Chapter 13 Recreation and Leisure in Everyday Life
Mar 22, 2016
Chapter 13
Recreation and Leisure
in Everyday Life
Overview Studying Leisure and Recreation
• In-Class Exercise
• High, Low and Popular Culture The Structure of Media Industries Media and Democracy
• Regulation and Censorship Media Effects
• Passive/Active Audiences• Video: Killing Us Softly 4
Recreation, Leisure and Relationships
Leisure and Recreation Leisure
• Freely chosen activities
Recreation• Satisfying, amusing,
stimulating, refreshing• Body, mind or spirit
Characterized by consumption• Goods and services
for personal use
The serious study of “fun” • Important part of
everyday life• Time and money
• Related Developments:1. The decline of public life2. Formalizing recreation 3. Commercialization
In-Class Exercise• “Consumption Quiz”
High, Low and Popular Culture
High culture —associated with elites• Examples: opera,
museums Popular culture —
associated with the masses and consumer goods• Examples: hip hop
music, TV
The Structure of Media Industries Key segment of
U.S. economy• Major U.S. export
Conglomeration• Media companies
become part of larger corporations
• May have other diverse businesses
• Profitable for investors
Concentration• Fewer corporations own
more media• Deregulation mergers
and takeovers• Small # dominate market
• Own vast portfolios • Various formats and
delivery systems
• Many subsidiaries under parent company
• Allows for “synergy” (cross-promotion)
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The Media and Democracy
Historical context• Limited freedoms
American Revolution A system of "checks
and balances" on power• Three branches of
government• Executive, legislative,
judiciary
• The media as the “Fourth Estate”
1st Amendment to U.S. Constitution:• “Congress shall make no
law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of people to peaceably assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”
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Media Regulation and Censorship Concerns about graphic
content (sex, drugs, violence)
• Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
• Government regulations• Obscene material is
illegal• Not protected under 1st
Amendment– Debates over definition
• Indecent material is legal but limited
• Restrict sales, decency standards
Threats of censorship industry self-regulation
Ratings and Warnings• Film
• The Production Code (1930-60s)
– Challenged by filmmakers• Motion Picture Association of
America (MPAA) ratings (1968)– Problem enforcing
• Music• Parents’ Music Resource
Center (PMRC) (1980s)– Senate hearings = “Parental Advisory” stickers
• Other Systems• Video games• TV
MPAA RatingsRating Symbol Text
G - General Audiences All ages admitted PG - Parental Guidance Suggested Some material may not be suitable for children
PG-13 - Parents Strongly Cautioned Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
R - Restricted Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
NC-17 - No One 17 And Under Admitted.
Level of rating
Violence (V)
Language (L)
Sexual situations
(S)Dialogue (D)
Fantasy violence
(FV)
TV-Y (unused) (unused) (unused) (unused) (unused)
TV-Y7 (mild) (mild) (unused) (unused) (Exclusive)
TV-G (unused) (unused) (unused) (unused) (unused)
TV-PG (moderate) (mild) (mild) (mild) (unused)
TV-14 (strong) (moderate) (moderate) (moderate) (unused)
TV-MA (Extreme) (Strong) (strong) (the D sub
rating is unused)
(unused)
Television Ratings
Video Games
Media Consumption Theories on effects
• Influences behavior and shapes society
• Passive Audiences• Magic Bullet (Hypodermic Needle)
– Contents enter directly
• Minimal Effects• Uses and Gratifications
– Escape, interaction, identity, inform/educate, entertainment• Reinforcement Theory
– Audience seeks media aligned with their own attitudes
• Active Audiences– Interpretive strategies used to “read” texts
• Encoding and Decoding– Ideology embedded in content
Video Presentation:
Recreation, Leisure, and Relationships Leisure and Community Collectors and Hobbyists Hangouts: The Third Place Travel and Tourism
Fan-Celebrity Relations