Context Flashcards
State what should be considered when looking at context.
- Where it was produced, by whom, when, where it is received, + whether there’s a degree of knowledge shared between producer + receiver.
Explain the impact of new technologies in relation to context.*
• New tech enables us to access texts in a variety of ways- means by which a text is accessed or received is an element of context of text + informs text’s context (e.g. through a link, or on a phone).
• Weblog may include hyperlinks to other sites for readers who share blogger’s interests- effectively electronic signposts, directing readers to linked sites of shared interests.
• Features such as hyperlinks + adverts have become so commonplace as to seem to be almost invisible- not acknowledged.
• We are thinking about a combination of elements- geographical (where it was written + where it was read), temporal (when it was written + received) + social- makes up circumstances in which a text is generated + received.
* Although audience + purpose can be considered separately, form part of context too (e.g. message inviting someone to meet up for a meal would be different if was aimed at friend you hadn’t seen for a while compared to the version you’d send to someone you had, or to someone you didn’t really like but to whom you were under some sort of obligation).
Explain audience, purpose + synthetic personalisation in relation to context.
- Relationship with audience is particularly interesting in multimodal texts, as writer may use different channels to reach their audience in different ways.
- In addition to the ‘obvious’ topic, there’s often a concealed persuasive element to these texts (e.g. electronic texts may carry advertisements, which are overtly persuasive, but there may also be more subtle forms of suggestion in form of links to search engines +/or social networking sites.)
- As well as promoting products directly, texts may promote a lifestyle or set of attitudes- relates to Fairclough’s claims that all texts carry cultural + social values; the choice of products mentioned is a way of conveying these values to reader.
- One important way in which writers may attempt to influence their reader is through synthetic personalisation- creation of an identity for the reader which has specific attributes (e.g. is against animal testing / supports football) that are seemingly assumed within the text to exist, but which may not reflect the reader’s actual feelings + ideas.
- Synthetic personalisation creates the illusion of a relationship between text producer / persona + text recipient- + at time this aims to disguise the non-existence of any real relationship.
When considering power in media texts what should be considered?
• Who has power in the text?
• Who doesn’t have power?
• How is each party represented- what sort of bias can you detect?
• Who is it in favour of?
• How is bias manifested within the various language levels?
When considering power in media texts explain bias + representation.
• Bias + representation are key concepts when looking at media texts- relates to the way in which the subject of the text is being presented to the reader/receiver.
It Can Apply To All Or Any Of The Following:
• People: individuals or groups
• Places: real or imagined
• Ideas / values / attitudes / beliefs
• Organisations / companies / institutions
• Events
Same event or institution can be portrayed from very different perspectives; not only the words that are chosen, but also positioning of writer to reader + to topic- as well as accompanying illustrations- combine to create very distinctive representations.
* Example: school prospectus may describe itself as having ‘excellent facilities so that we can offer your child the best education in the area’, juxtaposed with photos of gleaming computers being used by happy, smiling children. An article from the students’ magazine at same school, on the other hand, may include a photograph of cracking paintwork + piles of litter, + have headline ‘Save Our School!’.
When considering power in media texts, explain the relationships between reader, writer + topic.
- One reason why representation of power in media texts is so interesting is because of relationship between reader, writer + topic.
- Because media texts are multimodal, need to consider how each element contributes to construction of meaning- do they complement the most prominent aspect of the text, contradiction it, or call it into question in some way?
- To what extent do they suggest text can be relied upon?
- How is the concept of power (or gender or technology) manifested?
- How can the language levels be applied?
When considering power in media texts, explain bias + representation in action in the news.
- Within a multimodal context, writers may make use of visual images + / or typographical variation in order to create bias.
- Depending on their personal + political beliefs, power + manifestations of it may be represented positively or negatively.
Explain gender in media texts, in relation to context.
- A key area to consider when looking at a media texts is gender representation- how is gender being represented in the text?
- May be achieved through ideas + attitudes expressed explicitly or it may be more subtle, + suggested through what is implied, rather than being stated directly.
- May be underlying assumptions about gender + identity that are being made; texts may challenge stereotypes- or reinforce them (or both).
- Media texts written at different times can reveal how gender representation + attitudes have changed.
Explain technological advances in media texts, in relation to context.
- There’s a wide + ever-increasing range of new technologies (e.g. new Apps appearing daily), each of which brings with it its own characteristics.
- Some of these will be shared with other multi-media texts (e.g. Facebook update may have elements that overlap with email, or a blog with a vlog) but each will also have some elements that are distinctive.
- Differing permutations of context, content + audience will mean that whatever tech is being used, the meaning of each text will be constructed in a unique way.
- Technology foregrounds elements of format that need to be explored in terms of the role they play- specific representation may, for example, be affected by the layering of meaning that features such as hyperlinks make possible.
Register
- Potentially mixed, some informal elements, some formal / academic.
- Example: elision (e.g. ‘they’re’), fronted conjunctions (informal)
Pronoun usage
- Mainly vocative voice
- Second person pronoun ‘you’ utilised.
Authorship as a joint endeavour - collective pronoun ’we’.
- Emphasis on collective approach may connote power/expertise (this authorship is
presumably a familiar feature for regular readers). - Tenor- distance between writer + audience.
- By excluding implied readership, the writer reminds audience that he/she is part
of a larger organisation (in this the […] newspaper.) - Unified authority on behalf of the newspaper persuades the audience to accept views
about […] - Heightened by names of several writers under headline- furthers notion that values of text are part of wider ideology of independent newspaper.
Reliability of source
- Implicit references to influential power (Wareing / Fairclough).
- Representation of text producer.
Assumption of shared values.
- Links to synthetic personalisation (Fairclough)
Repetition of modal auxiliary ‘can’
- Reflect purpose of advising reader of possible courses of action available to them.
