media representations

Question 1

representations of disability - the social construction of disability

Answer 1

Shakespeare - disability should be seen as a social construction - a problem created by the attitudes of society and not by the state of our bodies.

disability is created by societies that don’t take into account the needs
of those who do not seem ‘normal’

Those who control the media industry are predominantly white, middle-class and able-bodied men, so the media gaze which forms representations
of disability is that of the able-bodied.

Question 2

representations of disability - the medical model

Answer 2

you are disabled because of an impairment (loss of sight etc)

Question 3

representations of disability - media stereotypes of disability (10)

Answer 3

1. as pitiable and pathetic
2. as an element of atmosphere or object of curiosity
3. as an object of violence
4. as sinister or evil
5. as the supper cripple
6. laughable or an object of ridicule
7. as his/her own enemy
8. as a burden
9. non-sexual
10. unable too participate in everyday life

Question 4

representations of disability - symbolic annihilation

Answer 4

1/4 of all adults are covered by the disability discrimination act but are under-represented in the media and are portrayed negatively - face symbolic annihilation

Cumberbatch et al in a content analysis of TV programmes 2013 found that people portrayed as disabled represented 2.5% of the TV population

Ofcom found more than 4/10 appearances of disabled people in programmes highlighting issues of prejudice and discrimination

Question 5

representations of disability - Cumberbatch et al AO2

Answer 5

symbolic annihilation

in a content analysis of TV programmes 2013 found that people portrayed as disabled represented 2.5% of the TV population

Question 6

representations of disability - Ofcom AO2

Answer 6

symbolic annihilation

found more than 4/10 appearances of disabled people in programmes highlighting issues of prejudice and discrimination

Question 7

representations of disability - negative representations of disability

Answer 7

Briant et al - compared media coverage of disability in 5 newspapers 2010 with 2004.
Found that there had been a reduction in articles describing disabled people in a sympathetic way
Proportion of articles linking disability to benefit fraud had more than doubled

Philo et al found negative stereotypes were also applied to people with disabling mental health conditions
A study of daytime TV showed that nearly 1/2 of programmes with mental illness storylines portrayed the people as threatening
63% of references to mental health were negative

Question 8

negative representations of disability - Briant et al

Answer 8

negative representations of disability

Briant et al compared media coverage of disability in 5 newspapers 2010 with 2004.
Found that there had been a reduction in articles describing disabled people in a sympathetic way
Proportion if articles linking disability to benefit fraud had more than doubled

Question 9

negative representations of disability - Philo et al

Answer 9

negative representations of disability

Philo et al found negative stereotypes were also applied to people with disabling mental health conditions
A study of day time TV showed that nearly 1/2 of programmes with mental illness storylines portrayed the people as threatening
63% of references to mental health were negative

Question 10

representations of disability AO3 - effects arent bad

Answer 10

Disabled people, and those who have some personal experience of disability, may well ignore it,
resist, reject or reinterpret such general stereotypes

Question 11

representations of disability AO3 - negative effects of representations

Answer 11

for the many who lack such experi-
ence, the media may have a role in forming distorted views and negative stereotypes of all those
with impairments

Question 12

general features of representations of gender (4)

Answer 12

under-representation of women in media industry

male gaze

under-representation and stereotyping of women in media

patriarchal ideology and symbolic annihilation of women

Question 13

general features of representations of gender - under-representation of women in the media industry

Answer 13

Under-represented in positions of power and influence in the management of media industry
women faced a glass ceiling - an invisible barrier to progress in their careers

On average 77% of reports were by male journalists 2011

Question 14

general features of representations of gender - under-representation of women in the media industry AO2

Answer 14

On average 77% of reports were by male journalists 2011

Question 15

general features of representations of gender - the male gaze

Answer 15

Neo-marxists (e.g. the GMG) - representations of gender are filtered by the gaze of the pre-dominantly male -dominated media establishment

means that women are portrayed through the male gaze

men look at women as sexual objects, and use images and camera angles to focus on their physical appearance and sexuality.

Question 16

general features of representations of gender - Under-representation and stereotyping of women in the media

Answer 16

men accounted for 84% of those mentioned or quoted in lead articles

The Global Media Monitoring Project - 76% of the people heard or read about in the news, radio, TV were male

When women were interviewed they appeared as ‘ordinary’ people, men as ‘experts’

Question 17

general features of representations of gender - Patriarchal ideology and symbolic annihilation of women

Answer 17

feminists say features like these are because the media is patriarchal and spreads patriarchal ideology

The way women are invisible or under-represented is described as symbolic annihilation of women

Question 18

representations of gender - Female representations and stereotypes (6)

Answer 18

the WAG

the sex object

the supermum

the angel

the ball breaker

the victim

Question 19

representations of gender - Female representations and stereotypes - the WAG

Answer 19

the wives and girlfriends of men who are concerned with beauty, love, being a good partner

Question 20

representations of gender - Female representations and stereotypes - the sex object

Answer 20

slim, sexually seductive or as objects of male fantasy in pornography

Question 21

representations of gender - Female representations and stereotypes - the supermum

Answer 21

the happy home-maker, concerned with childbearing and housework

Question 22

representations of gender - Female representations and stereotypes - the angel

Answer 22

who is ‘good’, displays little sexuality and is domesticated

Question 23

representations of gender - Female representations and stereotypes - the ball breaker

Answer 23

who is sexually active, strong, independent

Question 24

representations of gender - Female representations and stereotypes - the victim

Answer 24

as in many horror films, in which men are both the cause and saviours from the problems

Question 25

representations of gender - Female representations and stereotypes - the 'cult of femininity'

Answer 25

Ferguson - teenage girls' magazines traditionally prepared girls for feminized adult roles, and generated a 'cult of femininity’ included themes like getting and keeping a partner, being a good wife/partner

Question 26

representations of gender - the social construction of gender diferences

Answer 26

gender identities are constructed by the media reproducing hegemonic or culturally dominant stereotypes of the roles and relations between men and women The media create and reinforce these hegemonic gender stereotypes by: the 'beauty myth' - women are assessed in terms of their appearance, and expected to fit the male conceptions of female beauty.

Question 27

representations of gender - Male representations and stereotypes: (6)

Answer 27

the joker the jock the strong silent type the big shot the action hero the buffoon

Question 28

representations of gender - Male representations and stereotypes: the joker

Answer 28

who uses laughter to avoid displaying seriousness or emotion

Question 29

representations of gender - Male representations and stereotypes: the jock

Answer 29

who avoids being soft, and who shows aggression to demonstrate his power and strength to win the approval of other men and the admiration of women.

Question 30

representations of gender - Male representations and stereotypes: the strong silent type

Answer 30

who is in control, acts decisively, avoids talking about his feelings or showing emotion as this is a sign of weakness, and is successful with women.

Question 31

representations of gender - Male representations and stereotypes: the big shot

Answer 31

who is economically and socially successful and has high social status with possessions to match.

Question 32

representations of gender - Male representations and stereotypes: the action hero

Answer 32

who is strong but not necessarily silent, and who shows extreme aggression

Question 33

representations of gender - Male representations and stereotypes: the buffoon

Answer 33

who is well-intentioned and light-hearted, completely hopeless when it comes to parenting or domestic matters

Question 34

representations of gender - liberal feminist explanations for gender stereotyping

Answer 34

a product of the under-representation of women, as chief executives, senior managers etc. which encourages a male view of the world will change as women gain more power and equal opportunities

Question 35

representations of gender - marxists and marxist feminist explanations for gender stereotyping

Answer 35

as rooted in the need to make profits. media owners need to attract advertisers, and the advertisers need stereotypes to promote sales of all manner of cosmetics, fashions, diet and anti-ageing products. If audiences weren't persuaded to be concerned about these things, there would be no market and no profit.

Question 36

representations of gender - radical feminist explanations for gender stereotyping

Answer 36

see representations as arising from the necessity to promote and reproduce patriarchy and patriarchal ideology the media world is a mans world which seeks to keep women in a narrow range of stereotyped roles, where they continue to be subordinate to men

Question 37

representations of gender AO3 - are stereotypes changing?

Answer 37

in postmodern society, there is much more fluidity and flexibility in the representations of men and women in the media, there is growing social expectation that women and men should be treated equally,

Question 38

representations of gender AO3 - changing representations of females

Answer 38

more emphasis now on independence and sexual freedom for women, and there is a growing diversity of imagery women's position in society is changing rapidly, they are becom- ing more successful than men in education,

Question 39

representations of age - stereotypes of children (8)

Answer 39

up to the age of 14 - generally represented in a positive way as victims of horrendous crimes as cute as little devils as brilliant as brave angels as accessories as modern as active consumers

Question 40

representations of childhood - heintz-Knowles

Answer 40

motivated by peer relationships, sports, romance and least often by community, school-related o religious issues Rarely shown coping with racial issues or having family problems such as child abuse

Question 41

representations of age - youth

Answer 41

age 15-20 portrayed as a rebellious and selfish problem group in society, fuelled by drugs and alcohol 2005 analysis of the local and national press showed that the majority of stories about young people were negative representations are driven by media news values - they exaggerate the occasional deviant behaviour to help sell newspapers and therefore distort people's attitudes cohen - argues that young people are relatively powerless and an easily identifiable group to blame for all of society's ills.

Question 42

representations of age - youth AO3

Answer 42

it is these same young people who are the major users of the new media = media stereotyping can be combated by young people themselves through texting, tweeting, YouTube...

Question 43

representations of age - elderly

Answer 43

50s+ are either invisible or presented negatively US - portrayed just 1.5 per cent of its characters as elderly, and more likely than any other age group to appear as impaired mental, physical or sexual capacities Old age is generally represented as an undesirable state. advertising executives were wary of using models in their advertisements that might alienate younger audiences.

Question 44

representations of age - elderly Ao3

Answer 44

growing numbers of older people in the population with money to spend - the 'grey pound' - mean we might expect more positive images of ageing to emerge, and more positive roles for older women, e.g the Dove Pro-Age campaign

Question 45

representation of age - stereotypes of the elderly (5)

Answer 45

as grumpy as mentally challenged as dependent as a burden as enjoying a second childhood

Question 46

representations of social class - general features - mainstream media gaze

Answer 46

The mainstream media gaze means representations of social class are filtered through the eyes of upper-class media owners and MC media professionals This results in: Favourable stereotypes of upper and middle class Over-representation of upper and middle, under representation of working class

Question 47

representations of social class - general features - MC is the norm

Answer 47

Jones - the media gives the impression ‘we’re all middle class now’, with the value and lifestyles of MC as the norm. WC are presented as abnormal/deviant.

Question 48

representations of social class - general features - lifestyle choice

Answer 48

Class is generally represented as a lifestyle choice rather than an economic category. Lawler - ‘taste’ is used as a symbol of class identity. People's lives are seen as shaped by their individual choices. focus is on the individual, rather than on their social class and the patterns of structural inequality in the distribution of wealth

Question 49

representations of social class - general features - media

Answer 49

Media news values means news about the rich and famous, such as crimes by or against them, are more likely to be reported than similar stories about WC people e.g content analysis of UK media output 2007, found poverty was a marginal issue, comprising only a small proportion of media output.

Question 50

representations of social class - general features - different representations

Answer 50

The media gives different representations of different social classes. Weltman - across a range of media formats (e.g. soaps) WC are devalued relative to MC. Marxists - media representations reflect the interests of the powerful.

Question 51

representations of social class - representations of the working class, overall message

Answer 51

WC underrepresented in the media, but when they are they’re represented in a negative way

Question 52

representations of social class - representations of the working class - 4 representations

Answer 52

1. as dumb and stupid baffoons 2. as a source of trouble and conflict 3. as living in idealised WC communities 4. as white trash and scum

Question 53

representations of social class - representations of the working class - as dumb and stupid baffoons

Answer 53

study of US TV argues TV consistently images WC as buffoons or figures of fun but flawed individuals who are immature

Question 54

representations of social class - representations of the working class - As a source of trouble and conflict

Answer 54

presented in the context of trouble, as welfare scroungers, lone parents, not in control of their delinquent children

Question 55

representations of social class - representations of the working class - As living in idealised/ romanticised WC communities

Answer 55

presented most positively in the stereotypical context of WC communities where they’re seen as respectable and hard working

Question 56

representations of social class - representations of the middle class, general features

Answer 56

Over-represented, more exposure of MC lifestyles Presented in a positive light - as educated MC lifestyle presented in drama, newspapers as the norm everyone should aspire

Question 57

representations of social class - representations of the upper class

Answer 57

Rich and powerful, cultured, superior Portrayed in romanticised dramas like Downtown Abbey Upper class lifestyles provide media content Pluralists see such coverage as providing the media audiences what they want Neo-marxists see it has a celebration of hierarchy, promote the dominant ideology and seeks to legitimise the hierarchy as natural.

Question 58

representations of sexuality - homosexuality

Answer 58

view of homosexuality is formed through a heterosexual media gaze. fear of loss of profits = homosexuality have been traditionally treated by the media as deviant the media tended to present distorted views of homosexuality, portraying it as a social threat occasionally generated moral panics e.g AIDS epidemic in the 1980s, when the disease was treated as the 'gay plague'. Women were stereotyped as butch lesbians, gay men as camp/ mach camp

Question 59

representations of sexuality - heterosexuality

Answer 59

men are also becoming represneted as sexualised objects - growing coverage in mens magazines of mens appearance and sexual attractiveness. McRobbie - men are beginning to face same physical scrutiny as women

Question 60

representations of sexuality - heterosexuality - symbolic annihilation of gay and lesbian sexuality

Answer 60

Gross media have often symbolically annihilated gays and lesbians by exclud- ing them altogether, or made fun of them.

Question 61

representations of sexuality - heterosexuality - changing stereotypes and the ‘pink pound’

Answer 61

Changes in the under-representation. Growing acceptance and tolerance of diversity of sexual orientations Camp gays/ butch lesbian stereotypes have largely disappeared Soaps give insight into gay relationships Media companies have realised the gay consumer market (‘pink pound’) is big Pluralists - say they are responding to what the gay audience wants

Question 62

representations of sexuality - heterosexuality - Sanitisation of gay sexuality

Answer 62

to avoid the risk of offending heterosexual audiences or putting off advertisers, mainstream media represent fact sexuality in a sanitised way. Gay men are rarely portrayed in a sexual way - kissing, having sex but appear mainly as stylish and attractive Representations have the triple effect of: Appealing to the gay market Not offending heterosexual media audiences and advertisers Not challenging heterosexual ideology, but actively securing its continued hegemony as the norm.