Exam Prep: Key Concepts in Media & Cultural Studies

Genre and Attention

  • Genre Dissonance: Unexpected elements in a genre can grab attention, hailing audiences in a specific way.

Understanding Representation

  • Purpose: Representation reveals desires and fears, reflecting society and self. It's crucial for understanding deeper meanings.
  • **Three Conceptions of Representation:
    • Battleground: A site where social injustices are contested (e.g., George Floyd's media portrayal).
    • Re-presentation: A process of showing stories repeatedly, leading to naturalization of meanings and potentially less critique of stereotypes.
    • Standing for the Many: Media representations of marginalized groups carry a heavy burden if they are few, akin to political representation.
  • Impact: It can shape perceptions of self and others, challenging dominant social norms (e.g., "You can't be what you can't see").

Key Thinkers in Cultural Studies

  • Stuart Hall: Representation is a meaning-making process, not merely a reflection of pre-existing reality. Media producers, often hegemonic, fix preferred meanings, leading to stereotypes. Audiences can resist through reception theory.
  • Laura Mulvey: Coined the term "male gaze" in film theory.
  • Edward Said: Associated with "Orientalism," highlighting ideological distinctions between East and West.
  • Bell Hooks: Works on the intersection of gender, capitalism, and race.
  • Jean Baudrillard: Theorist of postmodernism, concepts of hyperreality and simulacra.
  • Theodor Adorno: From the Frankfurt School, concerned about mass media's persuasive power and propaganda, perceived populist culture negatively.
  • Judith Butler: Associated with gender theory, views gender as a performance, learned and socialized.

Hickey's Cultural Reflections

  • The Hero's Journey (Joseph Campbell):
    • A universal monomyth found across cultures, reflecting human values, power, and how it should be used.
    • Stages: Status Quo, Call to Adventure, Assistance, Departure, Trials, Approach, Ordeal, Treasure, Result, Return, New Life, Resolution, Upgraded Status Quo.
  • Anti-Hero:
    • Possesses some but not all traditional heroic traits (e.g., brave but not selfless).
    • Motivated by self-interest rather than responsibility or morality.
    • Popularity reflects a cultural boredom with "perfect" heroes.
  • Monsters and Horror: Reflect society's deepest fears (e.g., war, climate change) and offer a safe space to confront them.
  • Seeing in Scene: The impact of seeing oneself or one's group represented on-screen.