Methodological and conceptual problems in the study of pornography and violence

pp. 390-475

in: I. C. Jarvie, Thinking about society, Berlin, Springer, 1986

Abstract

This paper has grown out of a long-standing interest in motion pictures and their social effects (Jarvie 1970, 1977, 1978). The controversy over them which began in the early years of this century continues to this day. A literature survey carried out for my (1970) made it apparent that few of the controverters based their assertions on research, and that much of the research was methodologically flawed, hence unable to support any conclusions. Some of the research was disinterested; some clearly sought evidence to justify alarm. By and large this latter research never remotely approached its aim, which was to dent the arguments for there being no prior restraints on free speech. The current state of play will emerge in this paper.