Chapter 15, Problem 1RA-P480

Summary Introduction

Introduction

Migration has long played an important role in social change in the United States by introducing new people into regions in sufficient numbers to inspire changes in norms and values. The media frames the way people think about issues and people. These frames drive political discourse on these topics, and can cause people to become inflexible and intolerant at times.

Explanation of Solution

Answer and explanation

(This question requires a subjective response, and this is an example.)

The history of the United States features a series of major migrations that caused social change. For example, after gold was found in California, a large number of Americans moved across Native American lands to settle there. These Forty-Niners overlaid their social norms and values over the existing combination of Mexican and Native American traditions in California, leading to the virtual extinction of the latter. The media does not tell people what to think, but it does tell people what is important to think about. The way stories and people are framed can influence emotional responses and modify how issues are discussed. For example, if a crime is committed by an immigrant, the media leads with that factor, which is then used by nativists who want to reduce immigration and exclude members of the out-group from society. Their heuristic will then be to ignore the fact that the same crime might be committed at much higher rates by native-born citizens.