19 academic arguments Flashcards
Who are the industry theorists? (3)
-Livingstone and Lunt
-Curran and Seaton
-Hesmondhalgh
What is Livingstone and Lunt’s theory? (3)
-regulation
-it’s hard to regulate media because of the online world we live in
-regulation is really important but it hasn’t progressed in the same way as the internet and technology has->less control/hard to regulate
What is Curran and Seaton’s theory? (4)
-regulation
-how media companies and industries are run
-media is all about profit and power
-very few but very large conglomerates are all about profit and power
What is Hesmondhalgh’s theory? (2)
-industry
-industry uses tried and tested strategies to appeal to us but we should be concerned that only a few companies hold a lot of power, tied and tested strategies to reduce risk
Who are the language theorists? (5)
-Barthes
-Levi-Strauss
-Todorov
-Neale
-Baudrillard
What is Barthes theory? (6)
-semiotics
-our actions and thoughts are often governed by a set of cultural messages and conventions
-3 types of signs in the study of semiotics:
-iconic: looks like what it represents eg heart
-symbolic: does not look like what it represents - must be learnt eg love heart
-indexical: sign is a clue that links meanings eg clutching at heart - heart attack
What is Levi-Strauss’ theory? (4)
-binary oppositions
-all narratives contain binary opposites and it’s the driving force of the narrative
-most media products will contain a series of binary oppositions which help the audience understand the narrative
-got to have a hero to understand the villain for example
What is Todorov’s theory? (2)
-narratology
-all narratives follow the basic structure: equilibrium (balance) disequilibrium (disruption/conflict) and equilibrium (ending/new)
What is Neale’s theory?
-genre
-where films and tv shows are catagorised into different genres and overtime they become hybrids where multiple genres are formed together
What is Baudrillard’s theory?
-postmodernism
-reality, hyperreality
-
Who are the representation theorists? (6)
-Hall
-Gauntlett
-Van Zoonen
-bell hooks
-Judith Butler
-Gilroy
What is Hall’s theory of representation?
-
What is Gauntlett’s theory? (5)
-identity
-everyone is individual but people tend to exist within larger groups who are similar to them
-media does not create identities it reflects them
-the power of the media and how it has shaped audiences has led to much more discussion on representations and identities and there is more social awareness about things like gender identity
-online media has led to more participation in pushing identities due to the ability for more self expression - diverse identities spread
What is Van Zoonen’s theory? (4)
-feminism
-display of women’s bodies are objectified as a result of Western Culture
-because we live in a patriarchy this is always therefore refracted through the male gaze
-our ideas around masculinity and femininity are underpinned by the cultural and historical contexts of the day - as a result of media being mainly made by men it results in women being objectified
What is bell hooks’ theory?
-feminism challenges patriarchy, with hooks arguing for an intersectional approach considering how identities such as race, class and sexuality contribute to oppression alongside gender
What is Judith Butler’s theory? (6)
-gender performativity
-it is not helpful to have 2 fixed genders
-gender performativity is apparent due to stereotypes of the 2 genders
-there are spectrums/scales of gender and sexuality and that shows how the way we think about gender should be challenged by the theories
-gender shouldn’t be a fixed identity and you should challenge the social constructs of gender
-the behaviours of each gender that are adapted are due to social norms and that shouldn’t be the case
What is Gilroy’s theory? (4)
-ethnicity and post colonialism
-ethnic minorities are misrepresented and marginalised ->British minorities are more powerful
-Representations based on binary opposition create divisions and boundaries between groups of people
-People from non-white ethnic groups may demonstrate diasporic identities which are complex and hybrid (and are misrepresented or under-represented in the media)
Who are the audience theorists? (5)
-Hall
-Bandura
-Gerbner
-Jenkins
-Shirky
What is Halls reception theory? (5)
-how we react differently: age, gender, childhood, cultural background,
-dominant/preferred readings of a media product/text: horror->to scare you (the media makes you feel things purposefully)
-negotiated reading: intentions of the director are understood but is questioned
-oppositional reading: opposite reading of the text->understood directors intentions but goes against your moral views or you don’t like it
-aberrant reading: you don’t understand the directors intentions
What is Bandura’s theory?
What is Gerbner’s theory? (5)
-cultivation theory
-analyses the relationship between the media and you
-the media has a gradual effect on it’s audience
-the more you consume->the more you’re impacted
-the media convince the audiences views->it can alter the audience’s viewpoint on the world and the more you consume
What is Jenkins’ theory? (3)
-fandom
-it focuses on the concept of participatory culture, where audiences are not just passive consumers of media but active participants
-Jenkins argues that audiences engage with media in various ways, such as interpreting, critiquing, and creating their own content
What is Shirky’s end of audiences theory? (3)
-Old media, new media and how communication has changed in between
-Media platforms no longer sit separately from one another – they collectively work from the same place. (All media migrates to work from the internet.)
-Audiences can now become producers – united by same equipment
What is Shirky’s many to many theory? (3)
-media communication going from singular to groups->eg old phone only being able to talk to one person at once then now can talk to a massive audience very easily
-All platforms are migrating to the internet to get both conversation and group communication
-Consumers can now become prosumer, consume and produce at the same time making consumers, more creative and sociable
