Sociology 2172A/B Study Guide - Summer 2018, Comprehensive Midterm Notes - Pepsi, Obesity, Canada
12 Oct 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Sociology 2172A/B
MIDTERM EXAM
STUDY GUIDE
Fall 2018
Introduction
This course introduces students to the sociological analysis of advertising and the role that it plays in society. The history of
advertising and the relationship between advertising and popular culture will be studied. Advertising content, the mechanisms of
persuasion, and the effect of advertising on human behaviour will be considered. A closer look will be taken at the representation
of gender and various groups in advertising, children and advertising, and social advertising.
Why Study Sociology?
●Studying sociology helps us achieve a greater understanding of:
○The social world
■Social practices
■Attitudes
●What people do
, instead of just what they say
■Institutions
●Advertising is now one of our social institutions because it has such an impact
●Half of people think advertising affects our society more than elementary school system
○Ourselves
■How individuals relate to social patterns
○Others in the multicultural context of Canada
■People argue that our culture is being homogenized or that it’s being Americanized
Global Sociological Imagination
●Central Theme
○We are not alone - all of us are deeply intertwined with the reality of all nations in the world
■Look at the bigger picture
■Ex. for the most part, for couples living together having no intention of getting married then
marrying, the divorce rate is twice as high. Even if you know a happy unmarried couple, that
doesn’t matter. Bigger picture.
Sociologists Studying Advertising
●“Advertising is a very considerable part of our total culture. It is not separated from any of the other activities of our
world.” - Marshall McLuhan (1968)
○Considered to be the leading prophet of the media age
○We are only just starting to really see the impact that advertising has on our society
●Why Sociologists Study Advertising
1. Distribution of Resources
■There can be more money spent per minute in a tv ad than in a blockbuster movie
■There are agencies where someone’s whole job is coming up with super bowl ads
2. Impact on Society
■Tells us how to behave
■Dictates who is important and unimportant
■Conspicuous consumption
●Ex. you look like a loser when you have an old phone because it says you’re poor, not
with the times, etc.
●Ex. an ad from this past september in which a young girl in a cafeteria sits down and
other students get up and walk away. She comes back the next day with sparkly running
shoes, and puts her feet up on the table and the other girls stop and sit with her
○This ad has so much baggage with it around popularity and acceptance
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
3. Determinant of Human Behaviour
■Advertisers are telling us how to behave
●Ex. guy on couch looking lonely, cracks open a beer, gorgeous woman knocks on door
because of the beer brand, reading to hang out with him
●We’re being manipulated into behaving a certain way
‘Privileged Forms of Discourse’
●A century ago (still have some impact):
○Church sermons
○Political oratory
○Elders
●Now
○‘Discourse through and about objects’
○Messages about that come from advertising
The Greatest Storyteller
●Advertising is thought to be the greatest storyteller in our society
●The story told by advertising is that we’ll be happier
○Once you have financial stability, more money cannot make you happy
Types of Advertising
●Ambient Advertising
○Most common form of advertising
○Intrusive ads in public places
○Ad Clutter: Ads are everywhere so advertisers have to get past the clutter of all the other ads
○Ad Fatigue: We are exhausted sorting through brands and products
○Parity Products: Products basically interchangeable from another product (ex. Pepsi and Coke)
○Criticisms within industry:
■Bob Garfield - ‘environment pollutants’
●The cost of traditional media advertising is skyrocketing so advertisers have to come up
with different ways of advertising - being very creative in getting us to buy things
●Especially relevant with the rise of technology
●Billboards
○Been around for a long time
○First billboard in America was for Coke
○Ex. Steakhouse: “There’s plenty of room for all God’s creations. Right next to the mashed potatoes.”
■Insensitive
○3D billboards
○Mobile Billboards
■Truck with billboard “Build a bigger tomorrow”
○Floating Billboards
■Billboard floating on water “There’s something in the water. Surface.”
●On umbrellas
●In swimming pools
●In airports
●At sports events
○Behind the batter at baseball games
○Car racing “Marlboro”
■Can’t advertise cigarettes anymore - exception
■Cigarette companies support car racing a lot - sponsors have ads on cars
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
This course introduces students to the sociological analysis of advertising and the role that it plays in society. The history of advertising and the relationship between advertising and popular culture will be studied. Advertising content, the mechanisms of persuasion, and the effect of advertising on human behaviour will be considered. A closer look will be taken at the representation of gender and various groups in advertising, children and advertising, and social advertising. Studying sociology helps us achieve a greater understanding of: What people do , instead of just what they say. Advertising is now one of our social institutions because it has such an impact. Half of people think advertising affects our society more than elementary school system. Others in the multicultural context of canada. People argue that our culture is being homogenized or that it"s being americanized. We are not alone - all of us are deeply intertwined with the reality of all nations in the world.
