Media Studies (Introduction and the Theories) UNFINISHED

What is a Denotation?

What something is

E.g. the colour red is a Denotation, or a symbol

What is a Connotation?

What something links to

E.g. the colour red can connote to anger, love, health etc.

What is needed for the Denotation and connotation to make sense

The Context

Why is Context important? (Exam tip)

Having context will help you break down the meaning of the media text

E.g. a guy in a suit in an office building suggests that formal wear is needed in the building:

• but a guy in a suit walking down the street can suggest the guy is wealthy or has power, or links to gender ideologies.

What is Semiotics?

The communication through the study of signs

What theorist came up with Semiotics?

Roland Barthes

What are the 5 codes that make a narrative (according to Barthes)? (SEARS)

• Semantic Code

• Enigma (Hermeneutic) Code

• Action (Proairetic) Code

• Referential Code

• Symbolic Code

What is the Semantic Code?

The hidden meaning of the media text, what is in view and written

Basically Denotation and Connotation

(Multiple Semantic codes create a symbolic code)

What is the Enigma (Hermeneutic) Code?

The mystery/puzzle of the text; the “What’s happening?” Questions you ask yourself

What is the Action (Proairetic) Code?

Anything with potential to forward the narrative

E.g.

• If a person has a weapon in their hand, we’d expect them to use it later on

• If someone is sleeping then we’d expect them to wake up

What is the Referential Code (Intertexuality)?

Anything in the media text that refers to an external body of knowledge

• This is usually scientific, cultural or historical - directly or indirectly

• E.g. The Avengers movies always take place in NYC, which is cultural as it shows USA Culture, Or mentioning Asimov’s LAw or Robotics in ‘I, Robot’

What does Pastiche mean?

To celebrate something

This refers to the Referential Code e.g:

• a movie might reference another movie

What does Parody mean?

To make fun of

E.g:

• Parody films like ‘Spaceballs’ make fun of ‘Star Wars’

What Theorist came up with the Theory of Identity?

David Gauntlett

What does Gauntlett say about the messages of Media in the past?

Media in the past gave straight-forward, linear messages

• Usually about male and female identities

What does Gauntlett say about representation/identities?

We are being bombarded by new identities and representations constantly:

• Due to technology (social media, body/lifestyle image) in the modern age

What does Gauntlett say about Influence?

We are never not subject to influence:

• We shouldn’t be ignorant to the fact that we are being influenced constantly

• (‘Skins,’ by David Gauntlett, influenced many teens at the time such as the way they dressed as a certain character as they could relate to them)

What Theorist came up with the Theory of Representation?

Stuart Hall

What does Stuart Hall say about Representation?

Any representation is indicated to by its symbolic codes (Barthes):

• So the media relies of stereotypes to show representations

Why does the Media rely on Stereotypes?

It’s easy to communicate to an audience

Are Stereotypes ever positive?

No: Stereotypes are always Negative

How does Society and Media affect each other?

Society influences/informs media, and vica versa (indirectly or directly)

What Theorist came up with the Theory of Structuralism?

Claude Lèvi-Strauss

What did Levi-Strauss look at in his theory?

Lèvi-Strauss looked at how the structure of the media text interacted with reach other; how the signs interact with each other:

• Similar to Barthes Symbolic Code

What does Lèvi-Strauss argue that meaning of a text is dependent on?

It’s dependent on and through Pairs of Binary Oppositions

How do Binary Oppositions work?

1. The pair of oppositions must cause conflict w/each other

2. The Opposition will forward the narrative

3. The way in which the opposition is resolved communicates messages

4. Semiotics will contribute to the pair of Binary Oppositions

5. (There may be multiple of these in a text)

6. (An example is Young vs. Old or Men vs. Women)

Who was the Theorist that came up with Cultivation Theory?

George Gerbner

What did Gerbner say about Cultivation Theory?

Gerbner says that the more we see any particular representation within the media, the larger the change we accept opinions based on that representation

Who came up with Feminist Theory?

Liesbet Van Zoonen

What did Van Zoonen say about her Feminist Theory?

She argued 2 things:

1. Men’s’ bodies are represented as a spectacle

2. Women’s’ bodies are represented as sexual objects

Who came up with the Theory of Gender Performativity?

Judith Butler

What did Butler say about her Theory?

• The concept that actions/rituals conform to gender identity

  • → Separate form Sex

• We might attach masculinity/femininity to certain things

  • E.g. men = suits and women = dresses

What other Theory did Stuart Hall come up with?

Reception Theory

What did Hall say about his Reception Theory?

• Said that communication is a process involving encoding by producers and decoding by audiences

  → Communication is 2-way

  → If the semiotics aren’t done well, there will be miscommunication

  → The producers create the text with the idea that the decoders are able to decode the text

Who came up with the End of Audience Theory?

Clay Shirky

What did Shirky say about his Theory?

Audiences are no longer passive:

• They can create their own media

  • Representations that may have been misrepresented /not represented can now be represented

  • This has a knock on effect to professional media

• They can communicate w/each other and back to producers

Who came up with the Theory of Race Representation?

Paul Gilroy

What did Gilroy say about his Theory?

• Gilroy came up with the term of Postcolonialism

  • Which means to go past ideologies of the colonial period of time

    • These Ideologies form the backdrop for history’s view on race to the modern day

      • So Gilroy argues that colonial discourses (discussions) about race still inform peoples attitudes today

What other term did Paul Gilroy come up with?

Civilisationism

What is Civilisationism?

• The way in which we have developed society to maintain civilisation

  • However the way we have done is causes the problems in it

    • This led to power structures, such as the police, government, education, currency etc.

What does Gilroy say about how we view civilisation?

• The way we view civiliasation sets up racial hierarchies and binary oppositions based on notions of otherness

  • So some races are seen as better than others

    • But not always in a positive way

      • Because of this, Gilroy asks: “Why do people fear other races?”

Who came up with the Male Gaze Theory?

Laura Mulvey

What did Mulvey say about her theory?

• Cinematography is used to objectify women

  • The camera acts as the male gaze and dissects a part of a woman’s body to make it an object

    • Usually an object off sexual desire

    • This removes subjectivity and identity of the woman

  • The audience are forced to see this angle, which can create an effect

• Theory doesn’t apply if the action of the woman forwards the narrative (Action Code)