Theorists Flashcards
Steve Neale’s theory?
Genre Theory. Genres repeat themselves in order to secure success, as they have worked with previous work. Need new hybrids of genre and uniqueness
Example of repeated genres?
Character motifs (crime dramas have anti hero main characters)
What is genre hybridity?
Intertwining conventions of different genres, creates nostalgia, includes lots of shifts in emotion
What are the categories of theorists?
Representation, Audience, Industry and Media Language
Roland Barthes theory?
Semiotics - what is in front of the camera
What is naturalisation according to Barthes?
Viewpoints are made to feel like they’re common sense, when they’re actually constructed
Examples of semiotics?
Mise-en-scene, lighting, setting, body language, positioning, camera angles
Myths according to Barthes?
Mode of signification, language takes over reality and influences behaviour
Claude Levi-Strauss’ theory?
Binary Opposites, we can’t understand something without its opposite
Function of binary opposites?
Clearly explain this, creates compelling stories, creates identifiable characters
Tzvetan Todorov’s theory?
The ideal linear narrative consists of the pattern equilibrium, dis-equilibrium and then new equilibrium
Who influenced Todorov’s theory?
Vladmir Propp’s list of character types
Jean Baudrillard’s theory?
Postmodernism and hyperreality
What is hyperreality?
The inability to distinguish between real and fake
Paul Gilroy’s theory?
Post-colonialism - the after effect of a person or place being colonised
Key words relating to Paul Gilroy?
Diaspora (spreading of people from homeland) Otherness (making someone not part of society)
What is Albionic Englishness?
Ideal Englishness culture
What is liquidity of culture?
When a colonised people brings their culture and heritage with overseas
Curran and Seaton’s theory?
Most media industries are dominated by a small amount of companies forming an oligopoly
What does an oligopoly create?
Lack of diversity in the media, power and profit for the companies dominating
Livingstone and Lunt theory?
Regulation theory. UK regulation is struggling between following citizens demands and consumers demands
Examples of citizens demands?
Protection of privacy, educational, diversity and no discrimination
Examples of consumers demand?
Freedom of choice, to create content and the right to know
George Gerbner theory?
Cultivation theory. Heavy TV viewers (4 or more hours) are more influenced by media
What is mean world syndrome?
People think the world is more violent than it actually is because of the violence in the media
Reasons for Gerbner being incorrect?
Very outdated, posited his theory in the 1970s, much easier to be a heavy viewer nowadays
Hypodermic needle theory?
Mass media influencing people’s opinion instantly, no prolonged time
Clay Shirky’s theory?
No longer passive audiences, digital media has changed the line between audience and producer
Ways audiences are encouraged to be active?
Social media accounts, comment sections, posting trending content, collaborating with celebrities
Henry Jenkins theory?
Fandom theory. People that enjoy the same content become very devoted and media join together and become prosumers, creates a virtual community
What is participatory culture?
Audiences can create their own content based on what they see in the media, bar is very low for what can be produced
David Gauntlett’s theory?
Audience can relate their identity to the media or base them off of stereotypes
What are the different types of identity?
Fluidity its always changing, constructed from different media types, collective groups, privileged because we can
Stuart Hall’s theory?
Reception theory. Encoding and decoding of media. Audiences can decode media incorrectly as it isn’t always straightforward
Judith Butler’s theory?
Gender Performance theory. We construct our gender based on stereotypes and what we see in the media and society. They’re not defined by our sex or fixed childhood experiences
