Page 39 - Flipbook: Sociology Shortcuts Issue 3

The extent to which the media can impose This is true of both old media, such as
its values on behaviour is uncertain, but it television, and new media such as Facebook
does represent a powerful force in terms of (Meta?), Twitter and the like.
supporting or marginalising certain values.
This idea does, however, work both ways;
The media has a (loud) voice in debates the media can try to:
over nationality (what it means to be
“British” or "Chinese" for example) and • preserve particular ways of behaving
also promotes certain values while (through campaigns to "save the family", for
devaluing others; the majority of English example) and
newspapers, even in 2022, 6 years after the
Brexit referendum, still take a strident “anti- • promote changes in behaviour (such as
European Community” stance, for example. campaigns against racism).

Potter suggests this involves a process of In this respect the media employs a range of
habituation - the more people are exposed to positive sanctions that involve the use of
certain images and ideas the greater the praise, flattering pictures and uncritical
likelihood they will incorporate them into features, whereas negative sanctions involve
their personal value systems. things like being pictured in an unflattering
pose, critical articles or behaviour being
In relation to norms, the media has a held up to public ridicule.
boundary-marking function; it publicises
acceptable and unacceptable forms of
behaviour to reinforce perceptions of
expected behaviours.

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