The Cultivation Theory

How many chances are you going to be victims of crime or criminality within the next week? Is 1: 10, 1: 100, or 1: 1000? According to George Gerbner The answer will depend on how often you watch television.

According to the Dean of the Annenberg School for Communication University of Pennsylvania and is also the founder of the Movement CulturalEnvironment, the television audience is in the category of heavy viewers (heavy viewers) tend to have the belief that this world is a world that is cruel and scary (mean and scary world). Kekekarasan they saw the television screen to make the audience get caught up in the paranoia that makes them always feel insecure and do not trust the people around them.

Agree with Marshal McLuhan, Gerbner argues that television has a dominant force in shaping modern society. However, unlike McLuhan who saw the medium as message, Gerbner believes that the power of television content appearing on the television show itself is seen as a real-life drama that arise at any time, for hours each day. As a result, television interpreted as a storyteller in public life. In other languages, see the television is able to describe anything that is important, and actually happen, in our society.

The consequence is that, when the media often broadcast shows containing violence (violence) then Gerbenr see a strong correlation between media and violence itself. The mass media, especially television plays a major role in creating fear in the minds of the audience to violence.

Gerbner we assume that television is filled with what he describes as a dramatic violence. In the definition of dramatic violence referred to as "the overt expression of physical force (with or without a weapon, against self or other) compelling action against one's will on pain of being hurt and / or killed or threathened to be so victimized as part of the plot . "

The definition includes harsh words, demeaning, and threatening. Which is certainly a lot of it is presented in the daily sinetrons graced our television screens. Even physical violence is also often found in a wide variety of cartoon shows like Tom and Jerry, Naruto, and the like. When all the impressions that contains more dramatized violence, according to Gerbner will cause traumatic effects in the minds of the audience.

Over two decades, much research in the U.S. found that many prime-time shows containing violence earlier impressions. Even on shows for children on Saturdays and Sundays. And all this time until now these studies still show a steady rate. That is, violence is still consistent as the material in the television show itself.

Gerbner distinguish television viewers in two categories, light viewer (viewer light) and heavy viewer (viewers weight). Lightweight audience is watching television in the span of about two hours each day. While classified as heavy viewers are watching television more than 4 hours each day. It is this difference that will affect the viewer's own behavior.

For mild spectators, the tendency is to simply watch television according to need. That is, they watch what you want to watch it, and if you feel like it or do not need a television with a pickle, then the TV will be switched off. Attendance in this category typically are not easily influenced by the content of television itself.

Another with the audience in the weight category of the audience. They usually sit in front of the television in a long enough period of time, even hours without caring whether they have seen television shows that whether they like it or they need or not. These are the usually the most easily affected by television content.

In the example earlier impressions violence, let alone the sort of criminal event shows Buser, patrol, crime scene, Sergap, and the like. When we are accustomed to and often watch the show of this kind, which arises according to Gerbner assumption is that we tend to be more fearful or wary of the world around us. We tend to become paranoid, afraid that we are going to experience a crime or become victims of criminal acts, as we often see in the earlier impressions.

If the show had been told the rampant crime in the city bus hold-up case, we usually become worried enough when going up or are on the bus. We become suspicious of every foreigner who does not know the bus. Or maybe the singers are there in the bus it is a ready-prepared criminals looking for opportunities to commit armed robbery, and so on. Heavy viewers have the opportunity to become more paranoid this kind.

In his research on cultivation differences, Gerbner behavior observed on four television to the audience, in relation to the issue of violence earlier impressions.

First, about the possibility of involvement in violence. The survey conducted showed that the light for the audience, they just feel they have the possibility of 1: 100 that they will be victims of violence or crime. As for the audience likely weight is 1: 10. Whereas a realistic figure based on an index of violence or crime index is only at the 1: 10,000. So, for the weight to the audience, they are more likely to be victims of violence or crime rather than an actual possibility. On the other hand, the children who used to watch the show of violence has the assumption that "it's okay if you hit someone else when we are angry or do not like about that person."

Second, afraid to walk alone during night. Women are generally more afraid to walk alone at night than men. However, according to Gerbner is more related to how often they spend time in front of the television. The audience is assumed to be consider excessive weight to the crime event, and take it ten times worse or more sinister than reality. Whereas in fact, more and more people are injured or killed on the streets as a result of being hit by vehicles rather than a crime.

Third, in view of police activity. For weight to the audience, they assume that 5 percent masyarakt we've dealt with the police or authorities. Light to the audience while only 1 percent bersumsi. World in the minds of many filled with heavy viewers an overview of the police, criminals, crime, and that they are not environmentally safe. That the police are always pointing a weapon at any time.

Fourth, distrust of others. Attendance typically have severe congenital always suspicious to others, especially strangers.

Gerbner's cultivation goes on to explain that role through two paths, ie mainstreaming and resonance.

Mainstreaming is the process by Grebner "blurring, blending, and bending" which penetrated into the self weight of the audience. According to Gerbner, through constant exposure in tayangannya, television has created a commonality (similarity or generality). Television makes the audience is homogeneous, which will make the audience (heavy) feel they share values, orientation, perspective, with other people.

Anything that comes on the television screen creates a general nature, and make it as a kind of shared experience. So for the audience, the television becomes a reference with the thoughts, beliefs, and values. Television becomes like 'a place to share experiences.'

Resonance. According to Gerbner, consistent audience watching television are more likely to feel the resonance (resonance). Basically everyone has been experiencing or become eyewitnesses to an act of criminal violence or events, whether it be robbery, holdup, mugging, or even a fight. They are then subjected to traumatic, although not severe. However, the television back then instrumental in the depiction of the experience in watching them. Television becomes a kind of resonance or repetition of the real experience of the audience earlier in life. The more often the person watching it will be more frequent violence resonance was experienced by him. Consequently the first to memories or thoughts of violence or criminal events in the real world that was once experienced, becomes more and continue to feel or remember your.

The hypothesis proposed by Gerbner's cultivation theory is that the more people watch television will eventually make the world feel more creepy.

Bibliography:

Griffin, Emory A., A First Look at Communication Theory, 5th edition, New York: McGraw-Hill, 2003, p.380-389