SCLY3 Unit 3 Sociology of the Mass Media Past essay questions

June 2013
11 Evaluate the contribution of Marxist theories to our understanding of the organisation and role of the
mass media in the world today. (33 marks) OR
12 Evaluate the impact of the growth and increasing diversity of the new media on society today. (33
marks)

Jan 2013
11 The mass media do not control their consumers; the consumers control the media. To what extent do
sociological arguments and evidence support this view of the mass media today? (33 marks) OR
12 Assess the view that the mass media are helping to create a single global popular culture. (33 marks)

June 2012
11 Assess postmodernist contributions to our understanding of the role of the mass media in society today.
(33 marks) OR
12 Assess the view that the news is a social construction. (33 marks)

Jan 2012
11 The new media have taken control of media content away from the owners and editors and placed it in
the hands of the users.
To what extent do sociological arguments and evidence support this view? (33 marks) OR
12 Assess the view that the owners of mass media corporations control media output and serve mainly
ruling-class interests. (33 marks)

June 2011
11 What is shown by the mass media will not make people violent, but it may lead people to believe that
we live in a violent society. To what extent do sociological arguments and evidence support this view? (33
marks) OR
12 Media representations of minority ethnic groups are problematic and often negative.
To what extent do sociological arguments and evidence support this view? (33 marks)

Jan 2011
11 Evaluate the pluralist view of the ownership and control of the mass media. (33 marks) OR
12 Assess the impact of globalisation on the structure and role of the mass media in the world today. (33
marks)

June 2010
11 Evaluate Marxist theories of the ownership and control of the mass media. (33 marks) OR
12 Assess the effects of the mass media on popular culture. (33 marks)

Jan 2010
11 Assess the view that the output of the mass media has little direct effect on the audience. (33 marks)
OR
12 Both age and ethnicity are still too often portrayed by the mass media in ways that reinforce
stereotypes.
To what extent do sociological arguments and evidence support this view? (33 marks)

Sample Paper Sept 2008

11 Both the selection and presentation of news are ideologically controlled.
To what extent do sociological arguments and evidence support this view? (33 marks) OR
12 Media representations both of gender and of sexuality tend to portray well-worn stereotypes.
To what extent do sociological arguments and evidence support this view? (33 marks)

Summary by theme
June 2013
11 Marxism on organisation and role of media ( O+C TM and HM) versus pluralists, feminists,
postmodernists
12 impact of new media on society: Neo-philiacs versus Cultural Pessimists.
Jan 2013
11 Active Audience Approaches versus HSM (and link to Pluralism & optimistic postmodernism on O+C
versus Marxists)
12 Cultural pessimists versus optimistic globalists & PMs / neo-philiacs
June 2012
11 Optimistic Postmodernists (Neophiliacs) eg Best versus pessimistic ones (cultural pessimists)
focus on role in society, eg: production of popular culture, democracy, protecting rights, etc versus
hyperreality; robbing us of choice; criticised by other theories, eg Marxism.
12 News explore different views on how the news is socially constructed
Jan 2012
11 Neophiliac/ optimistic view of the New media (& globalisation) versus cultural pessimists
12 Ownership and control of media content/ source of bias. Traditional Marxist view of ownership
and control (owners) versus hegemonic theories (editors) and pluralists & neo-pluralists (users)
June 2011
11 Active audience approaches versus HSM with a focus on media violence debate
12 Media representations of minority ethnic groups
Jan 2011
11 Pluralism on O+C
12 Globalisations impact on mass media
June 2010
11 Marxism & O+C
12 Impact of (new) media on popular culture.
Jan 2010
11 Active audience approaches versus HSM
12 Age and ethnicity representation
Sample Paper Sept 2008
11 News = ideologically controlled.
12 Representations of gender and of sexuality

June 2014 Predictions?

These topics have not been asked lately and thus are more likely to come up

Gender & Sexuality

Ethnicity
Age, class & disability
News