media theorists

Barthes

Argues all semiotics (study of signs and meanings) argued all texts communicate meaning through set of signs to be decoded. Texts communicate meanings through signification.

Paradigmatic choices

what encoders have chosen to show to support overall message

syntagm

overall meaning supported by paradigmatic choices

Levi-Strauss

-Texts can be understood best through examining underlying structure

-Meaning dependent and produced by pairs of oppositions

-How Binary oppositions resolved have particular ideological signicance

Representation: Hall

-Idea representation through stereotypes as a form of representation reduces people to a few simple traits

-Stereotyping tends to occur when inequalities of power as an excluded group is constructed as different/other

Gaunlett: Identity

-Idea media provides us with tools to construct our identity

-Straightforward messaging on ideal types of female and male

Van Zoonen: Feminist theory

-Identifying, critiquing and challenging gender inequalities

-Gender constructed by historical and cultural context

-Womens bodies objects, mens spectacles

Feminist theory: Bell Hooks

-Feminism struggle to end sexist/patriarchal oppression and ideology of domination

-Feminism political commitment, rather then lifestyle choice

-Race and class and sex determine extent of individual exploitation, discrimination faced and oppression

Gilroy: Ethnicity+post colonial theory

-Post colonial theory explores legacy of colonialism and continuation of impact can be seen contemporary culture

-Idea colonial discourse continues informing contemporary attitudes to race and ethnicity post colonial era

-Civilisation constructs racial hierarchies and set up binary oppositions based on notion of otherness

Cultivation theory: Gerbner

-Long term exposure to media shapes consumer perception to world

-More movie/tv watched more perception of world like that

-Mean world syndrome, more violent content=more think world like that

gender preformative: Butler

-Gender roles elaborate social preformances

Mulvey: Male gaze

-Women objects male consumption. Empowers men, disempowers women

Neale-Genre

Codes and conventions help us to understand type of media text we consume through process of repetition