The Role of Modern Media in the Creation of Social Identities of the Dominant and Subordinate Group - Research Paper Example

Task Media Hegemony Introduction The article media hegemony: a failure of perspective by David L. Altheide explains media hegemony as a dominant way of life and thought, and how that dominant way of life is taken up in the dimensions of social life through the influence of the dominant group. Mass media will influence the ideologies of the society when it covers news of the dominant group in the society and people will end up emulating them.The article explains the beliefs that people have of how media perpetuates hegemony by reporting news in a particular way, which will make people tend to bend towards a certain way of life, how journalists contribute to socialization, and how journalist cover negative content especially in the third world countries.

The author explains that these beliefs are not true and that the media does not necessarily propagate the ideologies of the dominant group. The concept of hegemony is based on the works of Marxist’s view of economic foundations, which he argues that they will shape the way of life of people and in the same effect be the ruling or dominant class (Altheide, 477). The author states that “an economically and ideologically biased consciousness perpetuates itself through hegemony and all of society is dominated by the false logic and consciousness.

” This means that media has the effect of determining the behavior of people, since what people see in the media will determine their approach to life in the same way that the economy will determine people’s perspectives. Culture will be determined by the ruling entities since they will make people follow their way of life, and their ideologies will be dictated by hegemony, which will make people act in a certain way. ConclusionMedia can influence the ideologies of people, but reporters are trained to carry out their work professionally.

Research shows that mass media is an independent body, which although can have hegemony, people should change their perspective of the role it has on the society.The Role of Modern Media in the Creation of Social Identities of the Dominant and Subordinate GroupIntroductionMedia has a crucial role to play in creating social identity since it will have decisive part to participate in advancing some social belief among a population. Today, with the advancement of technology and use of various media for communication and passing of messages, people are communicating easily and over long distances.

This research is important in determining the role of the media in dictating the ideologies and approaches to life for people.Since human beings will want to fit in the dominant group, they will copy the ways of life of the dominant group and the media has the biggest role to play in passing information on the recent trends in the world. The dominant group is seen as the most fashionable or will act like a role model to the subordinate group who will want to work their way up to the dominant group.

People in the subordinate group cannot boost of the values they have since they want to be at the same level with the dominant group counterparts, and can do anything under their powers to see that they get the status that they see in the media.There are numerous problems with the social identity since most people will not be themselves when in the media. This implies that those who try to copy their behaviors will take up certain behaviors which may be detrimental to the identity by changing it to an unrealistic oneConclusionMedia plays a crucial role in creation social identities, dominant and subordinate groups since people will emulate what they see or hear in the media so that they can join the dominant group.

The subordinate group is seen as a backward group and people will want to work their way up to the dominant group so that they can fit in society.Work CitedAltheide, David. Media Hegemony: A Failure of Perspective, 2001. Public Opinion Quarterly. Vol. 48:476-490.