Mass Media Social Sciences Essay Research Coursework

Mass Media: History and Role in Sociology
Author’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Mass Media
Introduction
In the present epoch of information technology (IT) and integrated communication, people are exposed to different channels and mediums for interacting with society. Influencers in social circles tend using different modes and channels to share perspectives in society for nurturing change among people. As a result, the popularity and rationalisation of mass media among different societal structures are strengthening with the passage of span. Today, mass media or communication is an unavoidable phenomenon that intact people with different aspects of social changes and events promptly. From a theoretical perspective, mass media or communication is a mode that integrates larger scale of the audience while disbursing essential information related to societal norms and transformations at a broader scope (Simonson, Morooka, Xiong & Bedsole, 2019).
Discussion
Mass Media: History and Role in Sociology
The history of mass media in sociology is traced back to 868 AD. The origins state that cultural and societal education was provided through mass media by performing dramas among the public in order to reach wider audiences. Arguably, recent improvements in mass media, such as technological integration, present the phenomenon as a modern concept. However, the history of mass media initiated when ancient cultures were presented to the broader audiences through public dramas and plays. Due to limited rationalisation of literacy in ancient times, the ideology of mass media emerged slowly in the societal settings. However, mass media has an integral role in the discipline of sociology. Sociology emphasises on studying human behaviours through societal norms, which embeds communication into the roots of discipline (Simonson et al., 2019). Precisely, mass media and sociology complement each other, focusing on changes in human behaviour through broader communication prospect.
Mass Media and Sociological Perspectives: Functionalist
Sociology is framed through different schools of thoughts and perspectives that create differences in articulating various concepts. Mass media is strongly supported by the functionalist perspective. Theoretically, functionalist believes that society is a complex framework; holding different segments are accountable for specific actions in making society a better place (Limor & Tamir, 2020). Hence, the functionalists decipher mass media differently from other schools of thoughts that exist in fundamental sociology.
Theoretically, functionalists believe that mass media has a critical contribution to the wellbeing of society. A famous sociologist, Charles Wright Mills, stated that knowledge is fundamental to nurture positive change in society. Hence, Mills believed that mass media creates social ...