Feminism theory

This is how different media texts have different meanings depending on the sex of the producer or audience.

First wave of feminism
marxist- this was to do with capital dominance, the wealthy would dominate the poor even if you were a rich woman she would be dominated over by men.

Radical- Women not having vote, system of patriarchy, women were oppressed. Men as a group have power over women.

Liberal- male prejudice, against women. Men generally ignorant of women's needs.

Second wave
Social- looked at all aspects of women's life, private and public e.g. men looking after children and getting an equal pay to men.

Third wave
Post feminism- Women are equal to men but are portrayed differently in the media.

Queer theory- sexuality is not rigidly defined and can be changed (how they are portrayed)
there are many betrayals of women and men

Freud- Oedipal theory- how daughters wanted to marry their 'dad' (personality)
Sons wanted to sleep with their 'mums' (drawn to people who are like their mums. not literal 

Representation

representation of:
age
gender (masculinity)
social class
ethnicity
region
nation
religion
issues
events


Section A 1b

4 factors:

character

collective background

audience reaction- links into Hall (Theorist) preferred/negotiation/opposition

where + when

BARTHES

What micro elements have I used? (how to represent someone) e.g. camera shots like low angle to make someone look tall/powerful 

The link between micro elements and Barthes is semiotics (signs)

BATHES- link into representations- Mythologies/ enigma/ semiotics 

BULTER- said gender roles are created by society

RICHARD DYER said- how we are seen determines how we are treated, how we treat others is how we see them, how we see them comes from representation. 

WALTER LIPPMAN- agrees that stereotyping is a useful narrative device for the media. Short cut- it is easy to determine who they are although this stereotyping can be damaging. 

MULVEY  - discovered male gaze theory- this is when we see a woman on camera the man is more powerful and the woman is submissive. They use this for male pleasure and the woman is objectified. 

she looked at IDENTIFICATION (this can be from POV or camera angle)

SCOPOPHILIA- pleasure from watching (e.g. watching someone die in a horror film)

The SPECTATOR GAZE- updating to a wider audience or demographic

SCHOLLHAMMER- gender roles (uses Mr.Men characters) Little miss Busy- cleans house

Mr. busy- Builds own house and works 10x faster

Adds 'little' in front of the miss to make all women small

GAUNTLETT- wanted to explain self identity- using lego. Wanted to see how we fit under the roles society gives us.

quote- "media shows us situations and relationships from other peoples P.O.V."

What we learned from Gauntlett...

What did we learn about reality and changing attitudes?

Other peoples expectations get in the way of choices

Self identity is created by us not the media, although they contribute to it

syntagm + paradigm

Saussure (theorist)

- refer to Marlboro picture-
replacing the horse can mean:
the fun side (roller coaster)
the devil (from the smoke)
a dragon who breathes fire (fits in with smoking)

replacing the man:
celebrity endorsements (Arnold sch.)
an army person (powerful)
a woman (change audience demographic)

they will have different meanings depending on what you change 



Polysemic-
signs are arbitrary and have many meanings (BARTHES)
(PIERCE) looked at 3 categories of signs, iconic, index and symbol

Symbol: (what PIERCE looked at)
- represents an object
-several meanings that are contested

Iconic: (PIERCE)
- they always represent what they signify

Index: (PIERCE)
- Between symbol and iconic
- some sort of connection between with what is being signified
- eg. smoke=fire/ tear=sorrow

BARTHES (myth)
gender is nature
masculinity and femininity = social construction
car advert represents masculinity

semiotics and symbols (Saussure and Jakobson)

section A :1a

key questions: what is the definition of of semiotics and who are the two theorists? (Barthes and
what is connotation and denotation?

key terms:
signifies, signified
connotation and denotation
polysemic
langue and parole
synchrony and diachrony
syntagm and paradigm

key theorists:
Saussure
Barthes
pierce
Chomsky
Jakobson

semiotics- the study of signs*

SAUSSURE- create understanding of language, signifier+signified=sign
signified-can be sound, word or image
Signifier- mental concept
BARTHES developed Saussure's theory- made it appeal to pop culture
subject position

pink on a magazine- women, make-up, fashion, beauty- it appeals mostly to women
green signifies- nature, envy, money, luck

Signifies+signifier= sign
denotation of green = money = connotation of green = (hidden meaning)

connotation of Marilyn Monroe= pretty, rich, model, star/fame

Signs and cultural differences- how we read signs depending on our culture
Britain (white)=weddings, purity/ China=death and funerals (white)

CHOMSKY
Langue- the rules of signs (grammar)
Parole- articulation of signs (writing)
about codes
langue becomes editing
parole becomes making sense of the editing
synchrony- vertical dimension
diachrony- horizontal dimension

synchrony- a moment in history (pride and prejudice)
diachrony- acknowledged the distance we've travelled between present and then

HEDGES
diachronic- focus on how things change in time
synchronic- is a snapshot of a moment in time
e.g 2006 gay meant rubbish (synchronic) / used to mean happy or homosexual (diachronic)

SAUSSURE
Syntagma- a chain of signs
Paradigm- a class of objects/subjects
e.g the cat (subject) sat (verb) on the mat (object)
JAKOBSON defined this as a combination
paradigm is one choice over another
e.g IRA terrorists (IRA freedom fighters replaces IRA terrorists) overran an army post in Northern Ireland
to change a possibility it could mean that the outcome has a wider effect/change
JAKOBSON defined SAUSSURES work by calling it selection

how does the 6pm news reader start- 'Hello, good evening' they could have started with 'alreet' but needs to be understood by everyone and be professional/ it is also formal.

Todorov and Barthes theory (Narrative structure)

He (TODOROV) believed in the equilibrium theory
There are typical character types such as: (usually 8 types)
- Princess
- Villain
- Heroine
- Princess' father
- Helper
- False hero
- Dispatcher
(Most common)

LEVI STRAUSS- Binary opposite
Examples:
Loki and Thor (Good vs Evil) Thor
Sherlock and John (Insane vs Sane) Sherlock
Sam and Lucifer (Weak vs Strong) Supernatural 


BARTHES theory
- he classified narrative theory (how stories were told)
.....
- 5 structures

BARTHES codes:
we respond to media by looking for a solution
enigma (mystery) codes encourage greater engagement
What he meant... Text is a ball of thread and when unravelled we discover a whole range of potential meanings.

He said texts are open and closed
Open means there is no defiant end
Closed means theres a problem, solution and an end

BARTHES codes and meanings:
Proairetic- A plot action that doesn't directly raise a particular question, it is not mysterious its obvious.
Hermeneutic- Something that is unexplained which creates unanswered questions and tension.
Cultural- Cultural codes tend to point to our shared knowledge about the way the world works.
Semantic- Points to any element in a text that suggests a particular, often additional meaning by way of connotation.
Symbolic- Refers to hidden symbols in images such as; colours and settings.

Narrative structures
Open structure (above)
Closed structure (above)
Linear structure- Linear structures are constructs which form a linear chain. For instance, one type of action results in one response, which then produces another certain type of action that results in another response and so on.

Circular structure- This is when a plot starts in one place and after trying to solve the problem the character ends up back in the beginning, where they started, having nothing resolved. 

Todorov Narrative structure example

Equilibrium





Disequilibrium





Equilibrium

Exam info

10TH JUNE 

Section A: theoretical evaluation of product/split in 2 parts
Section B: Contemporary Media issues/answer one question
question is MASCULINITY

Section A
Section A 1a- reflect on product (evaluate) describe and evaluate development on products/skills
Section A 1b- reflect on coursework. Evaluate chosen subjects (not in 1st person) be critical &add theory.
Section A marks: EEA (10)
Evidence (10)
terminology (5)

Section B= contemporary media issues
Refer to at least 2 media genres (film, tv)
We look at media and collective identity (masculinity)
Section B marks: Double A marks