Media Culture and Diversity

identity category

the way we make sense of ourselves and present ourselves to others, this is done by both physical traits and sociocultural features

identity

The ways in which individuals or collectives are distinguished from one another, can be internal (self-identity) and external (identified by others)

cultural repretoires about identity

the rethoric and narratives about identity, produced and reproduced by popular culture. Creates stability and a sense of belonging on the one hand. But also creates normative assumprions of the identity

Social constructivist perspective of identity

the way we percieve reality is constructed, as a consequence, all identities are a social construct, thus varies culturally and historically. Differences exist as the outcome of social processes

Essensialist perspective of identity

the identity someone embodies is a given before birth, it is biological, there are thus shared feelings and experperiences between all people of a certain identity

Sociocultural diversity

all kinds of differences between people and groups, evolved in such a way that for every society there is a 'normal', 'mainstream',...

structural inequality

a condition where one category of people are attributed an unequal status in relation to other categories of people. This relationship is perpetuated and reinforced by a confluence of unequal relations in roles, functions, decisions, rights, and opportunities. Done by creating identities that are hierarchical, binary and oppositional

Identity politics

forming new languages of identity and acting to change social practices to overthrow structural forms of oppression (coalition where at least some values are shared but shared identity isn't necessairily experienced the same way, nor does it annul multiple identities w/in one coalition)

\#MeToo

Started as a mouvement against sexual oppression and violence by Burke especially for young women of color, became popular later on in Hollywood, example of Identity politics

structural intersectionality

The intersection of two groups or identities makes for different experiences, for example black or white women experience domestic violence differently

political intersectionality

highlights the fact that women of color are situated within at least two subordinated groups that frequently pursue conflicting political agendas, thus intersectionality needs to be at the basis of politics

representational intersectionality

the cultural construction of an intersection or how given intersections are represented in cultural imagery and the sociocultural implications it brings

2 Live Crew

rap group that was confronted for obsenity, looked at from a feminist prism on the one hand: obvious objectification of black women race prism on the other hand: rock bands had been doing it too without issue, court decision is based on black male stereotypes, exaggerations used to liberate black men from stereotypes (political motivation) and no intent for pain (cultural motivation) but this lens dismisses power of men over women and thus the intersectionality Crenshaw's conclusion: cat. of identities need to be renegotiated and intersectional experiences need to be taken into account

wokeness

a state of being aware, especially of social problems such as racism and inequality, NOT: corporate window-dressing (=woke washing)

conservative backlash: exessive political correctness, free-speech

cancel culture

the accountability of high profile people, this process has been sped up by digital platforms, causing a decline in nuance and thought

are media reporting strutural issues or clickbaiting?

stereotyping

it has a social function of social categorization, a necessity in order to help us make sense of the world

stereotyping

not only a social (lippmann) but also ideological function, ordering social categories, consolidating social hierarchies (biased short-cuts). Represents the in-group's values creating social types for the in-group and stereotypes for the out-group(s)

stereotyping through iconography

done by using a certain set of visual signs to short cut a way to indicate someone's identity, usually has economic motivation (time managment) but they do have ideological impact

stereotyping through structure

done through the character's function within the audiovisual structure, can be static (the dominant ideology of the set) or dynamic (the plot of the character) eg. a gay man that turns out to be the villain or a crippled man that overcomes his disability

trans-coding (Hall)

The practice of taking terms and meanings and re-appropriating them to create new meanings

strategies: reversing the stereotypes, positive images, through the eye of representation

reversing the stereotypes

trans coding strategy, here the extreme of a stereotype is reversed into another extreme, eg blaxploitation movies where the hero is a black person -\> doesn't necessairly challenge representation of black people as 'other'

positive images

trans coding strategy, transforming negative (or no) depictions into postive images, showing diversity as a positive thing -\> kinda commodifies diversity, no active undermining of stereotypes (evading the question)

through the eye of representation

trans coding strategy, being aware of the formal capacities of representation and subverting the stereotypes from within using pre established language. Can be: revealing systemic rascism but also exaggerating stereotypes to reveal them. Not just positive or negative traits but multidimensional representation of individuals. EG THIS IS AMERICA (C. GAMBINO)

Sex

the biological differences that distinguish males from females

\->dichotomous perspective

Gender

the socially constructed roles and characteristics by which a culture defines male and female, aka the cultural repretoires linked to both

Gender-identity

the individual's sense of being male or female, can be cis (congruent with sex) trans (different from sex) or nonbinary

Gender expression

the way in which a person expresses their gender identity, typically through their appearance, dress, and behavior. through this we make up a gender identity for that person

Plurality of feminism

the existance of different lenses to look at the disparities between men and women, all agree on sex being an axis in social hierarchy, they disagree over pragmatic assumptions

realism

approach that assumes that media can and should be a reflection of the real world

Gender stereotypes are included in mass media because of gender socialization of men working in mass media

Cultivation Theory (Gerbner)

Theory that states that exposure to television over long periods of time cultivates standardised roles and behaviours. Hence why heavy viewers tend to have sexist or stereotypical opninions.

symbolic annihilation (Tuchman)

the systematic underrepresentation of a particular group or groups and/or media representations that favor stereotypes and omit realistic portrayals through: absence, trivialization, condemning

Hegemonic masculinity (connell)

the idealized practice and embodiement of masculinity that guarantees the continuation of patriarchy

Complicit masculinity (connell)

forms of masculinity that do not contribute to or embody male hegemony yet still benefit from it, no 'frontline troop' risk

Subordinated masculinity (connell)

men who are subordinated due to non-normative sexual identity

Marginalized masculinity (connell)

men who may be positioned powerfully in terms of gender but not in terms of other intersections such as class & race

Emphasized Femininity (Connell)

an exaggerated form of femininity "oriented to accommodating the interests and desires of men" - complience with subordination similar to Schippers' hegemonic femininity

Pariah Femininities (schippers)

a form of femininity that includes communicated behaviors of hegemonic masculinity.

alternative femininities (Schippers)

a form of femininity that involves communicated behaviors that challenge traditional expectations of femininity.

rock canon

A collection of the most important works in the history of rock music, unintentionally causing a hegemonic masculine view on the genre

libertarian feminists

porn is a symptom not a cause, porn as a way to educate

may lead to sexual liberation (Rubin)

The Male Gaze (Laura Mulvey)

the way in which the visual arts and literature depict the world and women from a masculine point of view, presenting women as objects of male pleasure

Homophile Movement

An early gay rights movement in the 50s & 60s, not very radical, sexuality to be biologically determined

Gendered Relationships

even same-sex relations being depicted as gendered with gender roles and a male dominant-female submissive trope

queer theory

social theory about gender and sexual identity; emphasizes the importance of difference and rejects ideas of innate identities or restrictive categories. Away from sex, gender and sexuality as biological phenomena

Heteronomormativity

a system of norms, values and beliefs that

\-assumes sex, gender and sexuality are fixed (essentialism)

\-assumes binary; oppositional and hierarchical positions

\-articulated through institutions to naturalise them

Critical analysis (queer media studies)

the dominant strand in queer media studies: rying to demonstrate how popular culture texts that feature nonheterosexual characters deconstruct or reinforce heteronormativity

Audience studies (queer media studies)

focus on the decoding of popular media texts, we saw it in the context of queer media studies

production studies (queer media studies)

focus on the encoding of popular media texts, we saw it in the context of queer media studies

queerbaiting

intentional practice of 'baiting'audiences with the promise of queer representation, through marketing, or subtextual hints andgestures, but ultimately failing to meet expectations

Coded representation

first (1880-20's) queer representation in film and tv, used stereotypes as the sissy or though woman, harmless but used as butt of the joke making them inferior to hetero characters

The production code administration

an institution made to clean up hollywood with censorship, against queer representation in film causing a shift towards deviant stereotypes in order to present queer characters

heterosexual recuperation

Heterosexual men will indulge in expressing nonnormative gender behavior or pro-gay attitudes, but they will mostly do so in a way that does not threaten their public image of being a heterosexual masculine man

New Queer Cinema

Filmmaking mouvement that was explicitly political and postmodern to challenge heteronormative depictions of queer characters.

Slash Fiction

A type of fan fiction that imagines same sex desire between two male characters, often expanding upon homosocial bonding depicted in a fandom's primary texts

queer reading

Reading strategy that seeks evidence of queer desire and/or identity in the subtext of cultural texts that otherwise lack any explicit representations of or references to queerness

can be considered a form of resistant/oppositional reading, especially when the cultural text in question explicitly centers heteronormative relationships

racial formation (omi and winant)

A sociohistorical process in which racial categories are created, inhibited, transformed, and destroyed. As a consequence physical differences are seen as manifestations of more profound differences (black means more athletic f.e)

Ethnicity

the fact or state of belonging to a social group that has a common national or cultural tradition

diaspora

The mobility of people, commodities, capital and culture in the context of globalisation

transnational identifications

a sense of identity that transcends national boundaries, the connection with vaslty separated settlements of a group (the homeland). Shared sense of identity in diasporic community but heterogenous experiences due to local context (example of Tamino)

Diasporic Identity

the identity of people forced to move which leads to a constant reinvention of cultural identity through the mixing of traditions. This is important because the continual mixing of cultures as refugees move to new countries can cause contentions with the people constantly switching as well as the people in the refugee's new homeland as they are forced to question their national identity as it takes on the cultures of the refugees. A reading that relates to this is Stuart Hall's Minimal Selves.

Narrowcasting

Media programming that is focused on a particular interest and aimed at a particular audience, in contrast to broadcasting. consequently this 'greenlit' tv shows made by poc -\> turns out it is well received -\> commercial opportunities

"people with disabilities"

a person-first approach. It aimsto see people with disabilities as a person first instead of focusing on their impairments. This would allow to challenge the medicalization of disability as well as challenge the stigmatizationand stereotyping of people with disabilities.

"Disabled people"

an identity-first approach. Reclaims the disability to avoid neglecting the disability and shows pride te be part of the community.

Impairment

The functional limitation of an individual

Disability

The social or communal limitation to take part in a normal life on an equal level an individual experiences due to an impairment

Individual Model of Disability

(also known as the medical model). Disability is defined in terms of some physiological impairment because of genetics, accident, or disease. Emphasizes the need to 'cure' or adapt the individual to be in accordance with its surroundings (no differentiation impairment-disability)

Social Model of Disability

frames disability as a problem with society, which contains environmental, social, and organizational barriers to those with disabilities

Disablism

Discrimination, oppressive or abusive behaviour arising from the belief that disabled people are inferior to others

Ableism

the system of beliefs and practices that produces a physical and mental standard that is projected as normal for a human being and labels deviations from it abnormal, resulting in unequal treatment and access to resources (led to racism, homophobia, disablism, ...)

The disabled person as pitiable and pathetic

Disabled people shown as the victim, creating pity. Making them one-sided and dependant -\> infantilizing/patronizing (e.g. Charity org.)

The disabled person as a burden

Disabled people shown as needy, the need to be cared for -\> the able-bodied 'sacrifices' their lives for them

The disabled person as sinister or evil

Disabled person shown stereotypically as a threat, a villain or with uncontrolled anger/emotionless -\> not being able to come to terms + provoking fear with the audience

The disabled person as atmosphere or curio

Disabled people shown as objects of curiousity to express a certain mood or atmosphere, use of pseudoscience to make it educational (example of freak-shows)

The disabled person as supercripple

Disabled people shown to overcome the tragedy of their condition against all odds -\> neglects social models of disability as well as implying disabled people only deserve media attention when they achieve something

Ableist language

Language that makes disabilities into pejorative terms, for example: the blind leading the blind -\> seen as abnormal/ less capable

accessibility

themeans by which people with disabilities can use media, often entailing specialized features orassistive device

Objective position (marx)

The position a group assumes within an economic system

Subjective position

The possible class consciousness that stems from a common objective position

myth of classless society (Langston)

The myth that, individuals are not bound or limited by the socioeconomic class of their parents. Whatever socioeconomic distinctions exist can be overcome by talent, hard work, and making the "right" life choices. (the meritocratic dream)

Tokenism

When a single member of a minority group is presented as an example of upward social mobility and is seen as a representative of that minority group rather than as an individual

Subjective social status

Where one believes he or she ranks socioeconomically (regardless of his or her actual socioeconomic class).

Cultural studies

A neo-marxist theory that states that media doesn't just represent but also shapes society, and social inequality. Challenges the moral superiority of 'high culture' over 'working class' culture

Political economy (of communication)

A neo-marxist theory that is concerned with the structural inequality in media PRODUCTION. Challenges concentration and privatization to look at those in control

Expressionism

art turned away from realism and looked for radical manners to represent/visualize subjective and internalizedfeelings. Spanning a period from 1910 to 1927, the films were characterized by a distinctivemise-en-scène. These films feature abstract, symbolic and unnatural depictions of reality, hencethe exaggerated settings, decors, costumes, and acting codes

Metropolis (1927)

Fritz Lang (director)

Italian Neorealism

A film movement that began in Italy during WWII and lasted until approximately 1952 depicting everyday social realities using location shooting and amateur actors, in opposition to glossy studio formulas.

Ladri di biciclette (1948)

Vittorio De Sica (director): representing everyday life of working classes -\> ignored by institutions, shows how a trivial thing for one may be catastrophical for another

Melodrama

A film that appeals more to the viewer's emotions rather than their intellect, usually middle class family with internalized trauma. The term comes from theater plays in which good overcomes evil and usually has a happy ending (commercial format) usually characterized by middle-class normativity and escapism

All That Heaven Allows (1955)

Douglas Sirk: turns the middle class normativity into something strange, as trapped within

Ex-nomination (Barthes)

Concept that refers to the middle-class' tendency to not wanting to be named, to be apolitical/non-ideological.

Bourgeoisie as 'the invisible class'

Consensus-framing (Kendall)

depicts members of the upper class as being like everyone else, eg keeping up with the kardashians

Admiration framing (Kendall)

Portrays the upper class as generous and caring individuals

Emulation framing (Kendall)

suggests that people in all classes should reward themselves with a few of the perks of the wealthy in order to climb up in the symbolic class ladder

Critical accounts of upper class lifestyles

Portrays the upper class as a character unaware of their social class and the consequences of their actions/ social impact on other classes eg white lotus (

Poverty porn

A term used to explain how the 'underclass' such as those on benefits are used by the media as a form of entertainment

Episodic framing

Low-level, detailed, describes a specific story or individual example. Individual as responsible, done to poor people to ignore structural inequalities or barriers

Thematic framing

takes a broad look at an issue and skips numbers or details, no identification of poor people in the faceless statistics

Caricature framing

Mocking the lifestyles (lack of cultural capital) of working class people stereotypically. EG makeover tv -\> need to shift to middle-class lifestyle in order to improve self

Middle-class values framing

focuses on the values of this class and suggests that they hold the nation together. focus on their cultural rather than economic capital

politics of signification

Media can have multiple meanings but the cultural power lies within the media institutions