Task 1 – Explain how Bandura’s view of media audiences is essentially different to that held by Shirky and Jenkins.
Bandura’s theory emphasises the importance of observing, modelling and imitating the behaviours, attitudes, and emotional reactions of others.
The social learning theory considers how both environmental and cognitive factors interact to influence human learning and behaviour. It is said that children learn and observe most from the people they are surrounded with, in which Bandura’s experiment highlighted this.
He created the ‘Media Effects’ theory which focuses on the idea that the media can directly ‘implant’ ideas into the mind of audiences. His research suggested that audiences acquire attitudes, emotional responses and new styles of conduct through modelling. The idea that audiences would imitate media violence is a principle of Bandura’s theory, this idea suggests that the conduct of individuals can be changed by the media.
In contrast, Clay Shirky created the End of audience theory. Shirky argues that audiences are no longer passive due to the way social media operates.
Technology has changed our behaviour; instead of just consuming media passively, we also contribute to it. In his argument, no audience is passive. For example, before new media technologies, audiences would simply consume a film and that would be it. Now, audiences consume the film and then create reviews of it or post about it on their social media accounts – they are creating media content. It is named the ‘End of audience’ theory, as Shirky believes the audience has now become the creators.
This view also differs to Henry Jenkins. He suggested that fans are devoted followers of media texts who actively engage with the products to construct their own meanings and interpretations beyond the original message.
Jenkins argues that convergence isn’t an end result, but instead a process that changes how media is both consumed and produced.
Jenkins suggested that there were at least five distinct dimensions to these subcultures:
- its relationship to a particular mode of reception.
- its role in encouraging viewer activism.
- its function as an interpretive community.
- its particular traditions of cultural production.
- its status as an alternative social community.
