Sociological aspects of the influence of propaganda on the mass consciousness of the population

Abstract

This article represents a theoretical analysis and generalization of the views of various scholars and understanding the essence of the mass consciousness of the population, propaganda, and the specifics of the latter's influence on such mass consciousness. It is proved that mass consciousness (unlike individual, group, etc.) is a specific type of social consciousness that “possesses” certain advantages in terms of specificity and effectiveness of propaganda influence on it. The main states of mass consciousness are analyzed: value orientations, cognitive potential of individuals, public sentiments, and public opinion. It is shown that propaganda acts within the limits of its influence on the mass consciousness as a non-marketing mechanism for the production and transmission of both negative and positive information. It is revealed that both direct propaganda and its derivative forms such as paid journalism, publicity, propaganda 2.0 are used.