ideologies
Term
hegemonic encoding
Definition
molding discourse so that media echoes that message and it is decoded and acted upon by the audience
Term
praxis
Definition
process of practicing an idea
Term
intergroup diffusion
Definition
movement of innovations from one culture to another
Term
propaganda
Definition
a type of persuasion that involves mass audiences with the purpose of achieving the goals of the persuader
Term
flak
Definition
media criticism
Term
magic bullet model
Definition
the theory that the media have direct, powerful, immediate and universal effects on audiences
Term
opinion leaders
Definition
those who pay more attention to the media; provided information, interpretations and opinions to others
Term
two-step flow model
Definition
opinion leaders attend to the media and then opinion leaders inform and influence others
Term
leveling
Definition
messages become more concise
Term
sharpening
Definition
central features of the story are retained and become the dominant theme
Term
assimilation
Definition
changes occur to the story based on people's opinions and attitudes
Term
innovation
Definition
idea, practice or object that is perceived as new
Term
diffusion
Definition
characteristic pattern by which innovations are adopted over time
Term
agenda setting
Definition
the mass media have the ability to transfer the salience of an issue on their news agenda to the public agenda
Term
public opinion
Definition
attitudes one can express without running the danger of isolating oneself; a tangible force that keeps people in line
Term
spiral of silence
Definition
the increasing pressure people feel to conceal their views when they think they are in the minority
Term
jeer pressure
Definition
when people fear rejection, they will show greater tendencies to conform
Term
quasi-statistical organ
Definition
sixth sense that tallies up information about what society in general is thinking and feeling
Term
cultivation differential
Definition
difference between heavy viewers and light viewers
Term
mainstreaming
Definition
television operates as a gravitational force pulling different demographic groups of heavy viewers together
Term
resonance
Definition
when the media reinforces an environment so heavy viewers are more extreme in their judgements
Term
genderlect
Definition
suggests that masculine and feminine styles of discourse best viewed as two distinct cultural dialects
Term
rapport talk
Definition
typical conversational style of women, which seeks to establish connection with others
Term
report talk
Definition
typical monologic style of men, which seeks to command attention, convey information and win arguments
Term
standpoint
Definition
a place from which we view the world around us
Term
muted group
Definition
people with little power who have trouble giving voice to their perceptions because they must re-encode their thoughts to make them understood in the public sphere
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