Introduction to Postcolonialism: blog tasks

 1) Look at the first page. What is colonialism - also known as cultural imperialism? 

Colonialism is when countries take over "undiscovered lands" and claim them as their own.

2) Now look at the second page. What is postcolonialism? 

Post colonialism is the time after colonialism ended. The most popular definition in the UK is the time after India gaining independence as with India being its biggest colony, this was seen as the end of colonialism.

3) How does Paul Gilroy suggest postcolonialism influences British culture?

Gilroy believes that post-colonialism had a negative impact on British culture as people couldnt get used to not being a global superpower which led to them having a hatred towards people of different backgrounds.

4) What is 'othering'?

Othering is the idea that something is different to us due to it being different to our social norms, people considered as othered are displaced and left out of the dominant social group.

5) What examples of 'othering' are provided by the article?

The example of othering given is the othering of British immigrants from British society which was used by politicians such as Farage to gain popularity through hate.

6) What is 'double consciousness'? 

The feeling of not fitting in with either your own culture or the culture of the country you live in.

7) What are 'racial hierarchies'?

Racial hierarchies is an idea heavily established postcolonialism and is the idea that some races are better than others.

8) What examples from recent media products challenge the idea of racial hierarchies? 

In Brooklyn 99 there's an episode where one of the lead characters is racially profiled by another police officer who is white and believes he has power over him. However, he later finds out he is a detective which is higher in the police hierarchy and challenges the idea that white people are better than people of colour as he manages to get justice for what happened.

Advertising: David Gauntlett and masculinity

1) What examples does Gauntlett provide of the "decline of tradition"?

Women no longer seen as house wives now seen as having 'Girl power' and the idea of men being masculine and tough is being removed and replaced by the idea that men should have emotions and be allowed to express themselves.

2) How does Gauntlett suggest the media influences the way we construct our own identities?

The media helps construct our identities by making people feel lie they need to decide what their identity and lifestyle will be through the use of TV and magazines. People consciously and subconsciously pick things out from these products and implement them into their personality/lifestyle. 

3) What does Gauntlett suggest regarding generational differences? Is it a good thing that the media seems to promote modern liberal values?

Gauntlett claims that the promotion of liberal values in the media is a good thing for young people but he doesn't think the effects of it are seen in older age groups. Older age groups don't consume the media in the same way and are stuck with older views such as traditional gender roles and homophobia which aren't a part of liberal ideology.

4) Why does Gauntlett suggest that masculinity is NOT in crisis?

He claims masculinity is not in a crisis and is just evolving and adapting to modern demands; he believes men are failing to modernise/keep up with the new demands. 

5) Does advertising still reinforce the "conventionally rugged, super-independent, extra-strong macho man" that Gauntlett discusses? Offer examples for both sides of the argument from the wider advertising industry.

Advertising still promotes the idea of strong men but the way in which they do it has changed. The same example of an advert can be used to explain this as in Stormzy's H.I.T.H concert poster hes shown as being a physically strong man but the idea of the macho man extends into men's emotions which weren't shown in advertising before. Despite this, Stormzy is seen to have his head down ad look hurt/sad which isn't part of the traditional macho man idea but more so part of the new ideology which wasn't widely accepted in the media in the past. This shows that brave men are still being portrayed in media but the idea of what a brave masculine man is has evolved.

6) Gauntlett discusses the idea of 'girl power' and offers examples from music and film. Does advertising provide evidence to support the idea of 'girl power' or is the industry still reinforcing traditional representations of men and women?

Women are being told by the media that they need to be independent and do what they want but they're still being told that they need to adhere to the unrealistic beauty standards seen in advertising and other media which has a negative impact on them and takes away from the idea of girl power.

7) Do you agree with Gauntlett's argument under 'Popular feminism, women and men' where he suggests that younger generations are not threatened by traditional gender roles and are comfortable with social changes? Does advertising provide examples either reinforcing or challenging this idea that younger generations are more comfortable with changing gender roles?

The new generation of men are being brought up to see women as equals in society and don't feel threatened by this social change because its what they were taught and what they've seen their entire lives. This can be seen in advertising such as the Gillette 'The best a man can be' advertising campaign which portrayed men as being masculine but also redefines what masculinity is, making it a good thing which benefits everyone in society rather than toxic and harmful to women.

8) What examples from advertising does Gauntlett provide for the changing nature of gender in society (from the section on Judith Butler's Gender trouble)?

CK one fragrance advert shows a change in the nature of gender as it promotes the idea of men and women being similar as they're both able to use the same fragrance. 

9) Why is advertising such a good example of the 'contradictory elements' that Gauntlett discusses with regards to the mass media? In other words, how does advertising continue to both reinforce and challenge gender stereotypes?

There is an enormous range of media products available so its difficult to say whether they all reinforce or subvert from gender stereotypes as theyre all made by different companies and by people with different ideas/life experiences.

10) Finally, Gauntlett makes a clear case that things change and modern identities are increasingly fluid. What is your opinion on this debate - do you agree that the media reinforces the changing attitudes towards gender and sexuality in society?

I believe media has a very important role in impacting the way gender and sexuality is seen in society and people consume so much media in their day to day life and are guaranteed to be impacted by it whether its conscious or subconscious. However i also believe there are other influences which could be considered more important such as lived experiences and the people in their lives. This is because some people have grown up seeing/being taught that they're better than women or that men are better than them which will stick with them throughout their lives as we learn everything at a young age and its much more difficult to change this as we get older.

Media Magazine: Andrew Tate - Masculinity in crisis?

1) What is misogyny and how does it link to Andrew Tate?

Misogyny is the dislike,contempt or prejudice against women. It links to Andre Tate because he promotes the idea of a strong man and claims to be a misogynist who thinks women belong at home,cant drive and given to a man in marriage which implies they're an object.

2) How does the article suggest Andrew Tate used social media to build up his reputation and following?

He uses social media to post clips of his lifestyle and his ideas to gain a large younger audience.

3) Does Andrew Tate's popularity suggest there is in fact a 'crisis in masculinity' - disagreeing with David Gauntlett's view?

It could indicate that there is a crisis as it shows that young men are being impacted by these more traditional ideas and aren't adapting to new ideologies.

Blog tasks: Representations of women in advertising

 1) How does Mistry suggest advertising has changed since the mid-1990's?

The gender/sexual orientation of the subject of the advert is more ambiguous.

2) What kinds of female stereotypes were found in advertising in the 1940's and 1950's?

In the 1940/50's traditional stereotypes of women were still being reinforced within the media. Women were represented as housewives and objects who's main desire was to buy household appliances to help her with housework.

3) How did the increasing influence of clothes and make-up change representations of women in advertising?

The influence of clothes/make up meant that women were being taught to focus more on their looks and looks were becoming a key aspect of femininity. Women were also being used as a decoration in adverts. 

4) Which theorist came up with the idea of the 'male gaze' and what does it refer to?

Laura Mulvey - Refers to women being a "spectacle" and just something for men to look at.

5) How did the representation of women change in the 1970's?

In the 1970's there was a new representation of women who were meant to be independent and strong working women.

6) Why does van Zoonen suggest the 'new' representations of women in the 1970's and 1980's were only marginally different from the sexist representations of earlier years?

Women were being represented as being strong and powerful but for the wrong reasons. Adverts were suggesting that women don't actually work and the only reason they have a position of power is due to their looks.

7) What does Barthel suggest regarding advertising and male power?

Barthel suggests that men are represented as being strong and powerful whereas women are being portrayed as objects that are decorative and only there for male satisfaction which is similar to Mulvey's male gaze theory.

8) What does Richard Dyer suggest about the 'femme fatale' representation of women in adverts such as Christian Dior make-up?

The femme fatale representation in the Dior advert is heavily criticised by Dyer as he believes the advert is making it seem as though women's sexuality is liberating them and they're doing it for their own pleasure not for a man but this still makes it seem like women are objects that are just here for male pleasure.

1) What was the Protein World 'Beach Bodies' campaign and why was it controversial?
The my protein beach bodies ad campaign was controversial because it promoted women having to have "beach bodies" and look perfect and it played on their insecurities to make them believe they had to spend £62 to be happy.

2) What was the Dove Real Beauty campaign?
The dove real beauty campaign used a sketch artist who drew women twice, once based off their own perception of themselves sand one based off another persons view of them. This study found that women often described themselves as being worse looking than how strangers saw them.

3) How has social media changed the way audiences can interact with advertising campaigns? 
The internet has made it so the we see ads all the time and social media allows people to call out brands and discuss issues with advertising campaigns. 

4) How can we apply van Zoonen's feminist theory and Stuart Hall's reception theory to these case studies?

We can apply them because they represent women as being defined by tyheir looks and they link to these theories which theorise that women are only in adverts for mens enjoyment.

5) Through studying the social and historical context of women in advertising, do you think representations of women in advertising have changed in the last 60 years?

I believe they have but im not sure if its improving. We've moved away from one negative stereotype but moved on to another which is equally as bad. In the past women were stereotyped as being housewives but now women are constantly being presented as objects and using their sexuality in advertising has become normalised

Advertising: Introduction to advertising blog tasks

 1) How does the Marmite Gene Project advert use narrative? Apply some narrative theories here.

In the marmite gene project they use narrative in a way to play on family situations such as a husband cheating and a son coming out to hi father as a marmite lover which makes use of their advertising technique of claiming that people either love or hate their product (binary opposition) and that there's nobody in between. They also use narrative to make it seem like marmite was a pet that was being neglected by people who would buy it, not like it and leave it at the back of their shelves. They then re homed the marmite to the people who are in love with the product and want to save the marmite.

2) What persuasive techniques are used by the Marmite advert?

The marmite advert makes use of 3 main persuasive techniques (repetition,slogan  and emotional appeal) which are seen in both adverts. Repetition is used by repeating the marmite brand name and the slogan: 'Love it or hate it' which is also a powerful persuasive technique. We also see heavy use of he persuasive technique of emotional appeal in both adverts. In the first one we see heart warming moments as a son is accepted by his dad for being a marmite lover and we also see sad moments where families are broken apart over their love or hatred for marmite. In the second one we see use of emotional appeal with the neglected marmite and were positioned in a way to see the owners of the marmite as horrible people who are being raided by the marmite police  which is communicated through the filming style and mise en scene and were made to feel sympathy for the poor marmite being left to expire in the back of the shelf. 

3) Focusing specifically on the Media Magazine article, what does John Berger suggest about advertising in ‘Ways of Seeing’?

John Berger suggested that advertising works on anxiety by making people unhappy with the way they currently live/look and they offer a product which they convince us we NEED to have in order to be happy again.

4) What is it psychologists refer to as referencing? Which persuasive techniques could you link this idea to?

Referencing is the process we go through when we see lifestyles in the media and refer to them to construct our own views and ways of acting that we believe are normal due to the media. 

5) How has Marmite marketing used intertextuality? Which of the persuasive techniques we’ve learned can this be linked to?

The marmite adverts uses intersexuality by using paddington bear and making an advert where he eats a marmite sandwich rather than marmalade but he enjoys it despite everyone around him hating it. This is a good use of intersexuality as it brings a sense of nostalgia to the watcher who’s older and more likely to be doing the shopping for the house so they’re targeting them. 

6) What is the difference between popular culture and high culture? How does Marmite play on this?


Popular culture- most commonly accepted set of ideas in society 

 

High Culture - ideas/ways of life that are considered sophisticated 
Marmite plays on it by using the queens speech and the approval of the royal family to create their own version of the crest and their own speech which promotes marmite and uses their slogan. 

7) Why does Marmite position the audience as ‘enlightened, superior, knowing insiders’?

They do this to flatter their audience and make them feel like they’ve made a discovery which will improve their lives. 

8) What examples does the writer provide of why Marmite advertising is a good example of postmodernism?

Playfulness - twists different serious topics and narratives into something humorous and enjoyable but at the same time attracting attention to the problem and their own product.

Intertextuality - bring a nostalgic feeling by using older narratives from 

before modern media/entertainment.

Satirises audience expectations - exaggerates conventions of other forms of media/other genres

Blending high and popular culture - ma’amite campaign mixes the high culture of royal warrants with the pop culture of marmite 

Media Assessment 2 learner response

 1) Type up your feedback in full (you don't need to write the mark and grade if you want to keep this confidential).

WWW- Good assessment showing both analytical skills and knowledge of theories

EBI - develop a critical perspective on theories and debates.

2) Read the mark scheme for this assessment carefully. Identify at least one potential point that you missed out on for each question in the assessment.
 

1) In contrast to this, the image has Stormzy bare-chested which arguably reinforces the sexualisation of black males in the media and reinforces traditional masculine stereotypes which contrasts with the idea of vulnerability. The lighting is low-key and sees a focus on both the left side of his face and chest, emphasising these contrasting meanings of

masculinity and vulnerability.

2) Synergy - Synergy allows companies to maximise profit from a brand (e.g. Harry Potter) by branching out into other platforms, merchandise or products.

3) Counter argument for the influence of media consumption on the school shooter.

3) On a scale of 1-10 (1 = low, 10 = high), how much revision and preparation did you do for this assessment? You may also want to think here whether you had completed all the original blog tasks from last term before doing the assessment.

7

4) Look at your answer for Question 2. Did you manage to write about three different strategies and three different benefits? It's vital you read the question and follow it exactly.

I needed one more strategy and a benefit but I rushed and left it blank 

5) Look at your answer for Question 3. Did you follow the question guidance and write about both the BBC and commercial broadcasters? What could you have added to this answer to reach a higher mark?

I did but i didn't include an argument about PSB and competition which held me back 3 marks.

6) Now look over your mark, teacher comments and the mark scheme for Question 4 - the 20 mark essay question on media effects theory. Write a new paragraph for this question based on the suggested theories/answers in the mark scheme. Make sure it is an extensive, detailed paragraph focused on the question and offering examples from the wider media. 

Another way media can be damaging to audiences is through the hypodermic needle model, this is shown by the rock band who’s music was accused of influencing the behaviour of a school shooter who listened to his violent music constantly which meant he was exposed to his violent lyrics on a frequent basis. However, it could also be argued that the media isn’t at fault here and is only being used as a scapegoat for a much wider problem. This is because the hypodermic needle is outdated and the newer 2 step flow model has a more accurate reason for why this happened as the boy might’ve looked up to the lyrics but if this wasn’t the case then it also could’ve had nothing to do with the media at all and be solely due to the bullying which made the child angry and take out his anger in a violent way. This disapproves the quote and tells us the media isn’t  100% damaging to their audiences and other factors could be more important. 

Index

1) First Blog (10 question introduction)

2) My media consumption

3) Semiotics blog task

4) Media codes - Reading an image

5) Reception Theory

6) Blog Feedback and LR

7) Genre Blog Task

8) Narrative

9) Audience Classification 

10) Exam Feedback (Half term 1)

11) Audience Theory 1 

12) Audience theory 2 - The effects debate - Bandura, Cohen 

13) Industries: Ownership and Control

14) Industries: Hesmondhalgh - The Cultural Industries

15) Industries: Public Service Broadcasting

16) Industries: Regulation

Intro to feminism

Feminist theory

Ideology 

Collective identity

Collective identity in modern times

 1) Read the article and summarise each section in one sentence, starting with the section 'Who are you?'

Who are you? - We all make choices ti change our image in order to communicate our identity. 

I think,therefore i am - In the past, identity was decided for us from birth due to our family.

From citizen to consumer - peoples identities are no longer based on social roles, now focused more on what they consume 

The rise of the individual - Advertisers began to advertise their products as a way for people to express their individualism. 

Branding and Lifestyle - Brands were shaping people’s views of individualism and promoting individualism which made them gain money rather than lose it from this new trend by promoting the lifestyle linked to their product. 

Who will we be? - Social media has fuelled the idea of individualism and has created a space for people to express themselves and construct their identity but this could lead to commodification of identity. 

2) Do you agree with the view that modern media is all about 'style over substance'? What does this expression mean?

I agree, the media promotes lifestyles filled with luxury and consumerism and promotes these ideas constantly using advertising and influencers. There is very little promotion of the “normal life” which has lead people to following this new trend and believing that the only way to be happy is to be a millionaire and drive an expensive car.

3) Explain Baudrillard's theory of 'media saturation' in one paragraph. You may need to research it online to find out more.

Baudrillard’s theory suggests that the media has taken over reality. He believes the media is a powerful force in changing the way we see the world but in recent years it has been taken to an extreme. He says that media has created a false reality in which we all live in and rely on which has overpowered our real lives in telling us what is right/wrong.

4) Is your presence on social media an accurate reflection of who you are? Have you ever added or removed a picture from a social media site purely because of what it says about the type of person you are?

I believe it is. I don’t post things to impress anyone so i end up posting things i relate to or find funny.


5) What is your opinion on 'data mining'? Are you happy for companies to sell you products based on your social media presence and online search terms? Is this an invasion of privacy?

I am against it. I believe having a single persons data and using it to target them through ads is wrong and an invasion of privacy but if done anonymously for research reasons while measuring the activity of the entire population it isn’t as bad. 

• audiences use media to help construct their own identity 
• audiences can pick and mix ideologies as the media is diverse 
• masculinity is not in crisis 
• women told they can be anything they want while the roles promoted to men are constrained 
• his research is focused only on mainstream western media

1) What is collective identity? Write your own definition in as close to 50 words as possible.

Collective identity is a set of beliefs shared by a large group of people who feel like they're all together as one through common ideology/lifestyle.

2) How does James May's Top Toys offer a nostalgic representation of Britain?

The toys he reviews are old and therefore target an older audience who share common beliefs and the toys act as a metaphor for the change in Britain as the toys are no longer being produced here but in other countries which represents the changes Britain has faced in the past years.

3) How has new technology changed collective identity?

New technology has allowed collective identity to evolve as people access a range of diverse identities and content which helps them find people who they would associate themselves with and expands collective identity to a global scale.

4) What phrase does David Gauntlett (2008) use to describe this new focus on identity? 

Transition from sit back and be told to making and doing culture.

5) How does the Shaun of the Dead Facebook group provide an example of Henry Jenkins' theory of interpretive communities online?

The group was made to connect people who as a collective enjoy a show and want a place to discuss their views/opinions which shows how people are finding collective identity in a broader landscape.