Reprentation Theory
Read the Media Magazine feature 'Representation old and new'. This is in MM51 on page 6 - go to our Media Magazine archive to find the article. Complete the following tasks:
1) Why is representation an important concept in Media Studies?
Representation is important as they are a particular view/ideology meaning that they are value and meaning behind it. Even though it may not be right, it still shows an opinion that may relevant in some sort. 2) How does the example of Kate Middleton show the way different meanings can be created in the media?
In order for Kate Middleton to take a picture, her and her family may consider the pose, location and constume to wear as many people create stereotypes/irrelevant meaning to something normal. Also media audience can be manipulated if the picture that has been taken is resized and edited in order to shift the audiences thought. 3) Summarise the section 'The how, who and why of media representation' in 50 words.
Producers will always consider, the expectations and needs of the target audience, the limitations provided by genre codes, the type of narrative they wish to create and their institutional remit. Producers may use certain choices to represent media.Roland Barthes argues that the ‘naturalisation’ of ideas in this way actually acts to hide the ideology from view. It is present within the text but we don’t recognise it because it comes across as being common sense.
Negotiated position is where the audience is not completely passive but partially accepts what is shown in the media. Stuart Hall's theory suggests that audiences are fully massive to what they intake. 5) How has new technology changed the way representations are created in the media?
As the usage of technology has increased, more people are able to create a representation and ideology meaning that if more people create theories, more people can identify with it to create a representation. Representations can be created through social media platforms like Facebook.
Now think about today's representation theories. Go back to the Taken trailer from last week's introduction to representation and apply each theory to the trailer:
Write a short paragraph for each theory picking out aspects of the trailer that could be linked to that particular theory.
For example, negative representations of Eastern Europeans and women support Dyer's view that those with power stereotype those without power. It also reduces complex and varied groups to a few simplistic characteristics.
Complete this for each theory:
1) Dyer: stereotyping and power- In this clip Dyer's theory applies to the stereotype that white middle class men normally have a big house and can afford a nice holiday away. The stereotype forced within those with less power are women, as presented in the trailer they seem to be powerless and this is an often a stereotype in today's society, which reinforces the negative assumptions towards women and how they are inferior towards men.
2)Medhurst: value judgements- This stereotypes is to tell audience a lot in a short space of time, in this case it shows the value judgment and again shows a negative representation of minority groups, for example in this clip it again reinforces how women are weak and defenseless as they are easily getting kidnapped and also later on the film they are being utilized for the wrong things, which again reinforces negative stereotypes.
3)Perkins: some stereotypes can be positive or true- In this case the stereotypes used that could be true in this clip is that men are most likely to dispute and duel for what they think is right, this can be shown in this clip also the this is the most common stereotype associated with men is to have a short temper and fight for what they believe is right, whereas women have a more rational approach to conflict, which could be another positive stereotype and also true.
4)Mulvey: the male gaze- In this film, the male gaze is reinforced. As seen in the trailer the women were getting dragged by the kidnappers, which reinforces Mulvey's thought of women being objects, as they are being treated horrendously as seen in the clip, I believe as the film progresses there will be more of this. This is also goes back to the fact that Mulvey suggested that the dominant view in the media is masculine and created for the benefit of men.
5)Levi-Strauss: representation and ideology- Claude Levi-Strauss suggests that representations in the media are informed by ideology: the set of beliefs and values held by the producer of the text.Some things are included and others are left out to create a dominant or preferred representation. The dominant or preferred representation in this film is to show this film will be a thriller.
1) Why is representation an important concept in Media Studies?
Representation is important as they are a particular view/ideology meaning that they are value and meaning behind it. Even though it may not be right, it still shows an opinion that may relevant in some sort. 2) How does the example of Kate Middleton show the way different meanings can be created in the media?
In order for Kate Middleton to take a picture, her and her family may consider the pose, location and constume to wear as many people create stereotypes/irrelevant meaning to something normal. Also media audience can be manipulated if the picture that has been taken is resized and edited in order to shift the audiences thought. 3) Summarise the section 'The how, who and why of media representation' in 50 words.
Producers will always consider, the expectations and needs of the target audience, the limitations provided by genre codes, the type of narrative they wish to create and their institutional remit. Producers may use certain choices to represent media.Roland Barthes argues that the ‘naturalisation’ of ideas in this way actually acts to hide the ideology from view. It is present within the text but we don’t recognise it because it comes across as being common sense.
Negotiated position is where the audience is not completely passive but partially accepts what is shown in the media. Stuart Hall's theory suggests that audiences are fully massive to what they intake. 5) How has new technology changed the way representations are created in the media?
As the usage of technology has increased, more people are able to create a representation and ideology meaning that if more people create theories, more people can identify with it to create a representation. Representations can be created through social media platforms like Facebook.
6) What example if provided of how national identity is represented in Britain - and how some audiences use social media to challenge this?
National identity is invariably raised during national sports competitions. During the 2014 World
Cup, The Sun sent a free newspaper to 22 million households in England which represented its own concepts of ‘Englishness’ by symbolic references – queuing, the Sunday roast, Churchill and The Queen – to heroes, values and behaviours that the paper (and its owners, Rupert Murdoch’s News Corps) defined as appropriate expressions of ‘English identity’.
Cup, The Sun sent a free newspaper to 22 million households in England which represented its own concepts of ‘Englishness’ by symbolic references – queuing, the Sunday roast, Churchill and The Queen – to heroes, values and behaviours that the paper (and its owners, Rupert Murdoch’s News Corps) defined as appropriate expressions of ‘English identity’.
Now think about today's representation theories. Go back to the Taken trailer from last week's introduction to representation and apply each theory to the trailer:
Write a short paragraph for each theory picking out aspects of the trailer that could be linked to that particular theory.
For example, negative representations of Eastern Europeans and women support Dyer's view that those with power stereotype those without power. It also reduces complex and varied groups to a few simplistic characteristics.
Complete this for each theory:
1) Dyer: stereotyping and power- In this clip Dyer's theory applies to the stereotype that white middle class men normally have a big house and can afford a nice holiday away. The stereotype forced within those with less power are women, as presented in the trailer they seem to be powerless and this is an often a stereotype in today's society, which reinforces the negative assumptions towards women and how they are inferior towards men.
2)Medhurst: value judgements- This stereotypes is to tell audience a lot in a short space of time, in this case it shows the value judgment and again shows a negative representation of minority groups, for example in this clip it again reinforces how women are weak and defenseless as they are easily getting kidnapped and also later on the film they are being utilized for the wrong things, which again reinforces negative stereotypes.
3)Perkins: some stereotypes can be positive or true- In this case the stereotypes used that could be true in this clip is that men are most likely to dispute and duel for what they think is right, this can be shown in this clip also the this is the most common stereotype associated with men is to have a short temper and fight for what they believe is right, whereas women have a more rational approach to conflict, which could be another positive stereotype and also true.
4)Mulvey: the male gaze- In this film, the male gaze is reinforced. As seen in the trailer the women were getting dragged by the kidnappers, which reinforces Mulvey's thought of women being objects, as they are being treated horrendously as seen in the clip, I believe as the film progresses there will be more of this. This is also goes back to the fact that Mulvey suggested that the dominant view in the media is masculine and created for the benefit of men.
5)Levi-Strauss: representation and ideology- Claude Levi-Strauss suggests that representations in the media are informed by ideology: the set of beliefs and values held by the producer of the text.Some things are included and others are left out to create a dominant or preferred representation. The dominant or preferred representation in this film is to show this film will be a thriller.
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