The Mass Communication Theories - Essay Example

 In this week’s reading, Baran and Davis discuss the mass communication theories. It is evident, from the reading, that there are basic social foundations and functions of thought and communication. They argue that there exists a link becoming self-conscious and being conscious of other individuals. Self-consciousness and that of others are important for both individual development and that of others too. The basic theme of the study is that communication pertaining to involvement in the other is primary to the human social arrangement.

That principle of human social organization is made up of three basic elements: The appearance of the other with the self, followed by the identification of the other with the self, and lastly the searching of self-consciousness through the other (p. 253). The three elements of human social organization are enabled through mass communication.The critical cultural theory illustrates that; communication occurs through a psychological process referred to as “mob-consciousness” (Baran & Davis, 2015).

The psychological process is identified through a quantitative research method. An experimental approach is adopted to indicate how mob-consciousness is influenced by attitude and the surrounding environment. The quantitative research method was efficient and effective in establishing that a speaker has the ability to influence the general attitude of the audience. The research concluded that; communication occurs when one party assumes an attitude passed from another party and adjusts the attitude in respect to a particular aspect of the environment.

The environment that influences attitudes is of much importance to the parties in the audience. The text achieves a common ground between the authors and the readers.