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Eduqas A LEVEL Media Studies ALL THEORIES

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18 Definition 1 of 20
Term
19

20 the idea that gender is constructed

Stuart Hall's Reception theory
through discourse, and that its
meaning varies according to cultural
and historical context

the idea that the display of women's

bodies as objects to be looked at is
a core
element of western patriarchal
culture

the idea that in mainstream culture

the visual and narrative codes that
are used to construct the male body
as spectacle differ from those used
to objectify the female
body

Brilliant work!

True False

Correct definition

Van Zoonen's Feminist Theory

Definition Term 2 of 20

critical of the way the representation

Bandura's Media Effects theory
of women as sex objects feeds the
demand of male audiences.

Mulvey analysed and identified the

ways media products in the 1970's
were constructed to objectify the
female form.

The Male Gaze theory suggests that

women are objectified, in film
particularly, because heterosexual
men are in control of the camera.

According to this theory, women are

considered the passive gender (to
be looked at) and men are
considered the active gender (to do
the looking)

Awesome!

True False

Correct definition

Mulvey's Male Gaze Theory

Definition Term 3 of 20

As well the objectification of women,

Wolf's Beauty Myth/Standards
the imagery being used is
considered to be unattainable...

Wolf argues in that media images

present society with a 'beauty myth'
which communicates an ideological
message that women should treat
their bodies as a 'project in constant
need of improvement.'

She suggests that media present

women with an 'Iron Maiden', a
standard that is unobtainable but
aspiration

Excellent!

True False

Definition Term 4 of 20

Hall believes that we can understand

Stuart Hall's Theory of
representations by looking at the
Representation
meaning of media language.

He thinks that media products

contain a 'shared conceptual
roadmap' which audiences are
familiar with and it helps us
understand the representations that
are being portrayed.

He believes that the media often

contains stereotypes, which reduce
groups of people to a few, often
negative characteristics

He believes that stereotyping occurs

where there is an inequality of
power. Where dominant groups in
society often make the media
products, and so represent non-
dominant groups in stereotypical
ways.

Therefore non dominant groups

often don't get the opportunity to
challenge these stereotypes as they
are often blocked from the media
production process. Stereotyping
tends to occur where there are
inequalities of power, as subordinate
or excluded groups are constructed
as different or 'other

You've got this!

True False

Definition Term 5 of 20

the idea that representation is the

hesmondhalgh's Cultural Industries
production of meaning through
language, with language defined in
its broadest sense as a system of
signs

the idea that the relationship

between concepts and signs is
governed by codes

the idea that stereotyping, as a form

of representation, reduces people to
a few
simple characteristics or traits

the idea that stereotyping tends to

occur where there are inequalities of
power, as
subordinate or excluded groups are
constructed as different or 'other'
(e.g. through
ethnocentrism).

You're doing great!

True False

Correct definition

Hall's Theories of Representation

Definition 6 of 20

the idea that the media is controlled by a small number of companies primarily
driven
by the logic of profit and power

the idea that media concentration generally limits or inhibits variety, creativity
and
quality

the idea that more socially diverse patterns of ownership help to create the
conditions
for more varied and adventurous media productions.

Brilliant work!

Hall's Theories of Representation Butler's Gender Performativity

Curran & Seaton's Power and Media

hesmondhalgh's Cultural Industries
Industries

Definition 7 of 20

the idea that there is an underlying struggle in recent UK regulation policy

between the need to further the interests of citizens (by offering protection
from harmful or offensive material), and the need to further the interests of
consumers (by ensuring
choice, value for money, and market competition)

the idea that the increasing power of global media corporations, together with
the rise of convergent media technologies and transformations in the
production, distribution
and marketing of digital media, have placed traditional approaches to media
regulation at risk

No problem. You're still learning!

Gilroy's Ethnicity and Postcolonial

Stuart Hall's Reception theory
theory

Livingstone & Lunt's Regulation

Van Zoonen's Feminist Theory
Theory

Definition 8 of 20

the idea that feminism is a struggle to end sexist/patriarchal oppression and

the
ideology of domination

the idea that feminism is a political commitment rather than a lifestyle choice

the idea that race and class as well as sex determine the extent to which
individuals
are exploited, discriminated against or oppressed.

Awesome!

bell hook's Feminist Theory Steve Neale's Genre Theory

Roland Barthes Semiotic Theory Vladimir Propp's character types theory

Definition 9 of 20

the idea that cultural industry companies try to minimise risk and maximise
audiences through vertical and horizontal integration, and by formatting their
cultural products (e.g. through the use of stars, genres, and serials)

the idea that the largest companies or conglomerates now operate across a
number of different cultural industries

the idea that the radical potential of the internet has been contained to some
extent by its partial incorporation into a large, profit-orientated set of cultural
industries

Excellent!

Butler's Gender Performativity Hall's Theories of Representation

Curran & Seaton's Power and Media

hesmondhalgh's Cultural Industries
Industries

Definition 10 of 20

He believes that fans are active participants in the construction and circulation
of textual meanings

He believes that fans take media texts, and sometimes interpret them / use
them in ways which were not intended by the producers and he calls this
'textual poaching'.

He believes that fans construct their social and cultural identities by borrowing
and adapting media texts / images and that this is a vital part of society.

You've got this!

Henry Jenkins Fandom theory Stuart Hall's Reception theory

Van Zoonen's Feminist theory Steve Neale's Genre theory

Match term to definition 11-15 of 20

Select a term to match it with its definition

A theory which suggests that all stories feature very similar character types who all play specific
roles in developing the narrative. He thinks the characters make it easy for an audience to
understand the story. His character types include
• Hero
• Villain
• Dispatcher
• Donor
• Helper
• Princess / Prize

You're doing great!

Vladimir Propp's character types theory

A theory which suggests that all narratives follow a very similar structure.
• Equilibrium
• Disruption
• Realization
• Battle for Resolution
• New Equilibrium

Todorov suggests that all narratives share a basic structure that involves a movement from one
state of equilibrium to another. He suggests that these two states of equilibrium are separated by
a period of imbalance or disequilibrium which needs to be resolved. The way in which narratives
are resolved can have particular ideological significance.

Brilliant work!

Tzvetan Todorov's Narrative Structure theory

A Structuralist Theory
Barthes theorized that media products were embedded with codes by producers which
audiences could decipher / decode to gain more meaning. His codes include:

Semantic Codes - these are elements of a product that connote particular meanings that most
audiences understand. For example, the colour red connotes danger or love. A suit connotes
wealth and class. These are mostly within the product itself.

Symbolic Codes - these are semantic elements, which have become so ingrained in us that they
have taken on a very specific meaning. For example, a cross connotes religion, a hoodie connotes
violence and rebellion, a heart connotes love. Sometimes people say they have taken on the
status of a 'myth'. These are the deeper meanings in the real world.

Enigma Codes (Hermeneutic) - these are mysterious enigmatic elements of a product, that leave
the audience with unanswered questions. These are good at hooking an audience in because they
often have to consume the whole product (eg see the film, read the magazine etc) in order to find
out the answers to these questions.

Action Codes (Proairetic) - these are elements that tell an audience about something that is going
to happen. For example a gun suggests there will be shooting and violence. An ellipses (...)
suggests something dramatic is going to happen as a result of what has just been said.

Cultural Codes - these are elements that might only be understood by a very specific audience in
a specific culture. For example, perhaps only some audiences would recognize a military logo on
someone's uniform, and so only they would understand the rank and importance of that soldier.
Useful for Intertextual References.

Awesome!

Roland Barthes Semiotic Theory

A theory which suggests two things about genre.

1) Audiences enjoy specific texts because of "repetition and difference" of the repertoires of genre
elements used. For example an audience might enjoy a film because it is a typical action film
which uses all the normal action conventions. They might also enjoy a film specifically because it
AVOIDS the usual conventions of the genre and does something a bit different.

2) Genre is not something static, as it is always

evolving.

Excellent!

Steve Neale's Genre Theory

A Structuralist Theory

A theory which suggests that a good story revolves around conflict between binary opposites
(two things represented as totally different to one another). Binary Opposites could be good vs
evil, men vs women, young vs old, Britain vs Germany etc..

the idea that meaning is dependent upon (and produced through) these pairs of oppositions

the idea that the way in which these binary oppositions are resolved can have
particular ideological significance.

You've got this!

Claude Levi Strauss's theory of Binary Opposites

Definition 16 of 20

Alvarado noted that there are 4 themes in racial representations in the media.
These are as:

Exotic - Ethnic groups are seen as exotic or being 'the other' and are
represented as being strange or unusual.

Dangerous - Minorities are sometimes represented as a threat to society. The

news and other media may present these groups as taking advantage of a
society.

Humorous - In the 70s, race was a major vehicle for comedy. Programmes
removed the 'threat' of different races by making them the butt of the jokes.

Pitied - Representation of ethnic groups may also be as deprived groups or

victims of natural disasters like famine, floods and sometimes conflicts. Images
of children are often used to gain sympathy.

Not quite. You're still learning!

Racism

Correct answer

Alvarado's Racial Representations theory

Definition 17 of 20

A theory which suggests that active audiences USE the media for different
reasons.

They think audiences are active and that the media plays a "function" for
audiences. They think the main functions of the media are:
• Personal Identity
• Entertainment
• Information
• Social Interaction/Interaction

Close enough. You're correct!

Blumer and Katz uses and gratifications theory

Correct answer

Blumler & Katz's uses & gratifications theory

Definition 18 of 20

Shirky believes that the internet and technology has completely changed the
relationship between producers and audiences.

He believes that the idea of a passive audience consuming the media no

longer exists because technology has turned them into an active 'prosumer'
who likes to 'speak back' to the media, and create and share their own content
now.

Give this one a go later!

Skipped

Correct answer