Unit 1 - Section B Flashcards
Media
Milliband (Marxist)
‘The state in a capitalist society’
Ruling class create a false picture of reality that presents capitalism in a positive way
Inequalities are presented as inevitable, justifiable and effective for society and therefore the proletariat accept the values of ruling class, despite not being in their best interests
‘The new opium of the people’ - it distracts us from social problems
The institutions act like a drug to numb the senses and produce an illusion of happiness that is not real.
This therefore means the media takes the proletariat attention away from exploitation and oppression of the capitalist system and allows the ruling class to control and dominate them
Curran (Marxist)
Found evidence of owners directly manipulating media content
In middle of 20th century, “press barons” were quite open about their propagandist role, and also that there have always been a lot more Conservative-
supporting newspapers than those critical of the party, which reflects them serving the interests of their wealthy owners
In the later 20th century and today owners are even more interventionist, with Rupert Murdoch being the obvious example.
Politicians clearly believe media moguls to have a great deal of control over media content because they try to get on the right side of them.
Bagdikian (Marxist)
Notes that in 1983, 50 corporations controlled the vast majority of all news media in the USA, but by 2004 media ownership was concentrated in 7 corporations
Sutton Trust (Neo-Marxist)
Journalists and broadcasters tend to be white, middle class and male- more than 50% attended private schools
When reflecting on role of media within contemporary UK, media professionals aim to produce content that is popular in the media marketplace, but due to their backgrounds and personal values, they unconsciously produce content that promotes ruling class, norms, values and ideologies
Gilroy (Neo-Marxist)
also state that certain social groups that ‘threaten’ the position of white, middle-class males and therefore margarine listed through media portrayals and are stereotypes in a negative way
Argues that black crime, particularly in the 1970s was a form of political resistance against repressive, racist state
Denies there was greater criminality amongst black people than whites people at d stated that the media created a folk devil surrounding black people which generated deviancy amplification (Cohen)
Hall (Neo-Marxist)
Three key stereotypes of black people within media
Natives
Entertainers
Slaves
Unconscious racism
Hollywood films but also surprisingly common in contemporary media texts
Constructed by those in ‘control’ of the media meaning it doesn’t challenge their dominant views
The Glasgow Media Group (Neo-Marxist)
also state that certain social groups that ‘threaten’ the position of white, middle-class males and therefore margarine listed through media portrayals and are stereotypes in a negative way
Argues that black crime, particularly in the 1970s was a form of political resistance against repressive, racist state
Denies there was greater criminality amongst black people than whites people at d stated that the media created a folk devil surrounding black people which generated deviancy amplification (Cohen)
Hall (Neo-Marxist)
Three key stereotypes of black people within media
Natives
Entertainers
Slaves
Unconscious racism
Hollywood films but also surprisingly common in contemporary media texts
Constructed by those in ‘control’ of the media meaning it doesn’t challenge their dominant views
The Glasgow Media Group (Neo-Marxist)
Research covered issues such as workers strikes and industrial action
Alongside what Philo et al identified as representations of immigrants and asylum seekers.
Groups presented in a stereotyped and negative way.
Found range of recurring themes in media representation social groups
Conflation of forced and economic immigrants
Threatening numbers
A burden on welfare and job market
Criminality, threat, deportation and human rights
Need for immigration control
Benefits of immigration only receive limited media coverage
Problems facing asylum seekers are portrayed minimally in major media outlets
Role of the west in refugee movements and economic forced in migration
Found that the sensationalised and inaccurate media representations of different social groups, legitimise (and justify) political action which can have negative consequences on refugees, migrants and those from lowest social classes
Whale (Pluralist)
What we see in the press/news is determined by its readers/audiences
Williams (Pluralist)
Argues that journalists are vital in a democratic society as they provide the general public with information required to participate in political and cultural life
Free press is vital for democracy to work effectively as censorship’s can lead to a bias, uncritical view of politicians and policies
Newspapers that traditionally supported Conservative Party do now criticise conservative policies when necessary
Fourth estate of democracy (Pluralist)
Media holds this label as it felt that access was to information is seen as an essential part of democracy
Media channels- live worldwide updates
Tabloid press- trash papers (fake news, gossip) vs. B-road sheets- middle class (factual/objective)
Social media- others views, see what doesn’t make it to news,
Political broadcast- general info about parties
Party political broadcasts- deeper explanations about party specific policies etc.
Liberal Feminism- Mulvey (Feminism)
‘Male gaze’ - shows women how men want to see them
To characterise cinema as an instrument of male spectatorship
Semiology - study of signs; how they work and how we use them- to research the representation of women within films
Film reinforces patriarchal society
Rear Window
Vertigo
Male gaze theory- sexual objectification on women in media- women in media are viewed from point of view of heterosexual male
E.g transformers and Disney princesses
The effect on cinema: old-fashioned - repetitive style of cinema
Moderns and truthful version of cinema as we now have more realistic portrayals of women than ever
Variety of roles and viewed through a non patronising or sexualising way
Wolf (radical feminism)
Also states that women are socialised to conform to, and buy into, what she coins the “beauty myth”- referring to the notion that women feel pressure to conform to the male image of what a woman should look like in terms of sex appeal, shape, size and weight
Contemporary media takes these images and presents them as “ideal”
See this “ideal” representation of femininity as a ‘backlash’ against the women’s movement and potential developments that have been made
Women develop a ‘false consciousness’
Whelehan (Feminist)
Carried out a study into men’s magazines such as FHM, Maxim and Loaded and claimed these magazines override the message of Feminism
State that these magazines promoted a ‘laddish culture’ where women are objectified and changes in gender roles can be dismissed as an ‘ironic joke’.
Gauntlett cited Whelehan in their research but claimed that Whelehans findings were superficial and stated that she adopts an overly pessimistic view about the influence of lads mags
Gauntlett (Feminist)
Gauntlett cited Whelehan in their research but claimed that Whelehans findings were superficial and stated that she adopts an overly pessimistic view about the influence of lads mags
Gauntlett found that lads mags did also touch on changing gender roles and did not pass on one message about the objectification of women.
McRobbie (Feminist)
Conducted a range of research into womens and girls magazines over the course of four decades and is one of a very few academics to study these magazines over a long period of time
States that generally magazines do have an impact on the identity on the identity of their readers
A ‘discourse of Western enlightened values’ is presented through magazines and suggests that a ‘Western’ version of femininity is promoted as the ‘ideal’- fashion, lifestyle, love and beauty which promotes hegemonic femininity
E.g heat or closer
Globalisation- McLuhan (Postmodernism)
Global village- Suggests that information would eventually be passed on electronically due to it “moving at the speed of light”
Predicted that postmodern world would create a new pattern of communication and social interactions
Globalisation has a direct impact on media representations as it provides access to a broader range of lifestyles and identities that offers people choice- e.g. hybrid ethnic identities
“Everybody loves in the utmost proximity created by our electric involvement in one another’s lives”
Media of the internet and TV, brings information instantaneously from the four corners of the planet
Media Saturation - Strinati (Postmodernism)
We have so much media- media saturation
Media plays a significant role whilst people are constructing their identities, due to people being connected with devices and services on a daily basis
Due to diversity offered by media there are no traditional representations of social groups- erosion of identity
Identity is no longer constrained
Boundaries have been blurred between groups of people
Media Saturation - Baudrillard (Postmodernism)
Used term ‘Simulacra’ when discussing virtual reality, that can lead to a more satisfying version of the physical world
Media saturation has altered reality negatively made it difficult for people to distinguish what is real and what is fiction people engulfed by communication led to hyperreality Simulacra discussing virtual reality satisfying versions of the physical world
- E.G. Fake news - Pope Francis trafficking children
Mulhern - Traditional/negative of nationality
Irish nationals are stereotyped as
1. homesick and drinking bad Guiness whilst listening to bad ballads in north London
2. too successful to be homesick while making megabucks in the City and reporting the good wealth home via Skype
They are located in England and not Ireland
E.g.
Mrs Browns Boys - Stupid
Vir Hall and Foye - Traditional/negative of nationality (Scottish)
Highlands underrepresented outside nature programming. Biassed TV programmes exclude ‘smaller locations’. ‘The Scottish person is always drunk and an abusive drunk at that’
e.g.
Rab C Nesbitt: Loud, honest, blunt, angry, irritable, normalised drinking and rude
Vir Hall and Foye - Traditional/negative of nationality (welsh)
,Reality TV is exploitative of Welsh Dirty Sanchez: Stupid, loud, immature, argumentative, commit dangerous activities and bullies.
The Valleys: Club culture, sexual, reckless and argumentative
