Media Theories (nutshell) Flashcards
Roland Barthes theory of semiotics
All elements of a media text are codes that need to be read. These can all be understood as the thing they are (denotative level) and the responses they are (connotative level)
Tzvetan Todorov theory of narratology
Narratives follow a pattern of equilibrium > Disruption > New equilibrium
Steve Neale theory of genre
Genre is recognisable but does change over time or borrow from other genres. Genre is important to institutions because it helps them to market texts.
Claude Levi-Stauss theory of binary opposition
The conflict between binary opposites drives forward the narrative
Jean Baudrillard theory of postmodernism
The lines between created texts and reality are becoming blurred. For example perfect Instagram images seem ‘real’
Curran and Seaton theory of Power and media industries
If we had more of a variety of media companies, we’d have more of a variety of texts
Livingstone and Lunt theory of regulation
Who is regulation for? Can regulation keep up with new technologies
David Hesmondhalgh theory of cultural industries
Industry uses tried and tested strategies to appeal to us - but we should be concerned only a few companies hold a lot of power
Stuart Hall theory of representation
Media language is used to create representation. Stereotyping is often used to assert power
David Gauntlett theory of identity
We use the internet and other media texts to help us create our identity. We now have more of a variety of representations to identify with
Van Zoonen theory of femininity
Men and women are represented differently in the media. Women are objectified as a result of western culture
Bell Hooks theory of femininity
Feminism is a political struggle to end patriarchal domination and other factors affect this domination, including race and class
Judith Butler theory of gender performativity
Gender is a social construct - ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’ are created through repetition
Paul Gilory theory of ethnicity and post colonialism
Even though we no longer have colonies, the representation of these groups is still affected by that time
Bandura theory of effects debate
If an audience sees aggressive behaviour, they are likely to mimic it
George Gerbner theory of Cultivation
The more we see the same representations and messages, the more we believe they are true
Stuart Hall theory of reception
Producers want audiences to respond in a particular way to a text. Some audiences do (preferred reading), some audiences don’t (oppositional reading) and some are in the middle (negotiated reading)
Henry Jenkins theory of participatory culture
The internet has allowed fans to gather and create their own texts and easily share their work. Instead of just consuming the texts , the audiences are creating them.
Clay Shirky theory of ‘end of audience’
We are now more likely to use the internet and other technologies to respond to texts, including creating our own
