Answer :
Final answer:
Political reality is largely a mediated reality, heavily influenced by media and those in power who shape public perception. Social constructs interact with and shape physical reality, often reinforcing the status quo and establishing the basis for political debate.
Explanation:
According to a novel approach to politics textbook, virtually all of political reality is a mediated reality. Political reality is subjected to interpretation and representation by diverse media platforms, and this mediation significantly shapes public perception and discourse. In the context of political socialization, socially constructed realities are seen to interact with physical reality in multifaceted, complex ways. Not only do these realities shape our understanding and social constructs, but they also establish grounds for political debate and ideological contention.
Media plays a substantial role in framing these realities by presenting information that may contain covert or overt political material. Meanwhile, those in power may influence the criteria by which reality is judged, often discounting opposing views and reinforcing their interpretation of 'reality'. Social construction of reality, a concept introduced by Berger & Luckmann (1963), suggests that the reality of any situation is constructed through ongoing social interactions. This has profound implications for our understanding of reality within political contexts.
