Mass Society Theory
Mass Society Theory
Mass Society Theory
Mass Society Theory is heavily influenced by the work of the Frankfurt School in particular, Adorno and Horkheimer, and defends the merit of high culture, from what is perceived as the decaying effects of Mass Commoditization of culture. Mass Society is characterized by a nexus of interlocking power elites which manipulate the masses in spite of democratic structurization. Culture is seen as a part of the super structure of ideas determined by a societys economic base. Critiques of a mass society theory The Frankfurt view of the audience is Monolithic, giving little or no attention to the potential for audience diversity for readings or resistance to media text (Boyd-Barrett, 1995). They believed in a magic bullet theory of media effects, which assumed the direct impact of a media message. The Frankfurt School deliberately avoids empirical research because of their view that positivistic signs is a symptom of capitalist techno-rationality. Attributes excessive power to media and underrates the importance of social contexts of media consumption.
Criticism: The Mass Culture or Mass Society approach is now less common but elements of it can still turn up, particularly in newspapers and journals which provide platforms to a range of conservative views. Some of these views are connected with nationalism and anti-Americanism. Example: notions of dumbing down including in America itself NOTE: That Mass Culture/ Americanisation can be seen in certain circumstances as liberating (and broadening cultural expression) rather than oppressing (and narrowing it). Arguably, the Mass Culture approach sees uniformities rather than diversities in the contemporary Mass Media/Culture.