This investigation deals with a change of congressional attitude concerning violence in entertainment media, from noninterference to investigation to initiation of research. The data are primarily from official government records. This study first examines a period of congressional reluctance to interfere with the violent content of movies and radio in 1929-45. Next examined is the period 1945-68, when Congress actively investigated media violence,, focusing on television. Finally, the study examines congressional activity concerning television violence in 1968-74 and the Surgeon General's report on television violence. This report concludes that, by 1955, the pattern of congressional interest in media violence had turned from reluctance to activity, -and discusses the likelihood of future control of television program content.

Yizo Yizo, a South African drama series aired in 1999, received extraordinary positive and negative attention for its gritty depictions of township school life. The dissertation explores the relationship between the context, programme/text, the viewers/audiences, the content and the form of Yizo Yizo. Representations of violence and gender relations in Yizo Yizo are the primary concern of the dissertation. Contextual analysis is followed by an outline of the narrative needed to engage viewers' responses. This outline forms the basis for a discussion on representations of violence and gender relations, utilising textual and audience analysis to interrogate the nature of images. Concluding chapters connect issues of representation and reality, completing the critical circle introduced in the opening chapters through an analysis of the programme's title. Yizo Yizo is examined using a cultural studies approach, assessing "the relationship between texts -- representations that produce meanings--- and their contexts" (Tomaselli, 1989:38). The methodology employed to deconstruct representations of violence, gender relations and realism, follows recent work on 'facticity' and essentialism in African-American cultural production (Smith, 1992; Lubiano, 1997). In reference to depictions of violence and gender relations, the dissertation follows the established monographs of the British Broadcasting Standards Council (BSC), the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) of the United Kingdom, and the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) of South Africa (Gunter, 1986, 1987; Gunter & Wober, 1988; Cumberbatch & Howitt, 1989; Glanz 1994, respectively). Utilising textual and reception analysis, the study found Yizo Yizo's use of violence is substantiated through its dramatic intent. However, the drama fell short of exposing the 'myths' of township high schools. Thus, the viewer is left with dominant depictions of evil as responsible for the state of disequilibrium, leaving little room for an interrogation of the 'real' issues at Supatselo High. The series also side steps the historical context that impacts the present conditions of township learning. Moreover, the portrayal of female characters in the series perpetuates dominant patriarchal ideology by regurgitation myths and stereotypes. Research also highlighted the problem of viewing Yizo Yizo in an educational framework. The substantial drop in audience ratings for the final episode, which focused on a school that established or restored the 'culture of learning and teaching', indicates the series fell short of its educative potential. The series does not truly interrogate the socio-economic and political context of education in South Africa. Instead, the 'crisis' in education is paralleled with issues of delinquency rather than socio-economic inequalities of an educational system with a history tainted by the legacy of apartheid. A further finding indicates that due to violent content, language and other issues, the SABC should have scheduled the programme after 9pm, during the watershed period. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, 2000.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of television violence and cultural identity on international students' perceived vulnerability. A total of 73 international students who registered at Ball State University spring semester 1999 participated in the survey research project. MANOVA revealed a significant relationship between perceived vulnerability and television exposure. Although no significant relationship was found between perceived vulnerability and cultural identity levels, there was a significant interaction effect between television exposure and cultural identity. International students who were heavy viewers and had assimilated identity exhibited the greatest perceived vulnerability. Theoretical and methodological implications of the findings were discussed for future research. / Department of Speech Communication

Orientador: Maria Filomena Gregori / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Filosofia e Ciencias Humanas / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-10T16:08:58Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Aderaldo_GuilhermoAndre_M.pdf: 2580976 bytes, checksum: fc7526e53cdad1580843574296e2e345 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008 / Resumo: De que maneira as lutas internas ligadas ao campo da televisão sustentam os modos através dos quais o tema da violência é representado em seu interior? Partindo do princípio de que, enxergar a televisão como uma simples transmissora dos "fatos" encontrados no mundo social, ou ainda, como um meio de "manipulação" desses fatos, significa ignorar a luta por uma melhor condição nos processos de distribuição das chances de poder por parte dos agentes no interior do veículo, esta pesquisa visa a um esforço de compreensão das ligações estabelecidas entre o modo através do qual a violência é representada na televisão e as trajetórias individuais dos agentes, cuja notoriedade foi ganha a partir da exploração do tema, no interior dos processos de mudança aos quais se encontram inscritos, de acordo com suas respectivas posições. Proponho que a análise das diferenças nos modos de representar a violência ao longo do tempo por parte dos agentes ligados ao campo da televisão pode nos indicar caminhos mais complexos para pensarmos uma questão consensual em relação aos estudos sobre a representação da violência ne~se veículo, bem como em outros meios de comunicação: a distorção entre os dados comumente aceitos pelas ciências sociais para a retratação "objetiva" do problema da criminalidade no país e a maneira como a violência acaba sendo apresentada na mídia, que costuma privilegiar os traços mais dramáticos de casos isolados ligados às ocorrências policiais / Abstract: In what way the internal struggleslinked to the television field sustain the forms which through the television theme is represented in its interior? From de principIe that seeing TV as a simple transmitter of "facts" found in the social world, ar still, as a way of "manipulation" of this facts, means to ignore the fight for a better condition in the processes of distribution of the chances of power by part of the agents in the vehicle interior, this research aims a comprehension effort on the bounds established between the way trough which violence is represented on television and the agents individual paths, of whom notoriety was conquered from the exploration of the theme, in the interior of the processes of changing that are enrolled, according with their respective positions. I propose that the analysis of this differences in the forms of representing violence throughout time by this agents linked to the television field can point out more complex routs in arder for us to think a consensual issue related to the studies on the representation of violence in this vehicle, as well as in other media: the distortion between data generally accepted by the social sciences for the "objective" . painting of the criminality problem in the country and the way violence ends being represented in the media, that usually privileges the more dramatic traits of isolated cases linked to. Police occurrences / Mestrado / Antropologia Social / Mestre em Antropologia Social