Youth Communication Midterm Study Guide

Culture

A set of discourses, stories, images, and practices that shape meanings, identities, and political effects.

Public Discourse

How society collectively 'talks' or 'thinks' about topics, groups, or events.

Dominant Ideology

An ideology that benefits some while subjugating others and makes inequalities appear natural and just.

Cultural Studies

A field that examines how ideologies are embedded in cultural representations and analyzes how pop culture transmits dominant values.

Intersectionality

A framework for understanding overlapping social identities and power structures.

Neoliberalism

An ideology emphasizing individual responsibility over social change, linked to deregulation, privatization, and reduced government support.

Media Studies

A branch of cultural studies focusing on the media and mediated texts.

Political Economy

Examines who controls media production and how ownership impacts media content.

Textual Analysis

Studies media texts to uncover meaning, ideology, and cultural messages.

Audience Reception

Investigates how audiences interpret and engage with media.

Cultural Construct

Recognizes that terms like childhood, gender, and generation are shaped by societal meanings and interpretations.

Childhood as a Social Construction

An image of a child shaped by ideologies rather than a universal reality.

Discursive Construction of Childhood

Childhood shaped by historical, economic, political, and technological changes.

Adultification

When society perceives some children as older than they really are, affecting their legal and social protections.

Moral Panic

A widespread societal fear that is disproportionate to the actual threat.

Folk Devils

People or groups that are demonized as threats to society.

Hegemony

The dominance of one group over others through cultural and ideological means.

Counter-Hegemony

Challenges to dominant ideologies through resistance.

Program-Length Commercials (PLCs)

Television shows created specifically to sell toys and merchandise.

Subscription Video on Demand (SVOD)

A service allowing users to stream content, such as YouTube or Netflix.

Youth as Political Figures

Youth portrayed as either threats in moral panic or agents of social and political change.

Leaky Typology

Concept describing youth identity as fluid and overlapping various representations.

Cultural Texts

Artifacts conveying cultural meanings that influence societal perceptions and identity.

Audience Interpretation

The process by which audiences derive meaning from media texts based on personal experiences.

Childhood

Not merely a biological stage but a social concept shaped by cultural and ideological narratives.

Youth as Consumers

Youth depicted as both vulnerable consumers in marketed environments and as active creators in subcultures.