Film Violence and the Institutionalization of the Cinema

• Published in: Social research Vol. 67; no. 3; pp. 649 - 681
• Main Author: SLOCUM, J. DAVID
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Graduate Faculty of Political and Social Science, New School for Social Research 01.10.2000; New School University; New School for Social Research; New School for Social Research, Graduate Faculty of Political and Social Science; Johns Hopkins University Press
• Subjects: American movies; Analysis; Censorship; Cultural Values; Debates; Entertainment Industry; Film criticism; Ideology; Institutionalization; Institutionalization (Social); Mass media; Mass Media Effects; Mass Media Violence; Middle class; Motion picture industry; Motion pictures; Motion pictures, American; Movie violence; Movies; Narratives; Noncitizens; Popular Culture; Power; Schatz, Thomas; Sexual violence; Social aspects; Social change; Social control; Social institutions; Social order; Social research; Social scientists; Social Values; Society; Sociology; Sociology of communication and mass media. Sociolinguistics; Sociology of knowledge and sociology of culture; Theaters & cinemas; USA; Violence; Violence in motion pictures; Violent crimes; World War I; World wars; United States Of America; New York; United States > US; Chicago Illinois; Movie; Social norm; Audience; Violence; Entertainment Industry; Social Order; Cinema
• ISSN: 0037-783X; 1944-768X

Social scientists have traditionally conceptualized media as serving one of two functions in society--effecting social change or furthering social control of predominant ideologies and social structures. Film violence can be seen as an especially telling manifestation of the struggles of popular cinema to balance at any given time the forces changing society and those controlling it.