Communication is an essential part of people’s lives, and its multiple forms allow transferring messages in many different ways. Today, technology influences all spheres of life, including communication, and people become more affected by the media. Due to the significance of these forms of communication, they can be used to benefit society. In the modern world, the issues of social well-being have become especially serious. The existing injustice in society and recent cases of race-based violence are in conflict with the Christian principles of the overall equality and respect, and demand decisive actions. Therefore, the aim of this research is to identify how media and technology may help address the issues of social justice and racial inequality.
This dissertation is closely related to the theory of communication and its intentional use. Researchers still cannot find a comprehensive definition of communication: they underline its abstractness or restrictive nature and define it as both purposeless and deliberate activity (Littlejohn et al., 2016). Moreover, according to certain opinions, messages do not have to be received and understood, while the opposite suggestion is that the exchange of ideas is necessary for successful communication (Littlejohn et al., 2016). The term strategic communication is more applicable to this dissertation because it implies the intentional use of communication for particular purposes. This research will focus on the strategies of addressing the problems of social injustice and racial inequality through modern means of communication.
Today, media and technology are significant ways of transferring messages between individuals and entire societies. The medium model of communication implies that the transfer of information does not demand anticipated feedback from the receiver of the message. In contrast, human communication requires the addresser of the message to be in the position of both the sender and receiver since this process is a two-way interaction (Ong & Hartley, 2012). Researchers still argue about the advantages and disadvantages of media and technologies but agree about people’s high dependency on these modern communication forms. Therefore, the issues of racial inequality and social injustice can be addressed through social networks, television, and the Internet, which are some of the most widespread communication channels. It is important to mention that communication media are not restricted to mass media. According to McLuhan (1999), the Church can also be a channel of transferring information due to its major role in the cultural life of society. Moreover, the Church underlines the spiritual unity of human beings, regardless of their race and social status. Consequently, it is possible to address the issues of social justice and racial inequality through religious books and public performances.
In order to reach the audience effectively, it is necessary to understand how people perceive information. According to McLuhan (1999), the Christian worldview implies that modern society can be referred to as a global village. In this world, people acquire the information immediately, without careful reflection, which makes the persuasive function of messages especially important. Moreover, in the twenty-first century, reaching the audience through the written word may not be effective enough because people tend to rely on what they hear (McLuhan, 1999). Therefore, vital social issues can be underlined in performances, lectures, and radio and television advertisements.
To conclude, further research is an interdisciplinary study connecting different areas of humanities. Firstly, it is related to strategic communication since it covers the purposeful transfer of messages to address social injustice and racial inequality. Secondly, spoken language, performances, and other verbal forms of communication are believed to be more effective in the modern world. Finally, the Christian religion implies the diversity of society and dictates the principles of overall equality. Therefore, the Church itself can be considered a medium of communication in addition to modern technologies due to its cultural and ethical significance. To sum up, widely used communication technologies and the Church as an authoritative medium may guarantee the successful addressing of the issues of social justice and racial inequality.
References
Littlejohn, S., Foss, K., & Oetzel, J. (2016). Theories of human communication (11th ed.).Waveland Press.
McLuhan, M. (1999). The medium and the light: Reflections on religion and media. Stoddart.
Ong, J., & Hartley, J. (2012). Orality and literacy: The technologizing of the word. Routledge.