Metalanguage for Task 2

Representation

The way individuals, groups, or ideas are portrayed in a text.

Stereotype

An oversimplified, fixed image of a group or idea.

Subversion

The act of undermining or challenging a dominant stereotype or expectation.

Marginalisation

The portrayal of a group as being pushed to the edges of society or silenced.

Cultural identity

The values, beliefs, and customs that shape a group's shared sense of self.

Intersectionality

How different aspects of identity (e.g. race, gender, class, sexuality) overlap and influence experience.

Power dynamics

The relationships of control, authority, or inequality between groups or individuals.

Assimilation

The pressure or act of conforming to dominant cultural norms.

Preferred reading

The intended message or viewpoint the creators want the audience to accept.

Negotiated reading

A partially accepting, partially critical interpretation by the viewer.

Oppositional reading

A viewer's rejection of the intended message.

Emotional appeal

How a text uses emotional content (e.g., injustice, humour, conflict) to influence viewer response.

Empathy

The act of helping the viewer relate to or feel for a character or group.

Normalisation

Presenting something (e.g., a belief, identity, or stereotype) as typical or expected.

Symbolism

When objects, characters, or settings represent larger ideas.

Framing

How a shot is composed to emphasise a character's role or power.

Camera angle

The perspective from which a scene is shot (e.g. low angle = power, high angle = vulnerability).

Lighting

Use of brightness/shadows to create mood or influence audience perception.

Dialogue

What characters say and how it reflects identity, values, or social tensions.

Costume & makeup

How appearance is used to signal class, culture, beliefs, or mood.

Setting

The location or environment used to reflect social, political, or cultural ideas.

Juxtaposition

Placing contrasting ideas side by side to highlight difference or tension.

Characterisation

How characters are developed and what this reveals about values or groups.

Conflict

A struggle that reveals character traits or social tensions (internal or external).

Motivation

The underlying reasons for a character's behaviour or choices.

Transformation

When a character undergoes change, often linked to a theme or viewer impact.

Perspective

Whose point of view is privileged in the narrative, and why.