GCSE Media Studies

theories and subject terminology

Levi-Strauss - Binary oppositions theory

A binary opposition is a pair of opposites, thought by the structuralists to powerfully form and organize human thought and culture e.g. light & dark, day & night

Propp's character theory

Propp argued that stories are character driven and that plots develop from the decisions and actions of characters and how they function in a story, claiming characters could be classified into certain roles that progress a story

e.g. hero, villain, donor, princess, dispatcher, helper, false hero

Blumer & Katz - Uses and Gratification Theory

an approach to understanding why and how people actively seek out specific media to satisfy specific needs

e.g. Entertainment/Diversion, Social integration/Personal relationships, Personal Identity, Surveillance

Male Gaze Theory

When women are objectified and/or are oversexualised in media

Enigma Code Theory

suggests that a text (whether that can be television, film or a poster) portrays a mystery to draw an audience in.

Todorov's Narrative Theory

about how the narration in a story is created, there are 5 stages that a character will go through; Equilibrium, Disruption, Recognition, Repair and New Equilibrium

Linear Narrative

Narrative that works in one line or strand, this means that the narrative works from start to finish & tells the story in one straight sitting without interruptions from the past or futures

Non-Linear Narrative

opposite of linear narrative with interruptions between / throughout the music video

Single Strand Narrative

focused around only one character as the narrative unfolds & finishes around that particular character - usually focused around the artist in the video.

Multi-Strand Narrative

focused around many other characters & unfolds in the hands of multiple ways through this. this narrative structure allows directors/ creators to write freely for their narrative because they have many characters available to convey meaning.

Media Intertextuality

Where one media product references others, to engage the audience

Conglomerate

A conglomerate is a corporation that is made up of a number of different sometimes unrelated businesses

Parent Company

A parent company is a single company that owns another company or companies

Subsidiary

A company owned by a parent company or conglomerate

Sister Company

Companies that are owned by the same parent company and do the same job

Horizontal Integration

The parent company that owns multiple companies at the same stage of the film industry

e.g. Marvel Studios, Pixar, Lucas-films

Vertical Integration

The parent company owns multiple companies across different stages of the film industry

e.g. Marvel Studios, Walt Disney Distributions, Disney+

Toxic Masculinity

A set of attitudes and ways of behaving stereo-typically, associated with or expected of men regarded as having a negative impact on en & society as a whole

Feminism

the belief that men & women should be equal and that there should be no patriarchy

Post-feminism

the belief that women have largely achieved equality with that of men but want more. It also believes that women should use their sexuality as a way of empowerment & that there is nothing wrong with traditional values

e.g. motherhood

Franchise

A collection of films or tv series that share the same fictional universe

Versimilitude

The constructed reality of a media text/product and how loyal or realistic the text is to that reality

Hypodermic Needle Theory

Also known as the “magic bullet theory” is the idea that the mass media has an immediate and powerful effect on the audience.

Assumes passive audience position

Reinforcement Theory

Assumes active audience position & reinforces ideas and beliefs through media products

Copycat theory

The media can influence people directly – human values, judgement and conduct can be altered directly by media modelling. Media representations of aggressive or violent behaviour can lead to imitation.

Hall’s Audience Positioning Theory

suggests every media text has a message that a producer wants to get across (encode) and the ways in which the audience might be positioned to receive (decode) that reading.

• dominant reading – receiver fully accepts preferred reading, reading it in the way the author intended, making the code natural and transparent

• negotiated reading – receiver partly believes the code and broadly accepts the preferred reading, but interprets it in a way which reflects in its own position,experiences and interests

• oppositional reading – receiver’s social situation is placed in an oppositional position to the dominant code, thus they reject the reading.

Barthe’s Semiotic Theory

breaks down the process of reading signs and focusing on their interpretations by different cultures or societies.

Action Code

This code contains sequential elements of action in the text. Proairetic elements add suspense to the text, the codes allow audiences to interpret and identify what is to come.

Semantic Codes

refers to parts within the text that suggests or refers to additional meanings. Elements of the semantic code are called Semes. The semantics have a connotative function in the text giving an extra layer of meaning in addition to its literal meaning.