1 00:00:11,366 --> 00:00:14,366 Welcome back to Introduction to Communication Science. 2 00:00:14,366 --> 00:00:17,932 This is week 4 of our MOOC. So far we have discussed the history 3 00:00:17,933 --> 00:00:22,966 of our field, in week 2, and the linear transmission perspective, last week. 4 00:00:22,966 --> 00:00:25,766 I’m very glad to see that our course is inspiring many 5 00:00:25,766 --> 00:00:31,266 discussions on our forum. I’m also grateful for all your suggestions for further reading. 6 00:00:31,266 --> 00:00:35,232 You’ve probably noticed that I have frequently added your suggestions to the Little Box of 7 00:00:35,233 --> 00:00:39,166 Nuance section. So thanks for helping improving this course. 8 00:00:39,166 --> 00:00:44,766 That's what a MOOC is all about. As you know by now I’m using a very broad distinction 9 00:00:44,766 --> 00:00:48,399 into our field. I’ve said before that these categories are by no means fixed, 10 00:00:48,400 --> 00:00:54,566 but I find them useful nonetheless. First, we have the linear transmission perspective. 11 00:00:54,566 --> 00:00:58,799 Then a focus on reception and signification, that's the topic of this week. 12 00:00:58,800 --> 00:01:05,700 And at roughly the same time a focus on social and cultural effects of communication. 13 00:01:05,700 --> 00:01:08,433 The topic for this week is the second approach. 14 00:01:08,433 --> 00:01:10,999 The reception and signification perspective. 15 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:17,100 Or perhaps I should say perspectives, because there is a distinction here that I will cover later. 16 00:01:17,100 --> 00:01:21,800 Next week we’ll talk about communication as a social and cultural force. 17 00:01:21,800 --> 00:01:25,766 I will use week 6 to answer questions you might have. 18 00:01:25,766 --> 00:01:30,599 Post your questions on our forum. I’ll make a selection of recurring themes and 19 00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:35,700 further explain some of the more complicated theories and concepts that we discussed. 20 00:01:35,700 --> 00:01:40,766 Week 6 is all about class interaction, so let me know which topics you want to cover. 21 00:01:40,766 --> 00:01:44,232 Week 7 is of course very exciting, because it is our exam week. 22 00:01:44,233 --> 00:01:49,299 You need to do the self-evaluation tests each week and pass the exam 23 00:01:49,300 --> 00:01:53,033 to complete this course and get a certificate of accomplishment. 24 00:01:53,033 --> 00:01:59,199 In week 8 we’ll discuss the exam and look back at our MOOC. It’s a behind-the-scene look on 25 00:01:59,200 --> 00:02:02,266 how it was made, why it was made and for who it was made. 26 00:02:02,266 --> 00:02:06,632 I would also love to say something about who you are, what your background is and 27 00:02:06,633 --> 00:02:12,399 why you enrolled in this course. There is already a survey in place to get this information. 28 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:16,366 It would be great if you participate. 29 00:02:16,366 --> 00:02:22,032 Okay, back to the topic at hand. Last week we started with the linear perspective. I explained 30 00:02:22,033 --> 00:02:25,333 how the First World War fueled research into our field 31 00:02:25,333 --> 00:02:32,199 and led to a belief in direct and uniform effects. The audience was seen as passive and 32 00:02:32,200 --> 00:02:38,166 defenseless against mass communication as a hypodermic needle or a magic bullet. 33 00:02:38,166 --> 00:02:42,899 Later this belief in the power of the media became more nuanced. 34 00:02:42,900 --> 00:02:47,100 When scientific studies failed to prove the all powerful media hypothesis, 35 00:02:47,100 --> 00:02:52,066 this led to the more skeptical minimal effects hypothesis. 36 00:02:52,066 --> 00:02:57,666 But World War Two and the rise of television clearly showed that mass communication 37 00:02:57,666 --> 00:03:01,466 indeed could have huge effects under some circumstances. 38 00:03:01,466 --> 00:03:07,299 It was now appreciated that effects were not always direct, uniform, and short term, 39 00:03:07,300 --> 00:03:14,300 but quite often non-immediate, long term, indirect, and different from person to person. 40 00:03:14,300 --> 00:03:18,966 Eventually the negotiated effects paradigm balanced a belief 41 00:03:18,966 --> 00:03:23,466 in powerful effects with the notion that the audience was actually capable of selecting 42 00:03:23,466 --> 00:03:28,632 and blocking messages and using them for their own ends. This line of thought was also very 43 00:03:28,633 --> 00:03:31,099 apparent in the reception and signification approach 44 00:03:31,100 --> 00:03:34,300 that had gradually developed since the sixties. 45 00:03:34,300 --> 00:03:37,866 We'll further discuss this approach this week.