Representation blog tasks

 Read the Media Magazine feature 'Representation old and new'. This is in MM51 on page 6 - go to our Media Magazine archive to find the article. Complete the following tasks:

1) Why is representation an important concept in Media Studies?

Representation is an important concept in Media Studies as when we see a person, place, object or idea being represented in a media text, it has in some way been mediated by the very act of representation.

2) How does the example of Kate Middleton show the way different meanings can be created in the media?

The axample of Kate Middleton show the way different meanings can be created in the media by the picture editor selecting photos from a whole series of of images while the News editor decide on how the story will be represented and what caption to pin down to anchor the meaning of the image.

3) Summarise the section 'The how, who and why of media representation' in 50 words.

When producing a media it is important to analyse who is creating them and the reason for it. All different media products have different functions. There are a series of media language choices. Some of the ideas could be rejected or accepted. Those who are rejected don't reach the specific meaning that the producer wants to communicate. For example the use of wallpapers can help communicate different ideologies. The repetition of values and ideologies would lead to audiences to start to feel 'natural' due to seeing it a range of times they've seen it. The critical philosopher Roland Barthes argues that the ‘naturalisation’ of ideas in this way actually acts to hide the ideology from view. It is present in texts but we don't recognise it as we just see them as a common sense. 

4) How does Stuart Hall's theory of preferred and oppositional readings fit with representation?

Hall argued that audiences do not necessarily accept the ideology of texts passively, but instead draw on their own cultural and social experiences to create their own interpretations. In his view

‘meanings’ and messages are not fixed by the creator of the text, but depend on the relationship between the reader/ viewer, and the text. In the wallpaper/ family values example above, you may support the implied ideologies, and therefore you might accept the intended meaning. However, some audiences may only partially accept the meanings being offered by a text; Hall calls this the negotiated position. Other audiences might reject them completely (the oppositional position).

5) How has new technology changed the way representations are created in the media?

The technology changed the way representations are created in the media by allowing audiences to be active as audience members can now construct and share their own media products, and in websites, video-sharing platforms and social media there are more opportunities for people to represent themselves than ever before. Individuals can now engage in the act self representation, often on a daily basis, through the creation of social media profiles and content.

6) What example is provided of how national identity is represented in Britain - and how some audiences use social media to challenge this?

The examples provided by how national identiy is represented in Britain are During the 2014 World Cup, The Sun sent a free newspaper to 22 million households in England which represented its own concepts of ‘Englishness’ by symbolic references – queuing, the Sunday roast, Churchill and The Queen – to heroes, values and behaviours that the paper (and its owners, Rupert Murdoch’s News Corps) defined as appropriate expressions of ‘English identity’.

Watch the clip from Luther that we studied in class (Season 1, Episode 1 - minute 7.40-10.00 - you'll need your Greenford Google login to access the clip). Now answer these final two questions:

7) Write a paragraph analysing the dominant and alternative representations you can find in the clip from Luther.

The dominant representations from the clip was that the main character was represented as leading, professional and powerful. This idea is due to the way his body language highlights his brave and manly stance. The main character also shows the idea of dominance which reinforces the stereotypes of a man as, during the scene when they were in the car, the other man (Justin Ripley) was following orders from Luther, where Luther asked questions "where to" and Justin answered quickly. In addition, he was giving a hint of a breadwinner stereotype as the first part of the scene when he was sitting down, the female character said that he's back in for the job if he want it and he stated "I want it" which again reinforces to the dominant representation. However, an alternative representation is that he seemed to be unprofessional in some way as when Luther got into the car he asked Justin if they're not gonna have a chat about him being back and the idea of the female character seeming to lecture him to make sure that the situation doesn't happen again, which could suggest that he may have done something that's inadequate.

8) Write a paragraph applying a selection of our representation theories to the clip from Luther. Our summary of each theory may help you here:

Levi-Strauss: representation and ideology

Mulvey: the male gaze

Dyer: stereotyping and power
Medhurst: value judgements
Perkins: some stereotypes can be positive or true

In this clip, Levi-Strauss's representation and ideology is applied as we see that the main character is mainly representing a dominant representation due to the fact that he was highlighted as manly and professional which reinforces the ideal stereotype of a man, that is stoic and independent. Mulvey's male gaze might not apply to this scene as it shows how the main character is respectful about the way he talked to the female character and the fact that he was just walking behind her the whole time. Dyer's stereotyping and power may not apply due to the fact that there's no power play in this clip. Medhurst's value judgements might not also apply as it showed how Luther being black was represented in a positive way and showed as the main character, which subverts this representation. Perkins's steretoypes of sometimes can be positive and true can be applied as it showed how the characters working in the law are strict with their work and professional this could suggest that they always do good in their work.