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The Terry Dungan videos were very informational. I have had previous experience with some of the information through other classes so it was very interesting to see how connected to media they are. The parts of the series about culture were probably my favorites. I find culture incredibly interesting and have even taken a cultural anthropology class. Looking very specifically at media’s believed and actual effects upon the populous and culture was definitely enlightening. Both Dungan and Sternheimer seen to agree on the fact that media is very often blamed for many of society’s misgivings. In Dungan’s words, media is a “convenient villain”. While there are most certainly many issues in media, it is not at all the single cause for something bad that happens. Sternheimer demonstrates this through such topics as violence, sex, and health. There are always other facets to every problem. Turning media into a scapegoat by putting all of the blame on it is simply running away from the larger issues in life.

The conflict between dominant culture and bounded culture is particularly thought provoking. America has always been hailed as the melting pot society and yet, it is not as smooth of a mixture of cultures as it is given credit. It is extremely evident that there is a great divide in American society. People and cultures conflict with one another, especially when the dominant culture is trying to be enforced, which have led to problems and hardships. It is somewhat ironic that there is such a strong, domineering American culture that tries to overtake others. Being called a melting pot country should be a symbol of pride. Having people from all over the world who can come and share their own cultures, perspectives and knowledge should be a gift rather than something that is considered “un-patriotic” and needing of change. The media has the ability to play a large role in the ways that people see other cultures and this is very important to be aware of.

The 8 elements in the communication seemed very beneficial in being able to understand. When creating media, every element is extremely important to think about. As we have learned, everyone experiences the same media in a different way. This idea is a key point to keep in mind when trying to form your own message. According to Dungan, the creator of a message has about a mere 50% of control over it. So you need to take the time and thought in viewing your own message in other perspectives because if it is not very clear, it could be decoded in ways that you had not initially intended.

Lastly, some of the information about symbiosis and convergence could be somewhat disconcerting. The immense powers in which corporations hold and the influence that they have on media, products, and our everyday lives is unhealthy. While it can make information more widespread, our perspectives, information, and choices are also narrowed which is not at all to our benefit. As corporations become larger, the individual person becomes smaller and unheard. Money has become speech and influence. We can especially see this in media with the invisible, ignored poor and the prevalence of wealthy stars or corporate “experts”.

The Sternheimer chapters provided excellent light to the connection of sex and health with media. A particularly astute point that Sternheimer made was that people always point their fingers at children for acting in promiscuous fashions, when in reality it is adults who are far more likely to be sexually active. People then continue to put the blame on the media for loss of control in children’s’ knowledge and actions. While there is certainly an abundance of sexual imagery in media culture, which has to do with it becoming a profitable product of society, it is not the sole reason for children’s sexual behaviors. Family monitoring, support, communication, politics, race, and poverty are all very important factors in children’s choices. Children also have sexual encounter not by choice, but forced upon them. Rather than looking more closely at these problems, research continues to focus on popular culture. Popular culture does not necessarily have as strong of a hold over children as some people may think. Some of the reasons that children gave in watching content considered to be sexual were very interesting. Children are very impressive and we do not give them enough credit. Their reasons included, “using adult themes from television to try to demonstate adult-level competence and knowledge” (Sternheimer 157) and to construct their own values and identities. Especially because the topic can be such a taboo, media can be children’s primary source of knowledge. There are some major issues with this however. One of the most critical points that Sternheimer makes is demonstrated in the following quote:

Controlling information about sex has historically been used in order to maintain dominance over others. Withholding knowledge about birth control keeps many women in developing countries in poverty, and withholding information about sex from children is a way to maintain adult authority (Sternheimer 161).

This is so important to understand. This knowledge can be a very powerful form of control. We need to be able to understand why certain ideals are being enforced or encouraged and the effects that they will have upon society and individuals. Sexuality and gender stereotypes are also very strong in media. By ignoring the problems or trying to keep children away, “we will have done nothing to address gender inequality” (Sternheimer 159) and sexuality. It is therefore extremely problematic to ignore sex and its portrayal and prevalence in media.

Health problems have been largely blamed on the media as well. Sternheimer states that, “although images in popular culture reinforce often impossible standards of beauty, the roots of these messages run deeper than popular culture” (197). Just as with violence and sexuality, race, ethnicity, and poverty have a very important connection. As was noted in the chapter about violence, children in low-income areas are unable to live in the safest environment. They do not have the luxury to run around and play outdoors and often are unsupervised because of parents having to work. They are better off staying inside and doing something safe. Available food options for people in poverty are also extremely limited. In poor areas, there is often an abundance of cheaper fast-food restaurants. Healthy foods at a grocery store can cost a lot of money and it is better to have unhealthy food to eat than to have no food at all. It is the effects of all such factors that can cause weight gain, not just by the action of watching television. As for eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia, research “suggests that rather than creating eating disorders, the fashion industry may draw some who are already anorexic and validate their behavior” (Sternheimer 204). Other countries have created laws in which to deter media from the encouragement of this behavior, but unfortunately the U.S. has no such law because it would supposedly be in violation the First Amendment. Just as with everything else, eating disorders have their origins from places other than media and sometimes are even a form of coping with major problems. Sternheimer mentions that the real greatest threat to children’s health is the lack of health care. Health insurance has become increasingly unaffordable and businesses may be unwilling to provide such benefits. Hopefully by understanding where the problems truly arise from, we will be able to change and media will be able to reflect an improved society.

In the video What is Culture? Dugan states that culture is learned. I agree with his statement because my family has a strong Mexican culture where most of the women are house wives, they do not receive an education, and males are seen as superior. On the other hand, when I migrated here I learned from surroundings and experiences and adapted to my personal culture. Also, I found interesting that we have various cultures, personal, family, bounded, and dominant. I can relate this to the different worlds theory were individuals have different worlds and how they intervene is up to them. Also, he talks about the melting pot and how we are becoming a dominant culture. I can relate this to a presidential candidate whom wants the country to become just one culture extinguishing others. Lastly, he talked about the 8 elements in communication. Six of these elements are essential to communication, one blocks communication, and the other improves communication. What I found more interesting was the noise that impedes the messages to the receiver. This noise is what tends to block certain audiences from some message. For example, the message can be to stop smoking and the noise can be psychological from a smoker where there urge to smoke blocks the message.

In chapter 6 of Connecting Social Problems and Popular Cultures I found very interesting many linked sex with media. Although I believe that media has used sex to sell, I do not think that media has increased sexual activity within adolescents. Sternheimer states that the rate of high school students engaging in sexual intercourse, has decreased by 7 % since 1991. Also, he states that the use of condoms has increased by 13%. With these facts the scapegoat that media increases sexual activity in adolescents is debunked. My though is that because we progress in time, culture changes and adapts to the younger population. Now a day, because sex sells and we see sexual content on the media than back in the days, adults assume that adolescents are more sexually active. My thought is that before the population was more sexually active but because sex is very open at the moment many have learned about contraception and have learned what they can about sex from the media. Although the media also creates myths, I think it just facilitates conversation on sex.

Additionally, to sex education, in chapter 8 we learned about obesity, anorexia, bulimia, and health hazards. To begin with, I still think that the media is the scapegoat for many of the problems in the world. This chapter explains how many believe that obesity is linked to the media because of the amount of time that we spend watching TV instead of going out and being active. Also, he explains a relationship found between magazines and eating disorders. Our society blames the media for being obese or for being anorexic. Although I agree that many females look up to models and to the media for a new look, I think its time we stop blaming the media and try to have more psychological help to those  who are affected by the media.

I found this module, and specifically the focus on cultural changes within our society to be extremely interesting/intriguing. Culture has always been a fascinating topic, that I enjoy learning about because it so unique to each individual.

Culture plays a crucial role in society, and has great importance. Culture is the identity of society, and of that nation and without it the people would be lost. Culture is constantly adapting, and is changing to fit that time period. According to Terry Dugan, Culture is not something we are born with. It is a learned behavior, made up from traditions, lifestyles, and shared stories. Dugan makes the point that culture is unique to each individual and the group they’re a part of. Dugan gives credit to culture as having all the power to make us who we are individually and who we are within a group. Dugan makes the point that as a society, “Culture has the power to liberate and limit us. Culture defines us, divides us all the while having the power to unite us. Culture shapes the way we think, feel and act. It gives us the ideas of what we believe is right and wrong”. Prior to these videos I had never thought about how much power culture has within our lives, and within our society.

Dugan makes the point of how media affects our culture, and how over time media has played a crucial role in culture. Dugan states that prior to mass media family was the “storyteller” of culture. Prior to these videos, I had never thought about what life was like before the many inventions that led to media being the main influence to culture. I began to reflect on my own life, and think about who affects my individual culture more. In Dugan’s words, who is the “storyteller” in my life? I thought it was interesting that Dugan made the point that “a true national culture needed a national form of media”. He then goes on to explain the role that the invention of the radio played in our societies culture. “The radio was a national ‘campfire’, telling us stories”. The radio was the first form of mass media that forced the shift of the role of the ‘storyteller’. Dugan makes the point that, “mass communication can create a common culture though shared experiences”. I found this statement to be interesting, and I began to reflect on my own experiences within the media. I began to notice how social media connects people from around the world and make us feel as though we have a common ground through these shared experiences.

Dugan makes the point that with media becoming the ‘storyteller’ of culture, versus family having that main role comes a lot of harsh criticism. He makes the argument that “media is a convent villain”. I found this statement to be spot on, and it also connected to Sternheimer’s point made in chapter 6. That the media is often blamed for social changes. Sternheimer’s Chapter 6: Popular Culture Promiscuity, focuses on the idea that the media is to blame/encourages teens to be sexually active. This chapter was really interesting to me, because my parents have always claimed that my generation is doomed, and that generations prior were not as promiscuous. Sternheimer makes the very accurate point that, “each generation thinks the one after them is worse than their own, because the past is viewed in the eyes of nostalgia”.  There has always been concerns about sex in the media and the the affects it may have. This is important to note, because the media has been blamed, as to why teens have become more sexually active. However, this is not the case. In fact, the way we think about sex has changed much more than the actual behavior. The only thing that is changed in society, is that what used to be a secret is now being discussed openly, and is no longer being ‘hush hushed’. In past generations, what are now considered to be teens were considered to be adults, and were getting married and having children at the same age. Sternheimer points out that, now we “socially and sexually expect teens to function partially as adults and partially as children”. Teens behavior has not changed over time, however the expectations and responsibilities places on those teens have.

Again, in Sternheimer’s Chapter 8: Media Health Hazards the media is being blamed for their role in obesity, and society’s unhealthy lifestyles. However, I do believe that the media plays a role in this, I believe it is too simplistic to blame the media altogether. This chapter hit a soft spot, and it hit close to home because I have always struggled with a having a healthy body image, and self confidence. Sternheimer makes the argument that the media is not the main reason as to why children are having issues with health and obesity, however its the lack of resources provided to them. Those that live in low income areas, have trouble with health due to lack of funds and financial ability to provide those healthy resources, as well as not having the ability to exercise and play outside safely. Although the media is not to blame for these issues, as we touch on in chapter 3, the media does not cover these issues in the media either.

As a sociology student I was pretty familiar with culture and what it was all about going into the video series of Terry Dugan. I did enjoy in his first video of the Impact of Media on Culture, when he explains how we have different cultures as an individual. We apply these different cultures around different people that we surround ourselves with. We may have one culture around our families which is a different culture than the ones we have around our friends, or in our work place (Dugan, 2010). As he says we feel uncomfortable in different cultures. I think we can all relate to this when we go on vacation or somewhere outside of our comfort zones. One time I had gone to Hawaii and felt this uncomfortable feeling when I went to a place that all of the ‘locals’ go. As being who I am, I do not look anything like a local and had many things that I was confused about, I think this is what he means when he talks about attention in uncommon places to you.

I think we have become more familiar with other cultures however than ever before. With mass communication, we can see that people are able to see other cultures through the mass media. Dugan tells us just how this became popular through the radio. I believe that we still learn about common culture through mass media. Dugan uses the example of “have we learned to be fathers through from watching Adam Sandler movies” (Dugan, 2011). When I heard that question I automatically thought to myself that people do still learn these things through the mass media. Maybe the Adam Sandler movies are a bad example but maybe people around the world watch that movie and learn a little bit about our culture.

The new channels of communication are a big target for misunderstandings. I found this to be extremely true when I was watching his video because I have seen it happen so many times through social media. When one person says something in a way that may seem rude to another person and then they end up getting in a fight about it and being mad at one another. Or we see how things can get passes along very quickly through each other on social media causing there to be many unintended viewers (Dugan, 2013). We see this happening constantly with different dance moves, or the new coolest thing to own, or even how to wear your clothes differently than everyone else. This is how we get new trends every week and the kids seem to stay cool with one another.

I really enjoyed these videos by Dugan and felt as though I had learned a lot from them. Although I have learned a lot about culture in the past I felt as though there was information in these that I had no idea about. He explains it well with his references and using big company names such as Disney and McDonalds to explain these theories, which helps a lot when trying to understand a concept.

Moving onto chapter 6 of our assigned reading in our book, Sternheimer talks about some major points with popular culture. I had taken a popular culture class this past semester which made me really interested in this reading of promiscuity in popular culture. One thing that I find to be very true is that there are a lot of sexual innuendoes and sexual scenes in movies, shows and even on live television. Every where we look today in popular culture is about something sexual and I think this does have a big effect on teens. They find sex to be just another thing to say they have done, and to look at it as it is no big deal since they see it on television all the time. Miley Cyrus is a prime example of this as Sternheimer brings up. First seen as a disney television star, she quickly became the girl to be posing half naked and dancing sexually on stage at award shows (Sternheimer, 2013, p.139). Teens at this time were looking to her as a role model so when they saw her doing these sexual acts they felt as though they needed to do them as well to stay cool. I feel as though this happens all the time, not just with Miley, but every young star who becomes to get older and more comfortable with their bodies. Teens always look to their favorite stars to see how they should act in our society so when they see these girls acting this way they find it to be normal.

Just like stars can make girls feel as though they need to be over sexualized, the mass media can also make people feel as though they are not skinny or pretty enough. We see this many times when we see different advertisements or different stars who look absolutely perfect. People see these things and think to themselves that they are perfect. That girl on the billboard that is selling you a product is just so pretty and so skinny that we want to be just like them. I think this hurts a lot of people and their health. We look at these people and think that we need to lose weight in order to be perfect just like them so they go on crazy diets or just stop eating in general. In reality the girl on that billboard has been overly photoshopped and actually looks like a completely different person in general. I think this is a big problem in our society today because it makes us have false hope that one day we can all look that pretty, when it is an unobtainable goal. We need to start using real people and stop photoshopping them to look skinnier and prettier. I think this will help people feel better with themselves and actually view themselves as beautiful just the way that they are.

The reading for this week’s module instructed us to think about content we experienced in previous modules. I could not help but think about the idea of power being a repeating factor throughout our class. In Sternheimer’s “Connecting Social Problems and Popular Culture,” she mentioned “controlling information about sex has historically been used in order to maintain dominance over others” (2013, p. 162). In my mind, this can be connected to the way media communicates many things to us. Poverty as an example; In the last module, we discussed they way the low income population is talked about in terms of raw data, but not the back story of what really matters. In Terry Dugan’s “Developing a Common Culture: The Role Mass Communication Plays in Forming a Common Culture” he discusses that before mass communication, culture was local. It sparked my curiosity about how individuals of different cultures were treated and talked about then.

In Dugan’s video “The Functions and Effects of Culture,” he mentioned four types of culture; individual, family, bounded, and dominant. The dominant culture is our public one. Sternheimer discussed that “there is nothing wrong with feeling good and looking good, yet it is often characterized as an imperative rather than an option” in “Connecting Social Problems and Popular Culture” (2013, p. 208). The connection for me between these two individuals works in this regard is that our dominant/public culture is leading us to believe in a necessity of not being ourselves. It is creating a world of people trying to fit in to avoid being different or bullied and we are losing ourselves in the process.

I enjoyed learning the eight elements of communication and their functions. A lot of what Dugan taught was common sense and things that I think we know and want to perhaps change but don’t. For example, when he said “we see, hear, and believe what we want,” in “Impact of Media on Culture: The Communications Process,” I was definitely nodding along. Also, his points about how mass media can lead to misunderstanding and unclear messaging were so true. I’m curious which of his points stuck out most to my classmates!