This definitive examination of this important social topic asks questions such as: How much media violence is there? What are the meanings conveyed in the way violence is portrayed? What effect does it have on viewers?Divided into four parts, the book covers: a review of research on media violence; re-conceptions of exisiting theories of media violence; addresses the need to rethink the methodological tools used to assess media violence; and introduces the concept of Lineation Theory, a perspective for thinking about media violence and a new theoretical approach explaining it.
Does violence on a movie, TV, or computer screen or in a song lyric beget violence in the streets? What about aggression and violence in televised sporting events? What are the known effects of violence in the media on the developing mind of a young child? Do rating systems and warning labels help in the effort to keep overtly violent materials out of the hands of children—or do they act as magnets? Where does violence in the media cross a line from legitimate entertainment and plot development to gratuitousness and even pornography? How do we define media violence, and just how much is there? What methodologies do behavioral scientists use to assess content and draw conclusions about effects, and how do we separate valid inferences from entrenched myths and assumptions? How should findings from research studies be translated into public policy? Students are able to explore these questions and more in the Encyclopedia of Media Violence. Entries examine theory, research, and debates as they relate to media violence in a manner that is accessible and jargon-free to help readers better understand questions from varied perspectives. From "Aggression" and "Animated Cartoons" to "V-chips" and "War Toys," this work provides balanced, comprehensive coverage of this hot-button issue. Features & Benefits: 134 signed entries are available both in print and electronically. Entries conclude with Cross-References and Suggestions for Further Readings to guide users to related entries and resources for further research. Although organized in A-to-Z fashion, a thematic Reader’s Guide in the front matter groups related entries by topic to make it easier for users to locate related entries of interest. In the electronic version, the Reader′s Guide combines with the Cross-References and a detailed Index to facilitate search-and-browse.
Media and Violence pays equal attention to the production, content and reception involved in any representation of violence. This book offers a framework for understanding how violence is represented and consumed. It examines the relationship of media, gender, and real-world violence; representations of violence in screen entertainment; the effects of violent media on consumers; the ethics and gender politics of the production processes of screen violence; and the discussions are illustrated with topical and well-known examples, enabling the reader to critically engage with the debates.
The influence of the media remains a contentious issue. Every time a particularly high-profile crime of violence is committed, there are those who blame the effects of the media. The familiar culprits of cinema, television, video and rock music, have now been joined, particularly in the wake of the massacre at Columbine High, by the Internet and the World Wide Web. Yet, any real evidence that the media do actually have such negative effects remains as elusive as ever and, consequently, the debate about effects frequently ends up as being little more than strident and rhetorical appeals to 'common sense'. Ill Effects argues that the question of media influence needs to be debated by those with a clearer understanding of how audiences and media interact with one another. Analysing the failure of the effects approach to understand both the modern media and their audiences, this second edition examines the influence of the effects tradition in America, the United Kingdom, Australia and Europe as well as the role of the British Board of Film Classification. Contributors examine the increasing number of stories about the alleged ill effects of the Internet and enquire whether this is a prelude to, and a crude attempt to legitimise, the imposition of tighter controls on new media. Ill Effects is a guide for the perplexed. It suggests new and productive ways in which we can understand the effects of the media and questions why many in media education accept a simple interpretation of the effects debate, particularly at times of moral panic. Refusing to adopt the absurd position that the media have no influence at all, Ill Effects reconceptualises the notion of media influence in ways which take into account how people actually use and interact with the media in their everyday lives. Martin Barker, Sara Bragg, David Buckingham, Tom Craig, David Gauntlett, Patricia Holland, Annette Hill, Mark Kermode, Graham Murdoch, Julian Petley, Sue Turnbull.
Violence sells. The media industries say they are simply businesses responding to market desires, but when they are criticized for contributing to a culture of violence, they claim First Amendment protection. If anything, media violence is more prevalent today than at any other time in the past. Yet, although scientific researchers have produced a strong body of evidence demonstrating that exposure to media violence harms society, that evidence has never been translated into practical and accessible ideas. This book clearly explains why media violence has not only been allowed but encouraged to escalate. The author challenges many of our assumptions about the relationship between media and violence. He argues that these assumptions are the primary barriers preventing us from confronting the issue of violence in films, TV, and video games. While dispelling misperceptions and evoking emotions, each chapter: identifies a myth, its origin, its acceptance by the public, and its growth in popularity; analyzes the faulty nature of the myth and shows how it deflects attention away from the truth; presents dilemmas that challenge readers to reconsider their assumptions; and includes a list of indispensable references. The book provides an in-depth review of how Congress, journalists, and researchers contribute to the problem and raises important questions that place the reader at the heart of the conflict. Consumer activists, teachers, and families will find it an essential resource and invaluable step toward finding solutions to this critical social issue.
Counters the claim that media violence leads to widespread social aggression. Dispelling this myth through a multiple-method analysis, this work argues that there are, indeed, media effects that derive from media violence, pornography, and other kinds of visual, cyberspace, and print based messages.
The Myth of Media Violence: A Critical Introduction assesses the current and historical debates over violence in film, television, and video games; extends the conversation beyond simple condemnation or support; and addresses a diverse range of issues and influences. Looks at the chronology of contemporary media violence, and explores reservations over communications medias throughout history. Examines the forces behind the encouraged anxieties about media violence. Uses examples drawn from a range of media, including disaster and horror movies, science fiction, film tie-in toys, crime shows, MTV, news, sports, and children’s television programming, books and video games. Includes a closing chapter about why media violence exists as it does in our culture, and what we can do about it.
"Developed for pre-service and practicing educators in the K-12 English Language Arts (ELA) classroom, "The New English Language Arts Classroom: Teaching in a Digital World" is an anthology of readings that connect the ELA classroom to current technology and provide valuable, practical information about classroom trends and practices. The readings are organized into six sections that discuss the new ELA classroom, digital literacy, the reading and writing processes, listening and speaking skills, and viewing and visual representation. Specific topics include engaging students through digital literacy, teaching tips for working with Web 2.0 applications, technology for struggling readers, digital storytelling, integrating blogs into the classroom, enhancing vocabulary through podcasts, and best practices for differentiating reading instruction. Focusing on the most updated technology and its successful integration into the working classroom "The New English Language Arts Classroom" is ideal for courses that address teaching reading, language arts, and other foundational courses in English Language Arts curriculum. Nicole Luongo, who earned her Ed.D. at Nova Southeastern University, is an associate professor of education at St. Peter's University, New Jersey, where she is also the Director of Distance Learning. Her areas of interest include educational technology, digital tools in the classroom, and changes in education as a result of technology. She has served as a consultant for Vantage Learning and the Center for Educational Leadership and Technology. Her professional writing has appeared in the "Journal of the Association of Mathematics Teachers of New Jersey," the "Johns Hopkins School of Education Journal," and the "Journal for Computing Teachers.""
This third annual report presents comparative year-to-year data on the nature of violence on television across programme genres and channel types in the United States. It contains an analysis of how the new television rating system was initially implemented and tracks trends over three years in the use of programme advisories and content codes. It also evaluates public service announcements designed to prevent handgun violence among adolescents. Finally, it provides new analyses of `high risk' presentations of violence most likely to adversely affect younger audiences.
