Media Theories Flashcards
(21 cards)
What is semiotics according to Roland Barthes?
The idea that texts communicate their meanings through a process of signification
Semiotics involves understanding how signs convey meaning.
What is the basic structure of narratives according to Tzvetan Todorov Narratology theory?
A movement from one state of equilibrium to another
This structure is essential for understanding narrative progression.
Equilibrium
Disruption
Recognition
Repair to damage
New equilibrium
What does genre theory suggest about the nature of genres according to Steve Neale?
- Genres may be dominated by repetition
- Genres are marked by difference, variation, and change
- Genres exist within specific economic, institutional, and industrial contexts
This highlights the dynamic nature of genres in media.
How do genres evolve according to genre theory?
Genres change, develop, and vary, as they borrow from and overlap with one another
This interrelation allows for innovation and hybrid genres.
What is the focus of structuralism as proposed by Claude Lévi-Strauss?
Binary opposites
Texts can best be understood through an examination of their underlying structure
Structuralism emphasizes the framework that shapes meaning.
What ideological significance can arise from resolving binary oppositions?
This can reflect societal norms or challenge them.
What does postmodernism say about the boundaries between reality and media?
This can reflect societal norms or challenge them.
What is hyperreality in the context of postmodernism?
Media images have come to seem more ‘real’ than the reality they supposedly represent
Hyperreality challenges traditional notions of authenticity and truth.
In postmodern culture, what is the significance of a world of simulacra?
We are immersed in a world of images which no longer refer to anything ‘real’
This phenomenon complicates our understanding of truth and representation.
Barthes 5 codes
Proairetic
Hermeneutic
Cultural
Symbolic
Semantic
What does stereotyping reduce people to?
A few simple characteristics or traits
Where does stereotyping tend to occur?
Where there are inequalities of power
What is a core element of western patriarchal culture according to Liesbet van Zoonen?
The display of women’s bodies as objects to be looked at
What does bell hooks define feminism as?
A struggle to end sexist/patriarchal oppression
Is feminism considered a lifestyle choice or a political commitment according to bell hooks?
A political commitment
What factors determine the extent to which individuals are exploited or oppressed according to bell hooks?
Race, class, and sex
What does Judith Butler argue about identity?
It is performatively constructed by expressions
Is there a gender identity behind the expressions of gender according to Judith Butler?
No
What is performativity according to Judith Butler?
Not a singular act, but a repetition and a ritual
According to Paul Gilroy, what informs contemporary attitudes to race and ethnicity?
Colonial discourses
What does civilisationism construct according to Paul Gilroy?
Racial hierarchies and binary oppositions based on notions of otherness
