Академический Документы
Профессиональный Документы
Культура Документы
Stand up (agree) and stay sitting (disagree) cards, how many people have: De-tagged a photo? Exaggerated the truth online? Chosen specific words/images on their profiles to make themselves appear fashionable/moral/nice? Said something deliberately negative about themselves?
Are the subjects of newspaper articles able to represent themselves? Or is this out of their control? Why?
5 mins
Page 3 example Spend 5 minutes reading the article. Do you think it is unbiased? Whose opinion is represented in the article? Who actually constructs this representation?
RUPERT MURDOCH
What is the question?
Representations effected by
2mins list
Worst UK Newspaper Headline Ever? Answer Straight Sex Cannot Give You AIDS Official (From The Sun in 1989)
Representation in Newspapers
The press is so powerful in its image-making role, it can make a criminal look like hes the victim and make the victim look like hes the criminal. This is the press. If you arent careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed and loving the people who are doing the oppressing. - Malcolm X
Do you agree with this statement? What does it say about audiences?
Representation in
Learning Objectives
Define and apply the concept of representation. Analyse examples of representation in The Sun in terms of gender, considering how audiences might interpret these. Understand The Male Gaze and Ways of Seeing theories.
What is Representation?
This is a key concept in Media Studies: you will have an exam question on representation. write a definition of representation in 2 minutes. Representation refer to the construction of media texts; what we see is a re-presentation of events, people or ideas. This is also known as mediation the act of going between (in this case, between the real world and audiences). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOecpti7Qf8
Take notes during the video of anything that contributes to your definition.
Key Point
It is not possible for the media to present the world as it really is because the media constructs meanings about the world. Media makers (in this case, Newspaper Owners/Editors and sometimes Journalists) change or mediate what is really there (more on this next week).
Key Terminology
Dominant Ideology values and beliefs understood and accepted by the majority of people as part of our culture and expectations. E.g. Patriotism is a key dominant ideology expressed in The Sun newspaper Hegemony (Gramsci) control of the current society by government through cultural and social expectations as well as the media. E.g. Immigration is damaging to the British economy according to The Sun newspaper.
STEREOTYPES
Stereotypes:
Stereotypes are a form of representation in which groups of people are characterised by attributing to them qualities that some individuals possess, and which later become associated with the whole group.
Easily recognisable to an audience. Often exaggerated, short hand ways of communicating messages to an audience. Very often negative . Communicate an ideology (set of values).
Representation of Gender
On your 2 post-it notes write down what ideas of gender are reinforced through the media. Men are.sporty, dominant, powerful, tough, heroic, aggressive, violent,
Gender
Gender and gender roles are cultural construct based on biological elements. Asides from our reproductive systems what else is there that really truly defines as a man or as a woman?
Beauty (within narrow conventions). Size/physique (again, within narrow conventions). Sexuality (as expressed by the above) Emotional (as opposed to intellectual) dealings. Relationships and dependence (as opposed to independence/freedom). Domestic maternal role/raising children/home domain?
Strength - physical and intellectual Power Sexual attractiveness (which may be based on the above) more likely to be unfaithful? Physique Independence (of thought, action). Athleticism? Inhabit public spaces relates to power. Advertising in particular uses gender stereotypes to quickly convey their message!
Task: 20 minutes
Using a copy of The Sun (or other paper), highlight all the adjectives and adverbs used to describe women. Make a mind map of how The Sun/ Newspaper use language to represent women in certain ways denote and connote! For example, what might the term hot (denotation) mean (or, what connotations it has)? Things to consider: Is there a dominant ideology (a central set of values) relating to women? Does The Sun/ newspaper employ stereotypes of women and female roles? How might different audiences respond to this representation? Extension task: Can you find any examples of language that describe men? How are these different?
Things to consider....
What doesnt the Male Gaze take into account? Is it too simplistic? When applied to The Sun, what does it suggest about its audience?
Ways of Seeing
Berger (1972) Men act and women appear. Men look at women. Women watch themselves being looked at. Women are aware of being seen by a male spectator .
Traditional Representation
Easthope (1986) argues that a variety of media, especially Hollywood films and computer games, convey the view that masculinity based on strength, aggression, competition and violence is biologically determined and, therefore, a natural goal for men to achieve. Do you think this is still as relevant today? Are there any other qualities of men that are represented today in The Sun?
Task: 20 minutes
Working in pairs, make a snip-it/collage of pictures of men from The Sun. Make one of stereotypical images/articles and another for modern representations of men in The Sun Analyse the images in terms of how men are represented detonating and connoting. Consider if stereotypes are used.
Essay Plan
1. Answer the question in one sentence 2. Introduce that you will be looking at The Sun newspaper and the articles on . (mention specific articles) 3. Mention how women are represented in The Sun, use specific articles to support and try to include theories (Mulvey and Berger) 4. Mention how men are represented in The Sun, use specific articles to support and try to include theories (Easthope) 5. Conclusion on how gender is represented and why it is represented in this way 6. Personal thoughts and feelings on representation of gender in The Sun newspaper