Integrity of the textA B C D E F G H IJKL M N O P R S T U VXYZWSyria means ‘Go to the blazes’ while in the UK a
gesture of derision is to pull an imaginary lava-
tory chain at the same time as holding the nose.
In Greece, pushing the fl at of the palm towards
another’s face is the ultimate insult signal; called
the moutza, the signal represents a thrusting of
fi lth into the opponent’s face, and has ancient
roots (see relic gestures).
Beyond the insult signal is the threat signal,
an attempt to intimidate without, necessarily,
having recourse to blows. Threat signals are
mostly substitutes for rather than prologues
to violence, because such signals are checked,
held back, and distance is maintained between
threatener and threatened. Also, such signals are
often redirected – to the insulter’s own body,
such as mock strangulation.
Of obscene signals, the phallic-displaying
gesture is as old as civilized man. Th e Romans,
for example, referred to the middle finger as
the impudent and obscene finger. The more
expressive forearm jerk is common throughout
the Western world and is employed particularly
in France, Italy and Spain as a threatening insult
by one male towards another; however, in the
UK, the signal tends to be more a crude sexual
comment than a direct insult. Th e V-sign, with
palm facing the communicator, is the most
potent gestural insult in Britain along with its
single-finger variant. See communication,
non-verbal (nvc); non-verbal behaviour:
repertoire.
Integrateds See vals typology.
Integration New ideas and behaviour vary in
the degree to which they are incorporated into
the continuing operations and way of life of
members of a social system or sub-system.
Th e term communication integration is used to
describe the degree to which the members/units
of a social system are interconnected by inter-
personal communication channels.
Integration: vertical and horizontal Vertical
integration occurs when an enterprise owns and
controls all the processes and stages involved in
production. An example is where a fi lm company
initiates ideas and facilitates all aspects of
production, marketing and advertising, as well
as having direct or associate interest in product
dissemination and consumption, including
related promotional merchandise. In contrast,
horizontal integration indicates concentration
of ownership across rather than within products
and producers – in media terms, cross-media
ownership and control.
Integrity of the text See text: integrity of
the text.be induced by ‘inoculation’ prior to a concerted
exercise in persuasion: if an audience is fore-
warned about an attempt to persuade it, when
that attempt occurs, they are more capable of
defence against influence. Studies have also
shown that the inoculation eff ect can be achieved
by generating counter-arguments in people,
through exposure to a mild version of arguments
against their opinions as well as to arguments
supporting their existing views. Th is seemed to
‘inoculate’ them against being persuaded later
by more robust arguments against their beliefs,
opinions and attitudes.
Insert shot In fi lm, a close-up inserted into a
dramatic scene, usually for the purpose of giving
the audience a view of what the character on
the screen is seeing, such as a newspaper head-
line, the title of a book, a cigarette, a letter, etc.
See shot.
Institution The term institution is generally
applied to patterns of behaviour which are estab-
lished, approved and usually of some perma-
nence. Such patterns of behaviour are normally
rational and conscious. Th e term can be applied
to both the abstract – for example, religion – and
the concrete concept of an institution, such as a
media organization. Th e patterns of behaviour to
which this term is applied can vary, from simple
routine acts to large complexes of standardized
procedures governing social relationships in a
large section of the population.
All institutions embody a particular complex
of norms, values, roles and role structures.
Th ey also, often, evolve relationships with other
institutions. functionalist analysis tends to
represent institutions as performing the func-
tions essential to the maintenance of society, and
views them as being mutually sustaining. Some
research has, however, indicated the relative
autonomy of most institutions and the often
confl icting goals to be found within them. Much
research into the mass media has concentrated
upon their corporate role as major social institu-
tions; upon their norms, values and relationships
with other major social institutions.
Insult signals Generally defi ned as those signals
which are always insulting, no matter what the
context in which the signal has been made;
though these do vary substantially between
nationality and nationality. Such signals may
communicate disinterest, boredom, superiority,
contempt, impatience, rejection and mockery.
Dirt signals appear to be universal and refer to
human and animal waste-products on the basis,
presumably, of: cleanliness – good; fi lth – bad.
Picking the nose with forefi nger and thumb in