Concept of 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

. . .
tially reflected in student responses. Students expressed the desire to get and stay married, but they also had doubts about marriage as a positive experience. According to Signorielli, "although television is not . . . the only source of problematic messages, teenagers and their parents need to be aware that television may have a negative influence in regard to attitudes about sex and intimate interpersonal relationships" (p. 146). Gabriel Weimann (1984), an Israeli sociologist, chose to investigate the impact of American television programs on the perceptions young Israelis had about life in America. Weimann compared responses to actual demographic data in order to demonstrate to what degree Israeli perceptions differed from American reality. His survey was conducted among 368 secondary students in Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Jerusalem (urban centers) and some surrounding rural communities ("kibbutzim"), as well as among 93 undergraduate students (p. 187). Israel presented a unique opportunity for research. Its television broadcast system had only one government-operated TV station, which was viewed by 90-95 percent of the Israeli population. Because the station was non-commercial, its resources were limited, and, conseque
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Approximate Word count = 1820
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)

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