COM2604 ASSIGNMETN 01
SEMESTER 01 2023
UNISA
ALL QUESTIONS ANSWERED: UST CHOOSE ANY
TWO
PASS WITH 80%+
,DECLARATION
, Table of Contents
Page
INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................................1
QUESTION 1...........................................................................................................................................2
APPROACHES TO THE STUDY OF MASS COMMUNICATION................................................................2
1.1 The main tenets of the social-materialist perspective.............................................................2
1.2 What theory is.............................................................................................................................2
1.2.1 The value of theory...............................................................................................................2
1.2.2 The four building blocks of theory........................................................................................2
1.3 The critical approach....................................................................................................................6
1.3.1 Mass society theory..............................................................................................................6
1.3.2 The Frankfurt School.............................................................................................................6
QUESTION 2...........................................................................................................................................8
The role and functions of the media..................................................................................................8
2.1 Concepts related to the media.....................................................................................................8
2.1.1 Functionalism........................................................................................................................8
2.1.2 Political functions of the media in a democracy....................................................................8
2.1.3 Media pluralism....................................................................................................................9
2.2 How the African philosophy of ubuntu might function as a normative theory for the mass
media in the South African context....................................................................................................9
2.2.1 An overview of the characteristics of ubuntu.......................................................................9
2.2.2 The possible influence of ubuntu on journalistic values.......................................................9
2.2.3 The consequences of ubuntu as normative framework for the media................................10
2.2.4 The feasibility of ubuntu as normative theory for the mass media in the South African
context.........................................................................................................................................11
QUESTION 3.........................................................................................................................................12
The effects of mass communication (effect studies)........................................................................12
Gauntlett’s points of criticisms against the effects paradigm...........................................................12
3.1 The effects model deals with social problems backwards......................................................12
3.2 The effects model treats children as inadequate..................................................................12
3.3 The effects model inadequately defines its own objectives of study....................................12
3.4 The effects model is selective in its criticisms of media descriptions of violence...................13
QUESTION 4.........................................................................................................................................14
Media, culture and the ideological power of the media..................................................................14
Stuart Hall's theoretical model of preferred reading.......................................................................14
SEMESTER 01 2023
UNISA
ALL QUESTIONS ANSWERED: UST CHOOSE ANY
TWO
PASS WITH 80%+
,DECLARATION
, Table of Contents
Page
INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................................1
QUESTION 1...........................................................................................................................................2
APPROACHES TO THE STUDY OF MASS COMMUNICATION................................................................2
1.1 The main tenets of the social-materialist perspective.............................................................2
1.2 What theory is.............................................................................................................................2
1.2.1 The value of theory...............................................................................................................2
1.2.2 The four building blocks of theory........................................................................................2
1.3 The critical approach....................................................................................................................6
1.3.1 Mass society theory..............................................................................................................6
1.3.2 The Frankfurt School.............................................................................................................6
QUESTION 2...........................................................................................................................................8
The role and functions of the media..................................................................................................8
2.1 Concepts related to the media.....................................................................................................8
2.1.1 Functionalism........................................................................................................................8
2.1.2 Political functions of the media in a democracy....................................................................8
2.1.3 Media pluralism....................................................................................................................9
2.2 How the African philosophy of ubuntu might function as a normative theory for the mass
media in the South African context....................................................................................................9
2.2.1 An overview of the characteristics of ubuntu.......................................................................9
2.2.2 The possible influence of ubuntu on journalistic values.......................................................9
2.2.3 The consequences of ubuntu as normative framework for the media................................10
2.2.4 The feasibility of ubuntu as normative theory for the mass media in the South African
context.........................................................................................................................................11
QUESTION 3.........................................................................................................................................12
The effects of mass communication (effect studies)........................................................................12
Gauntlett’s points of criticisms against the effects paradigm...........................................................12
3.1 The effects model deals with social problems backwards......................................................12
3.2 The effects model treats children as inadequate..................................................................12
3.3 The effects model inadequately defines its own objectives of study....................................12
3.4 The effects model is selective in its criticisms of media descriptions of violence...................13
QUESTION 4.........................................................................................................................................14
Media, culture and the ideological power of the media..................................................................14
Stuart Hall's theoretical model of preferred reading.......................................................................14
