Sociology and Mass Media are complementary to one another.
To convey your message efficiently you need to first understand how society works? How different communities functions? How and why people react and behave to certain things differently in society? Through Sociology, we get to know all these answers and build the better bond with people. Sociology and Communication decides to whom the message is meant for, what is the content that should be put out, through which medium the message should be delivered and what would be the feedback of the society or in other words Sociology attempts to answer “ who says what to whom through which channel and with what effects?”
Sociology, it is a study of society and human behavior so therefore communication is rooted deep in society.
Mass communication is done to impact people. It has three main motives to make people Read, Understand and React. It sets basic knowledge for people to interact in society with each other and with situations. Sociology help perceive the psychology of the people not at an individual once you are successful at gaining knowledge of society’s functions and structure, you will be able to transport ideal or suitable messages in society. From designing content of the communication to communicate to the people till the post scenario of communication is also said to be a subject matter of Sociology.
Marshall McLuhan states the importance of choosing a right medium to impart the message to the society is very essential. McLuhan recommends that a medium itself, not the substance it conveys, ought to be the concentration of study. He said that medium influences the general public in which it assumes a part not just by the substance conveyed over the medium, yet in addition to the attributes of the medium itself.
Media theories are now being developed based on critical thinking and qualitative method. Communication can be viewed as central part of consciousness as well as the element of human activity. Also, Sociological analysis of communication is necessary to understand whether mass media have any impact on social structure and vice versa.
From home to school from school to workplace we use different ways to communicate with others because each individual plays carries different social status, mindset, and social skills. Hence here Sociology comes in handy when you are at home you talk to your family member according to that. When you are at work you will be more careful and formal following work and social etiquette so that you don’t fall in trouble.
As characterized by C. Wright Mills in The Power Elite (1956), the broad communications have two critical sociological attributes: to start with, not very many individuals can impart to an awesome number; and, second, the group of onlookers has no viable method for replying back.
As in today’s time, Mass Media overpowers the mental lives of people. Therefore it creates intense curiosity among Sociologist to know more about mass media and its effect on society. In past also we have seen the different instance where people used dissimilar tactics to convey their messages and set up propaganda in society. Early examinations by Harold Lasswell, Paul Lazarsfeld, and others appeared to demonstrate that media impacts were, in fact, immediate and capable the supposed ‘hypodermic’ model of impact. Be that as it may, more escalated examine uncovered that mass interchanges have interceded in complex ways and that their consequences for the group of onlookers rely upon elements, for instance, social class, social settings, values and ethics, convictions, enthusiastic state etc.
Thus, for better communication one needs to understand society and human behavior, as Media and Sociology are complementary to each other.
