July School Holidays Assignment - Representation Deep Dive - When they See Us

 

Key Terminology 

Term	Definition & Exam Application
Representation	The way media re-presents the world — people, places, events and ideas are constructed through choices. Never 'neutral' or 'natural'.
Stereotype	An oversimplified, widely-held image of a group. Stereotypes are ideological — they serve the interests of dominant groups by making constructions appear natural.
Counter-type	A representation that deliberately challenges or subverts a dominant stereotype.
Ideology	A system of values and beliefs presented as common sense. Media texts encode ideological positions through representational choices.
Preferred / Dominant Reading	The meaning a producer intends audiences to take from a text. The technical codes work to anchor this reading.
Signifier / Signified	From semiotics: the signifier is the image/sound; the signified is the concept or meaning it evokes. Useful for analysing mise-en-scène.
Connotation / Denotation	Denotation = what you literally see/hear. Connotation = the cultural meanings and associations it carries.

 OBSERVATION GRID 

Element	What I noticed (observation) → What it means (analysis)
Camera
Editing
Mise-en-Scène
Sound

✦ ACTIVITY:  — Three Statements 1.   Students write three statements, each using a different technical element and explaining how it contributes to the representation of a character or group in the extract. 2.   Each statement must follow the structure: [Technical choice] + [Specific detail] + [Effect on audience/meaning created] + [Representation constructed]. 3.   Example: 'The low-angle shot of the detective [camera] creates a sense of authority and dominance, positioning the audience to view him as powerful, constructing a stereotypically heroic masculine identity.'

 

 

T2 | Wk 11 | David Gauntlett's Identity Theory

  

“Identity is complicated; everyone's got one.” Gauntlett believes that while everyone is an individual, people tend to exist within larger groups who are similar to them. He thinks the media do not create identities, but just reflect them instead 

Let's look at this article and clip from David Gauntlett himself 

https://davidgauntlett.com/digital-media/new-video-on-identity-for-uk-a-and-as-level-students/?fbclid=IwAR3ej7DimvZ2DDzuxJ0i9I-lx9R0iQJVtDpka8A0xcL-0PUsAU4X2VhNFtQ

Consider the question 

Why is it hard for us to ask the question 'how does this media text construct identity'? 

What are some key notions of identity that we should take into consideration? 

Use one of the clips from this week's homework assignment and write a paragraph that uses both Stuart Hall, Blumler and Katz (Uses _+ Gratifications theory) and Gauntlett's theory correctly.