UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

A critical perspective in communication studies examines how power,ideology and social inequality shape both media content and interpersonal interaction. It asks whose voices are amplified,whose are marginalised and how dominant groups maintain control. The stem's focus on unequal power relations determining audibility aligns directly with this approach.

Option A:
Critical theorists highlight issues such as representation of minorities,ownership of media and discourse that normalises inequality. This concern with justice and emancipation fits Option D clearly.

Option B:
Functionalist perspectives emphasise how communication contributes to social stability and consensus and may underplay conflict and inequality.

Option C:
Behaviourist approaches focus on stimulus response relationships and individual behaviour,rarely addressing structural power differences.

Option D:
Structuralism analyses underlying sign systems and codes but is not primarily centred on power and domination in the way that critical perspectives are.