I. Introduction to Cultivation Analysis
A. Central propositions and concepts
B. Overview of cultivation analysis
II. An Examination of Cultivation Analysis in Practice
B. The Israeli view of American life
III. An Evaluation of Cultivation Analysis
The concept of cultivation analysis was introduced by Gerbner and Gross in 1976 (cited in Weimann, 1984). According to the researchers, American television frequently, if not continually, weaves entertainment and information together and effectively "cultivates" a particular kind of "knowledge" of reality which is based on "facts" that may or may not be an accurate depiction of American life--at home, at school, at work, or at leisure.
Littlejohn (1992) interpreted television as "a homogenizing agent in culture . . . (and) the great common experience of almost everyone" (p. 358). He said that Gerbner and his associates (cited in Littlejohn) posited:
Television is a centralized system of storytelling. It is part and parcel of our daily lives. Its drama, commercials, news, and other programs bring a relatively coherent world of common images and messages into every home. Television cultivates from infancy the very predispositions and preferences that used to be acquired from other primary sources. . . . (T)elevision has become the primary common source of socialization and everyday information . . . of an otherwise heterogeneous population (p. 358).
Cultivation analysis differs significantly from mere content analysis and other cause-effect methods of mass communications research. It seeks to explain "the culture as a whole" as it has been shaped longitudinally over an extended period of time, rather than measuring a linear relationship, and generally bases its observations and conclusions by comparing "heavy" and "light" viewers of television. Cultivation analysis allows for the development of attitudes over a period of years rather than ob...