Provide a 8 pages analysis while answering the following question: Spiral of Silence and Politics. Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide.

Provide a 8 pages analysis while answering the following question: Spiral of Silence and Politics. Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide. An abstract is required. In essence, the spiral of silence theory is meant to explore the hypothesis for determination of why certain groups are vocal when others keep silent in public discourse forums (Anstead & O’Loughlin, 2011). The theory suggests that silence seen among certain groups results from the unpopularity of their opinions within the public sphere. Whereas most groups may have the support of or desire to contribute to specific issues, the perceived minority groups opt to keep silent in fear of being isolated.

Theory Analysis

The theory observes that people base their perception of public opinion on variable things within their environment, including mass media and newspapers, to the outspoken formers of ideas (Anstead & O’Loughlin, 2011). Also, the social sanction, according to Noelle-Neumann, has a very integral function, and silence is bound to occur when opinions on topics that are regarded to be divisive and controversial are shared among people. Therefore, spiral silence is considered to be a collective phenomenon that involves people relating their respective perspectives to those taken by others. In particular, as observed by Jeffres, Neuendorf & Atkin, 2010, when individuals realize that their opinions are gaining popularity or becoming dominant, they tend to express their convictions beyond friends and family circles openly. On the other hand, people would shy off expressing their views when they feel their unpopular opinion would lead to their isolation. This leads to spiral creation, where people become silent regarding their views on political matters (Campus, 2010).

The theory of the spiral of silence is founded on four major principles, which include:

That society threatens people with isolation. Hence that should be a constant enhancement of social collectives’ cohesion through sufficient agreement levels of goals and values (Anstead & O’Loughlin, 2011).People have so much fear of being regarded as social isolatesIndividuals continuously evaluate the climate of the opinions raised using their respective relationships and the media to maintain a high awareness level regarding the social consensus (Bordignon & Ceccarini, 2013).Based on the perception derived from the opinion climate, people may be reluctant or willing to speak out.