MIGRAIN Ideology

MIGRAIN: Ideology

Blog tasks: ideology

Part 1: BBC Question Time analysis

1) What examples of binary opposition can you suggest from watching this clip?

Russell Brand and Nigel Farage have heavily opposing views on immigration. Brand represents a left wing ideology and Farage represents the right-wing ideology. They are passionately debating with eachother, with Brand holding sympathetic and liberal views towards immigrants and immigration and Farage trying to present a more factual and negative side of the argument. 

2) What ideologies are on display in this clip?

Left wing vs Right wing.

At the time, Farage was the UKIP leader and so he reflects the heavily right-wing ideologies on immigration during the debate.

Part 2: Media Magazine reading

Media Magazine issue 52 has two good articles on Ideology. You need to read those articles (our Media Magazine archive is here) and complete a few tasks linked to them. 

Page 34: The World Of Mockingjay: Ideology, Dystopia And Propaganda

1) Read the article and summarise it in one sentence.

Series like the hunger games are used as metaphorical representations of ideologies to communicate ideas with the audience.

2) What view of capitalist ideology is presented in the Hunger Games films?

President Snow is in a position of power and wealth and holds dictatorial control over the rest of the country, especially the poor who are suffering.

3) What do the Hunger Games films suggest about the power of the media to shape and influence ideological beliefs?

It portrays how powerful the media is in manipulating people and broadcasting ideologies to maintain control over them through fear.

Page 48: They Live - Understanding Ideology

1) Read the article and summarise it in one sentence.

Ideologies are constantly changing as they are communicated through people and the media.

2) What are the four accepted ideological beliefs in western societies highlighted by the article?

> People should put their families first.
> People should work hard for their money.
> Women should behave in feminine ways, and look after their appearance.

3) What does Gramsci's theory of hegemony suggest about power and ideology in society?

He argued that the power of ideology derives primarily from ideas and structures which support, and thus serve the purpose of, an elite social group which is able to dominate through ideas, rather than militaristic strength or fear.

4) What does French theorist Louis Althusser suggest about ideology and consumerism?

His view was that ideology is the greatest material power and dominates our day to day lives through two key forms of control:
1: Repressive state controls social behaviour through the major institutions
of society – the Government, Army, Police, Courts, etc. –which are dominated by the ruling elite.
2: ‘Ideological State Apparatuses’ that control using common sense rather than fear.

5) Do YOU agree with the idea behind They Live - that we are unthinkingly controlled by the media which is run in the interests of the economic elite? These are the big questions of A Level Media!

I believe that the absolute abundance of media in our society means that that there is no way we aren't controlled by it.

The pressure to not be left out of large products with strong brand presence in society is one of the many ways that we are somewhat subconsciously pressured to give-in to "common sense". The presence of opinion leaders - those you trust and follow - can easily shape your personal desires and shows that, fundamentally, we are controlled by those who have more power and presence than us.

Although we do have free will, it's very much reliant on our desires being constructed and presented by the media. For example, the ways in which television present certain life styles as desirable or even just in abundance can furthermore imply that society is controlled by the desire to do not as they please but to do as is presented as desirable by the media.

MIGRAIN FINAL INDEX

1) Introduction to Media: 10 questions
2) Media consumption audit
3) Semiotics blog tasks - English analysis and Icon, Index, Symbol
4) Language: Reading an image - advert analyses
5) Reception theory - advert analyses part 2
6) Genre: Factsheets and genre study questions
7) Blog feedback and learner response
8) Narrative: Factsheet questions
9) Audience: classification - psychographics presentation notes
10) October assessment learner response
11) Audience theory 1 - Hypodermic needle/Two-step flow/U&G
12) Audience theory 2 - The effects debate - Bandura, Cohen
13) Industries: Ownership and Control
14) Industries: Hesmondhalgh - The Cultural Industries
15) Industries: Public Service Broadcasting
16) Industries: Regulation
17) Representation: an introroduction and MM article

18) Representation: Feminism - Everyday Sexism & Fourth Wave MM article 

19) January assessment learner response

20) Representation: Feminist theory

21) Representing ourselves: Identity in the online age - MM article & Factsheet

22) Ideology: BBC Question Time analysis and MM articles

MIGRAIN: Representing ourselves - identity in the online age

Task 1: Media Magazine article

Read the Media Magazine article on collective identity: Self-image and the Media (MM41 - page 6). Our Media Magazine archive is here.

Complete the following tasks on your blog:

1) Read the article and summarise each section in one sentence, starting with the section 'Who are you?'

Who are you?
We construct an image to communicate our identities to people, and the way media informs us about our personal lifestyle influences who we want to be, who we want to be seen as and, who we actually are.

I think, therefore I am

Our identity used to be seen as pre-determined, constructed by class, religion, gender and aspects of our lives that were constructed outside of our selves.

From citizen to consumer

The post-industrial consumer boom of the early 20th century was based on convincing

people that it was no longer enough simply to buy what you needed to survive, and so advertisers identified how people felt about themselves, and offered products in ways that helped reinforce and support a positive self-image.

The rise of the individual

The idea that the individual should have the right to express their own identity became a widespread belief in the 2nd half of the 20th century as people wanted to express their uniqueness, and so advertisers presented products in a way that made it seem as if through their purchase they could help audience members select and define an identity.

Branding and lifestyle
Advertisers sell the personality rather than the product, so that people will choose products that match their own self-image.

Who will we be?
Talks about Chandler's observation in 1998 that constructing a homepage is like shaping your own identity, before the rise of social media.

2) List three brands you are happy to be associated with and explain how they reflect your sense of identity.

Nintendo: I've been a fan of Nintendo since I was young and I'm glad to be apart of the broad community that it's created.
Spike Chunsoft: Developer of lots of games that I enjoy.
Maltesers: Good chocolate

3) Do you agree with the view that modern media is all about 'style over substance'? What does this expression mean?

I do believe that modern media, especially social media, has a lot of focus on being materialistic and somewhat shallow. I think it's true that high cultural value is placed on external factors such as physical beauty and fashion, however not every aspect of the media is like this. Many on social media still share their creative endeavours that are created out of passion and drive.

4) Explain Baudrillard's theory of 'media saturation' in one paragraph. You may need to research it online to find out more.

Baudrillard believes that the over-saturation of media makes people fascinated with image and spectacle, so much so that the concept of meaning itself dissolves.

5) Is your presence on social media an accurate reflection of who you are? Have you ever added or removed a picture from a social media site purely because of what it says about the type of person you are?

On social media, you have the power to create your own persona as you can choose what and what not to share. I would say it's not an accurate reflection because of this.

6) What is your opinion on 'data mining'? Are you happy for companies to sell you products based on your social media presence and online search terms? Is this an invasion of privacy?

Data mining allows companies to gain information from audiences by observing their social media presence and interests. Although people may find it convenient to have products recommended to them that align with their interests, I think it's a creepy invasion of a user's independence to find products for themselves should they choose to. Data mining is something users should only

Task 2: Media Magazine cartoon

Now read the cartoon in MM62 (p36) that summarises David Gauntlett’s theories of identity. Write five simple bullet points summarising what you have learned from the cartoon.

> Audiences use media to construct their own identities
> Audiences are conscious of the messages the media promotes
> He believes that identity today is more fluid than ever before
> Gauntlett disagrees that masculinity is in a crisis
> We use narrative to frame our experiences

Task 3: Representation & Identity: Factsheet blog task

Finally, use our brilliant Media Factsheet archive on the M: drive Media Shared (M:\Resources\A Level\Media Factsheets) to find Media Factsheet #72 on Collective Identity. Save it to USB or email it to yourself so you have access to the reading for homework. Read the whole of Factsheet and answer the following questions to complete our introductory work on collective identity:

1) What is collective identity? Write your own definition in as close to 50 words as possible.

A collective identity is a collective identity that focuses around a group of people that come together and share similar views of the world, values, traditions and understanding of issues around them.

2) Complete the task on the factsheet (page 1) - write a list of as many things as you can think of that represent Britain. What do they have in common? Have you represented the whole of Britain or just one aspect/viewpoint?

The Queen
Wonky teeth
Double decker buses
Brexit
Phone Boxes

The colour red
Big Ben
Fish and Chips

Accents

What they have in common is that they're the very stereotypical visual images of what first comes to mind when hearing the word Britain. Obviously these aren't very accurate to the entirety of British society.

3) How does James May's Top Toys offer a nostalgic representation of Britain?

The programme attracts an older demographic of people, which is reflected in the choice of toys which James May examines: Airfix, Meccano, Plasticine, Lego, Scalextric and Hornby are all toys of his youth and that of the targeted demographic of 30+ males. It explores the sense of nostalgia and Britishness that the target audience would relate to.

4) How has new technology changed collective identity?

Technology has enabled people to actively engage with the content of the culture around them and then use that culture in their own productions.

5) What phrase does David Gauntlett (2008) use to describe this new focus on identity? 

He calls this new collective identity an interpretive community and the ‘Make and Connect Agenda’.

6) How does the Shaun of the Dead Facebook group provide an example of Henry Jenkins' theory of interpretive communities online?

Fans from around the world can then share their experience of watching the film and supporting the identity created within it.

MIGRAIN: Feminist theory blog tasks

Read Playing With The Past: Post-feminism and the Media (MM40, page 64 - our Media Magazine archive is here). This is a great example of sophisticated media analysis and an indication of the level we want to be writing at by the end of the two-year course.

1) What examples are provided from the two texts of the 'male gaze' (Mulvey)?

Pan Am and Beyoncé. Pan Am can be seen as sexualising female flight attendants as things to be ogled, and Beyoncé objectifies herself while hiding behind an ironic commentary despite perpetuating the male gaze.

2) Do texts such as these show there is no longer a need for feminism or are they simply sexism in a different form?

I believe this is simply sexism in a different form. Beyonce seems to utilise the male gaze and objectification of women in her music video "Why don't you love me" in order to create a somewhat ironic commentary on a woman's role in the 1950s. Supposedly, Beyonce is empowering herself by parodying the sexualisation of women in music videos, however the point is lost when she has to objectify herself and plead about how her man doesn't love her in order to do so. Although she may be attempting to control the male gaze and empower herself in the video, it just seems to do the opposite and is very counter-productive.

Pan Am, while still being subject to the male gaze, has the women use their appearances to empower themselves. It's aware of feminism and acknowledges the sexism women experience, as well as allowing the women to use their bodies and appearance to their personal advantage. Although neither of the texts show there is no longer a need for feminism, Pan Am could be interpreted as criticising the objectification of women as humiliating and wrong.

3) Choose three words/phrases from the glossary of the article and write their definitions on your blog.

Post-feminism – An ideology in culture and society that society is somehow past needing feminism and that the attitudes and arguments of feminism are no longer needed.

Third wave feminism – Was a movement

that redefined and encouraged women to be

dominant and sexually assertive.

Male Gaze – The gaze referring to Laura

Mulvey’s seminal article ‘Visual Pleasure and

Narrative Cinema’ which argues that main

stream Hollywood films subject female

characters to the ‘male gaze’ of the camera,

fragmenting and objectifying their bodies.

Now read The Theory Drop: Gender Performativity (MM69, page 25) and answer the following questions.

1) How does the writer suggest gender performativity is established from a young age?

An example is clothing marketed for young boys and girls pushing messages of girls being pleasant and passive and boys being aggressive and roguish.

2) What does the phrase 'non-binary' refer to and how does it link to Butler's theory?

Non-binary refers to any gender identities that are outside the traditional gender binary of male or female. This links to Butler's theory that gender is a performance as it suggests that gender goes beyond the traditional two sexes and is actually what you present as.

3) How and why does the media help reinforce gender stereotypes? The writer provides several examples in the final section of the article.

The media helps to reinforce gender roles by conforming to stereotypes repeatedly, such as men being above women. It is done mostly as a shortcut to create meaning quickly in narrative.

Music video analysis

Finally, write up our analysis of the two music videos we studied in class. This is your opportunity to develop your own opinions on these crucial media debates.

Watch the Beyonce video for ‘Why Don’t You Love Me?’ again: 

1) How might this video contribute to Butler’s idea that gender roles are a ‘performance’?

Beyonce is putting on the role of a traditional housewife in this music video, exaggerating the stereotypes of women while doing so. Her performance for this video is ironic, as Beyonce is seemingly parodying the dependence that is expected from women, however it nonetheless presents the stereotype of a housewife.

2) What might van Zoonen suggest regarding the representation of women in this video?

Van Zoonen believes that societal views are influenced by the media portraying stereotypes of women. She may argue that the video oppresses women and submits to the patriarchy as Beyonce purposefully adheres to the male gaze.

3) What are YOUR views on this debate – does Beyonce empower women or reinforce the traditional ‘male gaze’ and oppression of women? 

Repeating what I said previously, Beyonce is supposedly empowering herself by parodying the sexualisation of women in music videos, however the point is lost when she has to objectify herself  to the male gaze and plead about how her man doesn't love her in order to do so. Although she may be attempting to control the male gaze and empower herself in the video, it just seems to do the opposite and is very counter-productive.

Watch Will Jay's video for ‘Gangsta’ again:

1) How does the video suggest representations of masculinity have changed in recent years?

The music video suggest that there's still a stigma against being "un-masculine" and that there's pressure to fit the mould of a "gangsta", such as the lyrics "No emotions, don't talk with your hands" and "your mannerisms should be more like a man's." The artist directly opposes the status quo by saying he "doesn't need to be a gangsta to be a man" showing that, in recent years, some men have become more comfortable to present themselves as not completely masculine. Despite this, the entire premise of the song shows that there is still pressure for men to fit the societal mould of what a man should be.

2) What does David Gauntlett suggest about representations of men in the media over the last 20 years?

He suggests that representations of masculinity have changed over the years, using men's lifestyle magazines as an example: They are becoming less focused on being hyper-masculine and fitting into the mould of emotionless males. He disagreed with the common view that masculinity is in a crisis.

3) What is YOUR view on the representation of men and masculinity? Are young men still under pressure from the media to act or behave in a certain way?

I definitely believe there is still pressure from the media, however there continues to be growth in how gender in general is represented. 

MIGRAIN: January assessment learner response

1) Type up your feedback in full (you don't need to write the mark and grade if you want to keep this confidential).

WWW: This is a superb assessment from beginning to end... there is absolutely no doubt you should be looking for an A* next year. This was a joy to read! The most important aspect is the way you engage with debates, evaluate theory and really examine the difficult sides of the question.

EBI: In Q4, you could have discussed regulation (as a way to protect audiences) or perhaps moral panic or technopanics. To be picky, you could perhaps have included a couple more examples - although this will be easier when we have studies CSPs.

Also in Q4, think about your organisation and paragraphing.

2) Read the mark scheme for this assessment carefully. Identify at least one potential point that you missed out on for each question in the assessment.

1) Union Jack reflects Stormzy's stab proof vest he wore at Glastonbury.
2) Full marks, but could use bullet points in future to save time.
3) Argument for: Ad-free entertainment and news resource. It prioritises public benefit over commercial interests.
4) Moral panic (Cohen) could be used to argue that the media does not have a damaging effect on audiences – it is just a convenient scapegoat to blame for issues in society. E.g. poverty, violence, gun crime etc.

3) On a scale of 1-10 (1 = low, 10 = high), how much revision and preparation did you do for this assessment? You may also want to think here whether you had completed all the original blog tasks from last term before doing the assessment.

4?

4) Look at your answer for Question 2. Did you manage to write about three different strategies and three different benefits? It's vital you read the question and follow it exactly.

Yes

5) Look at your answer for Question 3. Did you follow the question guidance and write about both the BBC and commercial broadcasters? What could you have added to this answer to reach a higher mark?

I could have talked more about other commercial broadcasters specifically such as Channel 4. It's robin-hood model of crossfunding allows for more ambitious and innovative products to be produced as it reinvests all profits back into programming.

6) Now look over your mark, teacher comments and the mark scheme for Question 4 - the 20 mark essay question on media effects theory. Write a new paragraph for this question based on the suggested theories/answers in the mark scheme. Make sure it is an extensive, detailed paragraph focused on the question and offering examples from the wider media. 

Regulation such as the BBFC can be used in order to protect audiences from harmful or inappropriate media. The BBFC was established in order to make sure that certain age groups aren't exposed to media seen as damaging for them by general public consensus, and so the use of regulation can negate the damaging effect on certain audiences that media may have. However, the existence of certain copycat crimes show that attempts to regulate media for sensitive content won't stop people from being influenced and damaged by it. The Batman series has spawned many examples, such as in a 2012 Colorado mass shooting in which a man shot into the audience of a Dark Knight Rises screening and claimed he was "the Joker", as well as a young girl in 2009 attacking her teacher while wearing joker-inspired make-up. Properties like Batman are so well known that it's difficult to shield audiences from its violence and influence, and so it's entirely possible that even those who aren't the active audience can be damaged by it.

MIGRAIN: Introduction to feminism

Case study: Everyday Sexism

Watch this TEDx talk by Everyday Sexism founder Laura Bates:



1) Why did Laura Bates start the Everyday Sexism project?
Because she had a week where she experienced 3 consecutive cases of sexual harassment and realised that it's been normalised. She approached woman and asked about their experiences and she found out that every single woman had a story to share.

2) How does the Everyday Sexism project link to the concept of post-feminism? Is feminism still required in western societies?
Her project, showcasing thousands of different experiences where women are still subjected to inequality, deconstructs the idea of a post-feminism society. The response to her project by many trolls online were rape and death threats highlights the need for feminism in western society still.

3) Why was new technology essential to the success of the Everyday Sexism project?
New technology allowed women's voices and experiences from all around the world to be shared.

4) Will there be a point in the future when the Everyday Sexism project is not required? What is YOUR view on the future of feminism?
Projects like Everyday Sexism expose the reality that sexism is ingrained into everyday life, as well as encourage other women to speak up about their experiences. I believe that there will always be injustice in the world, and so discrimination like sexism will always be prevalent. Even if the western world were to reach a point of post-feminism, countries where women simply don't have the same rights as men would still need feminist projects like Everyday Sexism.

Media Magazine: The fourth wave?

Read the article: The Fourth Wave? Feminism in the Digital Age in MM55 (p64). You'll find the article in our Media Magazine archive here.

1) Summarise the questions in the first two sub-headings:
What is networked feminism?
The supposed fourth wave of feminism that tackles social equality issues regarding modern technology.
Why is it a problem?
Feminism can be left behind in today's new digital climate. Social media platforms allow for so many different voices to be heard that the concept of feminism has become blurred. People who claim to be against feminism may only be talking about the feminist extremist- a man-hater.

2) What are the four waves of feminism? Do you agree that we are in a fourth wave ‘networked feminism’? 

First wave: early 20th century, suffragette movement (right to vote).
Second wave: 1960s – 1990s, reproductive rights (pill), abortion, equal pay.
Third wave: 1990s – present, empowerment, reclaiming of femininity (high heels, sexuality etc. See Angela McRobbie's work on women's magazines).
Fourth wave? 2010 – ongoing, use of new technology and digital media (e.g. Twitter) for activism.

I'm hesitant to believe we are in a fourth wave of feminism, mostly due to the focuses of the third wave (empowerment) being a consistent topic today for women. I agree with the media magazine's view that the supposed fourth wave can be quite problematic due to the vast array of different perspectives on what feminism actually is in the current digital climate.

3) Focus on the examples in the article. Write a 50-word summary of EACH of the following: Everyday Sexism, HeForShe, FCKH8 campaign, This Girl Can.

Everyday Sexism: Started in 2012 by Laura Bates. It's a website that she started after she realised that feminism is still hard to talk about, as people often say women are equal now and that sexism isn't a problem. She had responses from over 50 thousand women by December 2013, and it's still one of the most high-visibility feminist digital campaigns.

HeForShe: A campaign led by Emma Watson focusing on solidarity and inclusivity between men and women and male support for gender equality. It's generated a huge response online, with Watson utilising social media to preach a non-man-hating version of feminism, although it has also been criticised for undermining the idea of a strong woman.


FCKH8 campaign: A digital campaign that became viral after the potty mouth princess viral video. The movement focuses on the modern representation of girls and the huge social inequalities they face, representing young girls as profound and strong; Although it received backlash due to using feminism as a marketing tool.


This Girl Can: Has been described the first fitness campaign for women which doesn’t shame or exclude them. It shares photos, videos and quotes of women without the usual sexual exploitation of a women’s fitness advert and without body shaming, however it has also been criticised by feminists.


4) What is your opinion with regards to feminism and new/digital media? Do you agree with the concept of a 'fourth wave' of feminism post-2010 or are recent developments like the Everyday Sexism project merely an extension of the third wave of feminism from the 1990s?

I would argue that digital technology has allowed for Feminism to be approached in entirely new ways - ways that wouldn't be possible without the invention of social media and the internet - changing how people respond to it. The abundance of people who call themselves feminists at differing levels of extremity skew the centred idea of feminism as a movement that campaigns for equality.

MIGRAIN: Representation blog tasks

Read the Media Magazine feature 'Representation old and new'. This is in MM51 on page 6 - go to our Media Magazine archive to find the article. Complete the following tasks:

1) Why is representation an important concept in Media Studies?

"Understanding how representations are created, and how they create meaning, is central to an understanding of the media, as everything that appears in the media is in fact a representation."

2) How does the example of Kate Middleton show the way different meanings can be created in the media?

Select images can be chosen during the editing process in order to fit a select narrative the editor wants to achieve. The first image of Kate Middleton drinking from a large wine glass could be used to create a scenario where she has a drinking problem.

3) Summarise the section 'The how, who and why of media representation' in 50 words.

Producers consider the expectations of the target audience, genre codes, the type of narrative they want to convey and institutional merit. All representations are the cumulative effect of a collection of media language choices that producers want to communicate ideological meaning with. Repetition of values and ideologies makes them seem natural to an audience, resulting in audiences not recognising it in the first place.

4) How does Stuart Hall's theory of preferred and oppositional readings fit with representation?

If an ideology is clear and the audience is of the targeted culture, age, gender ect, the audience is likely to take the preferred reading that the producer intended for. Audiences may take the oppositional reading if they disagree with the ideologies of the producer. How audiences respond to texts can depend a lot on their race, gender and age. For example, some media texts perhaps having unflattering representations of minority groups that would likely not bother a white male audience.

5) How has new technology changed the way representations are created in the media?

Social media allows for anybody to have a voice and construct their own representation. We now have a way to reject representations from media outlets that we don't think are accurate.

6) What example is provided of how national identity is represented in Britain - and how some audiences use social media to challenge this?

During the 2014 World Cup, The Sun sent a free newspaper to 22 million households in England which represented its own concepts of ‘Englishness’ by symbolic references – queuing, the Sunday roast, Churchill and The Queen – to heroes, values and behaviours that the paper (and its owners, Rupert Murdoch’s News Corps) defined as appropriate expressions of ‘English identity’. Social media forums and comment pages allowed many people to voice their rejection of the messages.

7) Finally, think about this week's representation theories. Watch the trailer for classic action movie Taken and write an analysis of the representation of people, places and groups in the trailer using terminology and theories you have learned this week:

The Taken trailer thoroughly supports Dyre's theory of stereotyping and power, representing women as vulnerable and emotional side characters for a white male protagonist to save. Medhurst's view that stereotypes are used for shorthand identification can also be applied, as the trailer attempts to convey to the audience that the foreigner's voice on the phone is intimidating and not to be trusted due to the accent. John Berger's belief that “Men act and women appear” can also be supported by this trailer we see the female characters in great distress and the male characters in positions of leadership and action. Levi-Strauss's theory concerning ideology can also be applied, as the producers have chosen to present the white male protagonist as powerful and the women as weak in order to suggest that women are in need of protecting, especially daughters.