The Mass Media and Social Construction Essay Example for Free

The Mass Media and Social Construction Essay The mass media industry is implicated in social construction. There are Ways of Seeing which serve state-corporate interests at the expense of the interests of the people. This is because there is a direct relationship between the mainstream press and the political economy of state-corporate capitalism in the construction of the false reality. The system of capitalism heavily indoctrinates the population through the mainstream press. The mass media fulfils this duty, because it is owned and controlled by the corporate class. In other words, economics and media are inter-linked. Herman and Chomsky provide evidence for this reality in Manufacturing Consent. (Herman and Chomsky) They show how the mainstream press is run by the political economy and how the viewer is made into a pawn. The two authors build a propaganda model in which they reveal how the U.S. government exploits the media to enforce control over the people. The mass media, therefore, is a corporate tool that is used to indoctrinate the population. The viewer is told what kind of desire he should have. If a person watches the media carefully, he will be able to see that certain programs have hidden messages and assumptions that reveal a certain bias against certain groups. Even the language that is used is based on certain premises that the corporate order wants people to think is normal. Yet all of these messages shape values. To a large extent, this process is about how people give approval to their own domination without even knowing it. Herman and Chomsky reveal how the language of the U.S. mass media is actually very limited. The parameters of debate are very narrow. What this basically means is that people think they are having a free-for-all discussion, but in fact it is the negation of discussion. Herman and Chomsky demonstrate how the marketplace and the economics of publishing try to shape the news we receive. A certain message is sent out that tries to limit the way people think about things. In this way, people are brainwashed. Thus, the corporate-run media basically shapes the desires and opinions of  the majority of people. This is because producers and advertisers have an interest in reinforcing certain ideologies. This is, therefore, a political battle. Economic elites retain their power by shaping and moulding social reality through the means of mass media. As Chomsky and Herman reveal, for example, American media employs a double standard in the ways it treats the crimes committed by enemy countries and the crimes committed by friendly countries. (Chomsky, pp.30-33) This serves a certain political agenda. Thus, it becomes clear that there is a direct relationship between the mainstream press and the political economy of state-corporate capitalism in the construction of social reality. The system of capitalism hides behind the scenes of this manipulation, but it is really pulling the strings. There is a propaganda model which we are a part of. The mass media serves as a corporate tool in this manipulation of what we are. That is why John Berger has told us about his issue of Ways of Seeing. (Berger) It turns out that what we see is not necessarily what we are seeing. Berger makes an important point when he says that publicity falsely proposes that purchases of things will change the consumer. Yet we know that this is a lie. Nonetheless, people but into the lie of advertising. People are simply led to believe that they are making a choice, when in fact all that is happening is the negation of choice. This is where Bergers point also becomes relevant, since Berger shows how advertising promises to change the consumer. But only sameness results. Thus, he r reveals that advertising actually steals something from the consumer and then sells it back at a certain price. Berger writes that, The spectator-buyer is meant to envy as she will become if she buys the product. She is meant to imagine herself transformed by the product into an object of envy for others, an envy which will then justify her loving herself. (Berger, p.134) This is the way that people are made to believe that they simply have to be consumers in order to be accepted by the society in which they live. If they do not buy what they are told, and if they do not want to own certain things, then they are simply not a part of the society that is deemed to be normal. In this way, we see how the mass media industry is  implicated in social construction. There are Ways of Seeing which serve state-corporate interests at the expense of true freedom for people. Works Cited Berger, John. Ways of Seeing (Pelican) Herman and Chomsky. Manufacturing Consent (Pantheon)

School Vouchers Essay -- Position Paper School Vouchers

School Vouchers   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  School vouchers can be described as financial funding given to students who elect not to attend public schools. Therefore the government would not be spending money educating that student in a public school. A school voucher is the allotment of money that the government would have used for that student to attend public school. This money is then given to the family of the student to help fund the education of that student. This money cannot be used for anything other than education. There are many sides to take and many opinions to be had. It is very clear that the prospect of school vouchers is an issue to be debated. Some people feel that if they are not using the government’s form of education then they should be paid for not using it, in order to help finance other forms of education. On the other side of the issue, some people feel that school vouchers would be used in many cases to subsidize religious schools. This becomes a hot topic due to the separ ation of church and state. In short, does money not being used by a student belong to that student, and can it be used for a private, and sometimes religious, school. There are only two logical options to solve this dilemma of school vouchers. The first is that the government provides school vouchers to students not enrolled in the public school system. The second is that the government does not provide school vouchers to students not enrolled in the public school system. There are many stipulations that could be applied to both sides of the argument, but the bottom line remains the same. The government can either provide or not provide school vouchers. If the government should decide to provide school vouchers, there are both positive and negative aspects to that decision.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Considering that the United States government would grant school vouchers to students, there would be many positive gains. For instance, that choice would level the playing field, with regards to education, between low-income families and upper class families (Messerli). This would be accomplished by providing monetary funding to families of students that could not previously afford to attend an institution of private education. In turn, more students would be able to enroll in private schools. An increase in attendance at private schools would be a benefit to the whole of the education system. This ben... ...ios and variables presented, I would recommend that a nationwide voucher program be introduced. I feel that a voucher program’s benefits far outweigh the shortcomings. A voucher program would not only be beneficial to parents and students, but also to education as it stands today. Parents would benefit by basing their decisions about education on the worth of the school instead of on money. Students would benefit by having a choice between public and private school. Even students not involved in the voucher program would benefit, by smaller class sizes, more diversity, and better teaching due to competition between schools. Education as we know it today, both public and private, would benefit by having more choices, and would then be able to assist more students in reaching their educational goals. Bibliography Coulson, Andrew J. Should You Fear School Choice?. 22 Sep. 2004. Mackinac Center for Public Policy. 3 Jan. 2005. Helping state leaders shape education policy. 2004. Education Commission of the States. 3 Jan. 2005. Messerli, Joe. Balanced Politics. 2 Oct. 2003. 3 Jan. 2005. . The pros and cons in the school voucher debate. 2002. Pagewise, Inc. 3 Jan. 2005. .

Why Animal Testing Can Save Our Lives

Many years ago, people follow particular traditions that involves animal sacrifice. According to biblical history, animals were often killed to use as sacrifices to God. In Genesis, Abraham sacrificed a ram after he was stopped by an angel to kill his son as a sign of full obedience to God. Clearly, animal sacrifices has been accepted ever since our ancestors had developed various religions where they believed meat offerings were pleasant to the eyes of their God. As one of the most complicated ethical issues of today, animal testing can be viewed in the same way with the historical animal sacrifices. As humans in past were saved spiritually by offering animals, it is reasonable to conclude that animal testing is a kind of sacrifice that humans must do to save lives physically and emotionally. Why Animal Testing Can Save Our Lives One of the primary reasons why animal testing is considered helpful for the advance of man is the fact that it plays a significant role in the progress of medicine. Newly created drugs are safer to use by humans if they are tested on animals first. Some people believes that it is unethical and improper to use a drug if it has not been tested on animals before (Hayhurst, 20). They argue that it is the best possible way to determine if a drug is safe or not. They clearly have a point in this argument. Apparently, they believe that human lives are much important than animal lives. â€Å"Many people who argue for animal testing agree that it's unfortunate that animals must sometimes suffer, but they feel that the pain is a small price to pay if it advances science and produces new cures for deadly diseases such as cancer and AIDS† (Hayhurst, 21). On the other hand, people who are against animal testing argue that animal lives should also be treated with utmost importance and should not be used as sacrifices to attain something. One of the points of these people are the fact that some cosmetic manufacturers also engage in animal testing to try their products. They believe that such products are â€Å"unnecessary† for animals' health to be sacrificed (Hayhurst, 21). There is the blinding of mice to enable cosmetic manufacturers to produce a new kind of mascara and other. They also argue that animal reactions to drugs can be quite different from that of humans. â€Å"Because of the irreconcilable biological differences between animals and human beings, the results of animal tests cannot be applied to human beings with any degree of confidence† (qtd. in Lovegrove, 14). However, it is the issue of morality and ethics that is enveloping the entire argument against animal testing. Many people on this side believes that animals have the right to live and that humans cannot just treat them in any way just because they can. Apparently, both sides of the issue raises important points that should be considered to achieve a fair and justified treatment of the issue. Clearly, there is a lot at stake here whether in the morality or the medical advancement of human beings but both ways still considers what is good for man. Nevertheless, the problem with some animal rights activists is that, â€Å"there is too much emphasis on ethics and too little emphasis on what they perceive as scientific benefits† (qtd. in Connor). In our present situation where diseases are rampant, it is important that people must be receptive and open-minded enough to consider tough decisions such as supporting animal testing. It is also important that people weigh the circumstances of what animal research could do in the existence and survival of mankind in the future. The problem with some activists is that they focus so much on what is happening today that they tend to forget what could happen in the future. Conclusion Our world today is experiencing so many medical challenges such as the spread of A(H1N1) virus, cancer, AIDS and other diseases; therefore, it is important that we consider sacrificing something today to enable us to prepare for the future. In addition, these animals also benefit from the testing as their future generations also benefits from the medical progress to which they contribute. Hence, it is quite reasonable to conclude that some tough decisions and actions should be made to make this place better and safer for all of us. It is for the greater good that a few must suffer to attain something better in the future.

Taking a Look at Ai Weiwei - 1760 Words

Ai Weiwei, a Chinese contemporary artist as well as a political activist was born in Beijing on May 18, 1957. When Ai was only one year old him and his family were sent to a labor camp. It was not for sixteen years later at the end of the Cultural Revolution until his family moved back to Beijing. He studied animation at the Beijing Film Academy in 1978. After his studies he spent about twelve years in the United States and studied at the Parsons School of Design where he soon dropped out. For income he became a street artist, doing drawings on the side. When his father had become sick in 1993, Ai returned to Beijing from New York City. He then became the artist director and co-founder of the China Art Achieves and Warehouse. This is about the time when some controversial pieces are now starting to come about. In 1993, Ai Weiwei then had moved to the North side of China in a town called Coachanghdi, this is where he started to do architectural work, including his studio house. This is when he founded the FAKE design, which is an architectural studio. Ai’s biggest controversial issue is when he was arrested on false tax evasions and detained for three months. After his arrest Ai Weiwei is no longer permitted to leave China and is under tight security by the Chinese government. He is not allowed to leave the country because he is under other criminal investigations, which include pornography, illegal exchange of foreign currency, and bigamy. Everyone in support of him isShow MoreRelatedChallenging Society Through Art.1073 Words   |  5 Pagesas simple as that. The most preferred type of art emotes happiness to the viewer throughout all of history. Yet, throughout the years, artists have come to challenge society’s preference of art. Artists like Gustave Courbet, Francisco Goya, and Ai Weiwei, who decided to take the challenge and start a new progression. Social critique through art is blatantly shown throughout each of their pieces: Stonebreake rs, The Third of May 1808, and Sunflower Seeds. All three are similar yet different. ThroughRead MoreEssay On Exploring And Preparing For An Intercultural Encounter1476 Words   |  6 Pagesdocumentary in a way that people from all over the world can view refugees in a positive and emotional way. â€Å"You can understand they are human, even in these conditions that you cannot imagine,† explains Ai Weiwei (p. 9). This is a prime example of how Italians go out of there way to help others. Ai Weiwei created this documentary in a way that will make others rethink how they view refugees in hopefully a more empathetic and positive manner. To be a successful communicator in Italy, I would need to have