Gregory Mantsios "Media Magic: Making Class Invisible," pp. 93-101 – Flashcards
Flashcard maker : Niamh Mitchell
Absolute Poverty:
– Physical/Physiological.
– Less than $2 a day.
– Less than $2 a day.
Relative Poverty:
– Measure of inequality.
– Marginalization, stigmatization, lack of opportunities.
– Ghettos/inner cities.
– Minorities.
– Unemployment/unskilled/low education.
– Poor health/high mortality.
– Marginalization, stigmatization, lack of opportunities.
– Ghettos/inner cities.
– Minorities.
– Unemployment/unskilled/low education.
– Poor health/high mortality.
Impact of ABSOLUTE poverty on individuals:
– Will starve and die due to malnourishment. Live on less than $2 a day.
Impact of RELATIVE poverty on individuals:
– Is a point in which you become poor by community standards.
– Usually around cost of food multiplied by 3.
– Usually around cost of food multiplied by 3.
Who are “the working poor”?
Those who are working and earning less than the poverty line.
Did “the working poor” increase or decrease during the 2000’s?
– Increase.
– More people are working, but not earning enough.
– More people are working, but not earning enough.
What factors influenced the growth the working poor during/since the 1990’s?
– The gender roles switched due to the great recession.
– WOMEN are WORKING now.
– WOMEN are WORKING now.
How is the poverty line drawn?
– Amount it cost to buy food time 3.
– Major cost of living is housing.
– Major cost of living is housing.
Major characteristics of the poor in the U.S. :
– The poor are FACELESS.
– The poor are UNDESERVING.
– The poor are an EYESORE.
– The poor HAVE ONLY THEMSELVES TO BLAME.
– The poor are UNDESERVING.
– The poor are an EYESORE.
– The poor HAVE ONLY THEMSELVES TO BLAME.
How many poor are there currently in the U.S. ?
– 46.5 ml poor Americans.
– 11.3 ml or 7.3% unemployed.
– 11.3 ml or 7.3% unemployed.
How did the rate of poverty change in the U.S. since 2000?
– Inequality reaches all time high.
– It is at the highest since a year before the onset of the Great Depression .
– It is at the highest since a year before the onset of the Great Depression .
How long does poverty last?
Most poverty is short.
SHORT-TERM poverty:
– Under 1 year in poverty.
– Usually due to dramatic life change.
– Series of unfortunate events (loss of job, illness, lack of insurance, divorce).
– Usually due to dramatic life change.
– Series of unfortunate events (loss of job, illness, lack of insurance, divorce).
LONG-TERM poverty:
– Long-Changes in ECONOMY.
– “Great Recession”
– Unemployed for 6 months or more.
– “Great Recession”
– Unemployed for 6 months or more.
INDIVIDUAL :
– (Individual Faults):
– lack of motivation.
– Failure to work hard enough.
– Poor decision making in life.
– lack of motivation.
– Failure to work hard enough.
– Poor decision making in life.
STRUCTURAL:
– Behaviors and attitudes of those in poverty MIRROR those of MAINSTREAM AMERICA.
– MAJORITY of the poor have worked extensively and will do so again.
– POVERTY is ultimately a RESULT OF FAILING AT ECONOMICS AND POLITICAL LEVELS rather than individual shortcomings.
– MAJORITY of the poor have worked extensively and will do so again.
– POVERTY is ultimately a RESULT OF FAILING AT ECONOMICS AND POLITICAL LEVELS rather than individual shortcomings.
What are 2 INDIVIDUAL explanations of poverty?
1) Individual Faults.
2) Culture of Poverty.
2) Culture of Poverty.
What are 2 STRUCTURAL explanations of poverty?
1) Functionalist Theory.
2) Conflict Theory.
2) Conflict Theory.
What is the most highly stratified societies in the Industrial World?
(p. 93)
(p. 93)
United States.
Is the majority of the population in the country aware of the class inequalities & distinctions?
(p. 93)
(p. 93)
According to Mantsios, majority of people in this country “do not see” class inequality.
Why, according to Mantsios, do the MAJORITY of people in this country “DO NOT SEE” class inequality?
(p. 93)
(p. 93)
– UNAWARE BECAUSE of the CLASS INEQUALITIES and DISTICTIONS.
– Content in the MEDIA POTRAYS American SOCIETY. WEALTHIER than it is in real world.
– Most obvious in advertising.
– Blames victim.
– POOR are VIEWED through the MIDDLE-CLASS EYES.
– Content in the MEDIA POTRAYS American SOCIETY. WEALTHIER than it is in real world.
– Most obvious in advertising.
– Blames victim.
– POOR are VIEWED through the MIDDLE-CLASS EYES.
Since the recession in 2008 the number of Americans living in poverty has INCREASED from ______ml to ______ml.
(p. 94)
(p. 94)
__39.8__ml;
to ___46.2___ml.
to ___46.2___ml.
How much attention did the media pay to dramatic increase in poverty in the country?
(p. 94)
(p. 94)
– Ignored it.
– Meager coverage of poor people and poverty.
– Coverage it does provide is often distorted and misleading.
– Meager coverage of poor people and poverty.
– Coverage it does provide is often distorted and misleading.
How does the media, according to Mantsios, to blame for people being poor?
(pp. 94-95)
(pp. 94-95)
– Welfare cheats.
– Drug addicts.
– Greedy panhandlers.
– Only have themselves to blame.
– Drug addicts.
– Greedy panhandlers.
– Only have themselves to blame.
Who is, according to media, to blame for people being poor?
(p. 95)
(p. 95)
– The poor.
– Only have themselves to blame.
– Only have themselves to blame.
Which explanations– Individual/Structural –tend to be predominate in media coverage of poor?
(p. 95)
(p. 95)
Individual explanation of poor.
What is wrong, according to Mantsios, in media depictions of charitable activities directed at helping the poor?
(p. 95)
(p. 95)
– Charity is individualistic.
– Is essentially a BAND-AID from a STRUCTURAL STANDPOINT.
– Inequalities also contributes to poverty.
– Raise minimum wage.
– Get ride of handouts.
– Is essentially a BAND-AID from a STRUCTURAL STANDPOINT.
– Inequalities also contributes to poverty.
– Raise minimum wage.
– Get ride of handouts.
What does Mantsios mean when he is arguing that poverty is “systemic” characteristic of American Society?
(p. 96)
(p. 96)
– Is a direct result of economic and political policies that deprive people of jobs, adequate wages, or legitimate support.
– Poverty is systematic characteristic in America.
– Poverty is view it as nonexistent.
– Just a number.
– Unfortunate but temporary.
– Nuisance’s don’t deserve better, and can only blame selves.
– Poverty is systematic characteristic in America.
– Poverty is view it as nonexistent.
– Just a number.
– Unfortunate but temporary.
– Nuisance’s don’t deserve better, and can only blame selves.
How do poor affect non-poor in this country?
(p. 96)
(p. 96)
– Poverty also impacts dramatically on the non-poor.
– Dampening effect on wages in general (by maintaining a reserve army of unemployed anxious for any job at any wage.
– Breeds crime and violence (by maintaining conditions that invite private gain by illegal means and rebellion-like behavior, not entirely unlike the uurban riots of the 1960s).
– Dampening effect on wages in general (by maintaining a reserve army of unemployed anxious for any job at any wage.
– Breeds crime and violence (by maintaining conditions that invite private gain by illegal means and rebellion-like behavior, not entirely unlike the uurban riots of the 1960s).
Who, according to the media, are “the wealthy”?
(p. 97)
(p. 97)
The wealthy are “us”.
How much coverage time is being devoted to issues that are of interest to the wealthy?
(p. 97)
(p. 97)
– A large portion of the news is devoted to the wealthy.
– Type of things being discussed in media (Stocks, foreign policy etc.)
– “Concerns of the wealthy are the concerns of us all”.
– Type of things being discussed in media (Stocks, foreign policy etc.)
– “Concerns of the wealthy are the concerns of us all”.
Personal CHARACTERISTICS of the POOR:
(pp. 97-98)
(pp. 97-98)
– The poor are FACELESS.
– The poor are UNDESERVING.
– The poor are an EYESORE.
– The poor HAVE ONLY THEMSELVES TO BLAME.
– The poor are UNDESERVING.
– The poor are an EYESORE.
– The poor HAVE ONLY THEMSELVES TO BLAME.
Personal CHARACTERISTICS of the WEALTHY:
(pp. 97-98)
(pp. 97-98)
– The wealthy are US.
– The wealthy (as a class) DO NOT EXIST.
– The wealthy are FASCINATING & BENEVOLENT.
– The wealthy INCLUDE A FEW BAD APPLES (Donald Trump).
– The wealthy (as a class) DO NOT EXIST.
– The wealthy are FASCINATING & BENEVOLENT.
– The wealthy INCLUDE A FEW BAD APPLES (Donald Trump).
How does the media depict the “middle class”?
(p. 98)
(p. 98)
– The middle class US.
– The middle class is A VICTIM.
– The middle class is NOT A WORKING CLASS.
– The middle class is A VICTIM.
– The middle class is NOT A WORKING CLASS.
Who are these “us”?
(p. 98)
(p. 98)
– The media creates a UNIVERSAL MIDDLE CLASS.
– Blurred line between the working people and the upper class.
– Most of “US” share an intellectual & moral SUPERIORITY.
– “we [the affluent] are all in this together”.
– Blurred line between the working people and the upper class.
– Most of “US” share an intellectual & moral SUPERIORITY.
– “we [the affluent] are all in this together”.
Who are these “them”?
(p. 98)
(p. 98)
– The disadvantaged.
– “underclass” and every one else.
– The faceless, amoral, undeserving, and INFERIOR.
– “underclass” and every one else.
– The faceless, amoral, undeserving, and INFERIOR.
What differentiates “us” from “them”?
(p. 98)
(p. 98)
– “US” is affluent and like-minded.
– Understands affluence to be intelligent, taste, public spirit, responsibility, and readiness to rule.
– Understands affluence to be intelligent, taste, public spirit, responsibility, and readiness to rule.
Who is the victim in relationship between “us” & “them”?
(p. 98)
(p. 98)
– The middle class.
– “We” the affluent not only stand apart from the “other”- the poor, working class, the minorities, and their problems- “WE” are also VICTIMIZED BY POOR.
– Poor drive up costs of maintaining the welfare rolls.
– Minorities commit crimes against us.
– “We” the affluent not only stand apart from the “other”- the poor, working class, the minorities, and their problems- “WE” are also VICTIMIZED BY POOR.
– Poor drive up costs of maintaining the welfare rolls.
– Minorities commit crimes against us.
What, according to media, is the relationship between “the middle class” & “the wealthy”?
(pp. 99-100)
(pp. 99-100)
– To the media, there is not a difference.
– The wealthy are NOT ONLY A CLASS with distinct life-styles and interests, THEY ARE the RULING CLASS.
– The wealthy are NOT ONLY A CLASS with distinct life-styles and interests, THEY ARE the RULING CLASS.
How accurately does the media depict the rich?
(pp. 99-100)
(pp. 99-100)
– Inaccurately.
– Distorted and Misleading.
– Distorted and Misleading.
What role does, according to Mantsios, wealthy play in ruling the society and state?
(pp. 99-100)
(pp. 99-100)
– They rule because they RECIEVE a DISPROPORTIONATE share of the countries yearly INCOME.
– They OWN a DISPROPORTIONATE amount of the countries WEALTH.
– CONTRIBUTE a DISPROPORTIONATE amount.
– They OWN a DISPROPORTIONATE amount of the countries WEALTH.
– CONTRIBUTE a DISPROPORTIONATE amount.
To whom should the society, according to media, fear and watch over?
(pp. 99-100)
(pp. 99-100)
a. The crimes and abuses of power by the poor ******
b. By the rich?
b. By the rich?
