PLS 382 Final Exam Study Guide

1. About the FCC

a. Independent U.S. government agency established by the communications Act of 1934 i. Regulates interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable ii. Covers the 50 states, D.C., U.S. possessions b. Organization i. Directed by 5 Commissioners appointed by president, confirmed by senate ii. 5 year terms iii. Only 3 commissioners may be the same political party iv. None can have a financial interest in any commission-related business c. Bureaus and offices i. 7 operating bureaus ii. 10 staff offices iii. Bureaus responsibilities 1. Processing applications for licenses and other filings 2. Analyzing complaints 3. Conducting investigations 4. Developing and implementing regulatory programs 5. Taking part in hearings iv. Offices provide support services d. Consumer and governmental affairs bureau i. Educates and informs consumers about telecommunications goods and services and engages their input to help guide the work ii. Coordinates telecom. policy with industry and other govt agencies e. Enforcement bureau i. Enforces the Comm. Act, commissions rules, orders, and authorizations f. International bureau i. Represents the commission in satellite and international matters g. Media bureau i. Regulates AM, FM ; TV broadcast stations; cable TV; satellite services h. Wireless communications i. Oversees cellular and PCS phones, pagers, and 2-way radios i. Public safety and homeland security bureau i. Public safety, homeland security, national security, emergency management, preparedness, disaster management j. Wireline competition bureau

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l.

m.

n. o. p. q. r.

s. t.

i. Rules and policies concerning telephone companies that provide telecom services through wire based transmission facilities Office of administrative Law and judges i. Presides over hearings ii. Issues initial decisions Office of communications business opportunities i. Advice to commission on issues and policies about ownership by small, minority, and women owned comm. businesses Office of engineering and technology i. Allocates spectrum for non-govt use ii. Advice on technical issues before the commission Office of the general council i. Chief legal advisor to the bureaus and offices Office of inspector general i. Conducts and supervises audits and investigations of the operations Office of legislative affairs i. Main point of contact with congress Office of the managing director i. Chief operating official Office of media relations i. Informs the news media of FCC decisions ii. Main point of contact with the media Office of strategic planning and policy analysis i. Develop strategic plans identifying policy objectives Office of work place diversity i. Advises on issues related to workforce diversity, affirmative recruitment, and equal employment opportunity

2. White Privilege
a. Whiteness studies i. Taught in at least 30 institutions ii. Power, oppression, and hegemony iii. Implications of white privilege on the racial identity of white Americans b. Stupid White Men-Michael Moore i. Invisible benefits of whiteness ii. Systematic forgiveness of white crimes iii. Puts a white face to most problems in the U.S. iv. No repercussions for whites c. Paula Rothenberg i. Invisible privilege 1. Invisible to media and broader public ii. Class, race or ethnicity, and/or gender 1. Provides advantages 2. Children have head start in life

iii. Whiteness is everywhere but hard to see iv. White criminals do not have the same psychological impact as black criminals v. Double standards in which the media covers black and white violence d. Acceptance i. Just because young whites get away with their behavior doesnt mean young blacks should try to get away with it too ii. Trying to overcome 300 years of negative image construction iii. Under more scrutiny iv. White acceptance is necessary to be successful v. Probability of a black mans success in U.S. society is correlated to his willingness to embrace or contradict variously constructive negative stereotypes

3. Symbols of Defiance
a. Crosses were once religious symbols but are worn by black men who embrace the gangsta-thug persona because they arent supposed to wear them b. Being cool is the black mans way of dealing with racism and discrimination without losing his sanity i. Invigorates a life that would otherwise be degrading and empty c. There is a lot of pressure out on black men to conform to one model of black masculinity d. Earrings i. Meets one of the fundamental criteria for black masculinity: challenging the system ii. Golf-a sport that represents the power structure- you will rarely see a player wearing an earring e. Tattoos have replaced the earring as a symbol of defiance and authenticity for young black men i. Once seen as a representation of defiance only sported by whites in motorcycle clubs, veterans, and backwoods residents f. Visual representation of black masculinity can be counterproductive i. The average young black man limits his vertical mobility when he embraces these symbols of defiance ii. In certain arenas there are negative consequences to embracing defiant symbols of black masculinity g. >38% of young black males surveyed had not read one book outside of class work in the past year i. Many black kids do not read books because it isnt a cool thing to do h. Speaking grammatically correct automatically got you labeled and your ghetto card revoked i. Would mean they accepted the legitimacy of the English language and the system= selling out

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In language, dress, and behavior, it seems that black maleness has been defined by the nonacceptance of norms established by whites i. Most troubling is deliberate underachievement in school j. Gangsta rap culture imposes a tremendous amount of peer pressure, even on young blacks who try to play it straight k. Young black men have historically shunned intelligence in the context of school achievement i. Street smarts have been embraced as a more acceptable attribute

4. An Ironic Fad: The Commodification and Consumption of Tattoo

a. This one is kind of long so you should read it yourself

5. Running it up a Flag Pole"

a. Organizations and corporations that advertise are not irrational i. They assume people are irrational b. 3 parts of human psyche i. Id- drives 1. I want it now ii. Superego- moral sensibilities and conscience 1. dont do it iii. Ego- perceiving and adapting to reality and mediating between the id and superego 1. maybe you ought to think a bit before buying it c. Advertisements appeal to the id element and seek to avoid the superego and ego d. The devaluation of the power of advertising is generally an attempt to escape from regulation by govt agencies and to escape from criticisms of being manipulative and antisocial e. Advertising has power i. Role as a cultural and political force f. Argument to diffuse criticism i. Post hoc, ergo propter hoc 1. Just because something happens after something doesnt mean it was caused by it a. Just because someone sees a beer commercial and then drinks a beer doesnt mean the commercial made him drink the beer

6. Commercials as mini dramas

a. Commercials are mini dramas that employ all the techniques of the theater and the cinema to achieve their aims b. Heroes and heroines i. Young people often identify with heroes and heroines and try to emulate their behavior or style or their images c. Sexuality

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f.

g.

i. Many commercials overtly connect sex and consumption ii. In ones unconscious: buying the product will get them the man or woman Humor i. Humor sells and many commercials are extremely funny ii. Generates the halo effect 1. Feeling of well-being that becomes attached to the products being advertised Fun i. In modern consumer societies we now feel obligate to have fun 1. Our duty to have fun by being a member in good standing of our contemporary consumer culture Success i. People who use a given product or service are successful ii. One aspect of success is knowing what to consume 1. Product knowledge Reward i. Purchasing various products is often shown as a reward for people who have worked hard and who therefore deserve that item ii. Rewards 1. Fun 2. Comradeship 3. Pleasure 4. Sex

7. Teleculture
a. Our culture is shaped by TV b. TV reflects culture and also affects culture c. Focuses on certain aspects of culture and not paying attention to others i. Creates heroes and heroines d. TV entertains us and instructs us e. TV has taken over the roles who played a large role in socializing i. Parents 1. Role in socializing young people has diminished ii. Priests, ministers, rabbis 1. Has a diminished role 2. Use of TV by clergy iii. Professors 1. Used to play huge role but has diminished 2. Cant compete with popular culture 3. have to spend large amount of time countering the power of the media and popular culture iv. peers 1. peer pressure is more significant in young people

2. peers are socialized by media a. this is where they get their values and attitudes v. pop culture 1. huge role in socializing 2. advertising works not by use of conditioned reflexes but by regression of people to infantile states

8. consumer culture defined

a. consumer cultures are those in which there has been a great expansion of commodity production b. the game people play is get as much as you can c. success is defined as being the person who has the most toys d. consumption has now become aestheticized and sexualized and is itself the source of a great deal of pleasure e. advertising teaches us about the world of consumer goods f. everything we do is a message and we are always sending them to others i. sent by lifestyle decisions 1. clothes 2. hairstyle 3. cars 4. homes 5. other material goods g. growth of leisure i. operas ii. plays iii. paintings iv. long vacations

9. Consumer culture and privatism

a. Consumer culture is that it is privatistic i. The focus is upon personal consumption not social investment for the public good b. The worse things are the more opportunities there are to sell products to people, so the market economy may have an implicit stake in social disorganization and the neglect of the public sphere c. As American society becomes more and more split into two class (increasing wealthy and increasingly poor) social tensions and possibilities for serious class conflicts become stronger d. Advertising often distracts us from paying attention to the need for social investments, from a concern for the public sphere, and thus, by its very nature, tends to be politically conservative

10.

4 consumer cultures and examples

a. Hierarchical/Elitist i. Need for Hierarchy ii. Feel sense of obligation to those below them

iii. Group Boundaries 1. Strong iv. Prescription 1. Numerous and varied v. Song/fashion/books/restaurants/automobiles 1. God save the queen 2. Uniforms 3. The Prince 4. Rolls Royce b. Individualists i. Individuals are basic and role of govt is minimal ii. Little sense of obligation to others iii. Group boundaries 1. Strong iv. Prescriptions 1. Few and weak v. Song/fashion/books/restaurants/automobiles 1. My way 2. Suit 3. Looking out for number one 4. Cafeteria 5. BMW c. Egalitarians/Enclavists i. Everyone has certain needs and have to be looked after by the govt ii. Critics of status quo, elitists, and individualists iii. Stress importance of voluntary consent iv. Group boundaries 1. Weak v. Prescriptions 1. Few and weak vi. Song/fashion/books/restaurants/automobiles 1. We are the world 2. Blue jeans 3. Im OK- Youre OK 4. McDonalds 5. Civic d. Fatalists/Isolates i. Bottom of totem pole ii. Little economic, purchasing, or decision-making power iii. Depend on luck to escape fatalist status iv. Group boundaries 1. Strong v. Prescriptions 1. Numerous and varied

vi. Song/fashion/books/restaurants/automobiles 1. Anarchy in the UK 2. Thrift shop 3. 1984 4. Food kitchen 5. Yugo

11.

Neiman Marcus and Couthification

a. Great deal of pressure on people to show taste b. Neiman Marcus was useful to oil millionaires who had plenty of money but no sense of style adequate to their financial resources c. Neiman Marcus can be compared to medieval cathedrals i. See table 2.1 on page 34 d. Something holy/sacred connected to the purchasing of objects i. Things we buy are signs we are blessed ii. Our actions have an unconscious and ultimately religious dimension to them; they are means of showing our election and that we are the worthy benefactors of Gods grace