Media & Society Lecture 2 PDF

Media &Society Lecture 2 Dr. Safa Mohamed  Stereotypes and Ideologies -when representations is discussed in terms of social groups and images of people. Stereotypes are preconceived ideas and simplistic images that have a negative influence on the way we see people, interact wi...

Media &Society Lecture 2 Dr. Safa Mohamed  Stereotypes and Ideologies -when representations is discussed in terms of social groups and images of people. Stereotypes are preconceived ideas and simplistic images that have a negative influence on the way we see people, interact with them and treat them. --The ideas are ideological representations give substance to ideology.  Stereotypes and Ideologies -There is a good example of contradictions as woman as passive beauty versus women as active earners.  Ideological analysis -is about recognizing the semiotic and discursive contradictions and tensions within a representation. -as in drama (even when women appear they tend to be portrayed in a very narrow range of roles.  Social types -Representations of people involve a typology of repeated characteristics appearance and behavior through repetition reinforce ideas about the type. types marked by intensity of recognition and depth of cultural history.  Social types Archetypes: Characters which are recognizable across genres, have few but very dominant feature as (heroic male is powerful) Universal, inborn models of distinct aspects of identity and personality that play a role in influencing human behavior could be shown through representations of race in association with crime.  Naturalization Means that it is seen as natural that a given social group shoud be represented in a certain way. Representation should carry particular idea about the group. -Makes negative ideas seen normal and unchallengable and acceptance of attitudes and values of the dominant ideology. Example women and driving, black associated with drugs and crimes.  Naturalization -Subjects of Representations -Representations is construction of ideas about a subject through some means of communication. Reflects how certain societal norms and ideologies become ingrained in individuals and are accepted as part of their identity without critical analysis. Example:Men are better suited to leadership positions. Women are better caregivers  The Formula -The exact nature of elements and their combination is so varied that the audience can be satisfied without the progress and outcome be predictable. -Media use it even in gameshow The quiz master is a narrator contestants in opposition to one another The studio set is iconic  The Formula -The plot line resolves with one team winning but everyone going away as friends -The formula and its patterns satisfy the audience need for predictability.  Problems of genre The Formula becomes a way of identifying a genre perhaps where this is not immediately obvious where audience has to work harder on the material to produce meanings. -children programs genre as a category.  Expectations -Producers and audience are linked by their knowledge of the formula. -Expectations becomes a creative advantage -formula is a cage within which the producer must operate and build different versions. Expectation turns in to a commercial tool when marketing campaigns are designed to rase hopes and tap in to prior knowledge.  Conventions What is expected are the conventions which rule the construction of the genre. -The prior knowledge of the rules of genre helps the reader anticipate what will happen and also gives the producer a clear foundation on which to compose the text.  Conventions -Conventions are powerful in the way that they frame meaning and make meaning predictable. -give power to the reader to predict some meanings that the text will propose. -The idea of original production (car,copy of work has been blown away -copy rights is all about multinationals and bookwriters fought to the idea of copyright.  Myths , Discourses and Ideologies Generic texts are at the heart of popular culture,the Tv presentation of a football match works to a formula. -they are popular because they tell stories we want to hear. -they give a view of relationships motivation.  Genres Are ideological because they naturalize ideas about social role, endorse ideas about social ,economic and political power> What is true and what is false.  Myths Are dominant ideas about cultures and society myths center around dominant ideological positions on their subject's -it may also be argued that with reference to politics and regulation that genres are often ideologically conservative They are always uncontroversial but controversy relates to sex,violence and bad language. -genre and the illusion of pluralism.