Spiral of Silence University of Florida（沉默的螺旋佛罗里达大学）.pdfVIP

Spiral of Silence • A “Mean Girl” approach to keeping the status quo: Regina George • The media coverage shapes individual’s perception of public sentiment on an issue. • People do what she says. – Society threatens deviant individuals with isolation. – You can’t sit with us! Gretchen Wieners • “My dad invented toaster strudel”: the need to feel accepted. • Individuals experience fear of isolation continuously. Karen Smith • “No, I really am...I’m failing everything.” • The results of this estimate affect their behavior in public, especially their willingness or not to express opinions openly. Cady Heron • This fear of isolation causes individuals to try to assess the climate of opinion at all times. • Animal world versus girl world. The Mean Spiral of Silence • There are two paths: – the silent minority conforms to the loud majority, – the silent minority becomes the majority. Where did all this meanness come from? • The media has had an influence over public opinion for centuries. • The Federalists, in the 18th century, felt that the strength of beliefs relies on the number who share that belief. • The Nazis, during World War II, convinced a nation to follow their regime. Spiral of Silence: History • “If public opinion arises from an interaction of individuals with their social environments, we should find at work the processes which Asch and Milgram have confirmed experimentally. To the individual, not isolating himself is more important than his own judgment” Noelle-Neumann, 1974 Spiral of Silence: History • Understanding Theory – A Look Back – Social Psychology impact on