David Gauntlett Handout - Representations of Gender in the Past

Notes:


Chapter is about the overview of representations of gender in the Media.
Internet and World Wide Web brings more information and ideas into our lives.

1950'S, 1960'S AND 1970'S only 20-30% of characters were female.
Mid 1980's there were more women leading roles, but there were twice as many men on screen.
Mid 1970's (Miles, 1975) found that nearly equal proportions of men and women in situation comedies, however, gender roles and humour could still be traditional and sexist.
Only 15% of women wereleading characters in adventurous and action shows.
In 1987, study found female roles to be most common in comedy programmes(43%).
1970's, marriage, parenthood and domesticity were shown to be more important to women than men.
Study by McNeil (1975) concluded that women's movement was largely ignored by television, with married housewives being the main female role.
Studies in the 1970's found men to be the more dominant characters
Men were seen as assertive or aggressive, and women were seen as passive.
Men were also seen as active and victorious and Women were also seen as weak and victimised or merely "Token Females". (Gunter, 1995).
Tuchman-Women don't count for much, underrepresented and "Symbolically annihilated". However, these are only the views from the American Society. Men were shown solving both emotional and practical problems, leaving women with little value.
Dyer-Game shows didn't bother to change their "Degrading and trivialising" views of women, News programmes are accused of "Tokenism" or "Window Dressing", by including some women in key positions whilst retaining a male dominated culture.
Sharon Smith- Roles of Women revolve around their physical attraction and mating games she plays with the male characters
E.Ann Kaplan-Women are refused a voice, in Hollywood films, their desire is subjected to male desire.
Kathi Maio-Hollywood's ideas about gender were "often reprehensible". She stated that "Women are not only given less screen time, being portrayed as "Powerless" and "Ineffectual".
Maio also stated that films such as "Dead Calm"1989), and "Heathers"(1989), present women as Strong and Victorious.

Hegemonic vs. Pluralistic

I would like to think that I have more of a Pluralistic view, being a media student certainly helps this idea. I believe that I am Pluralistic as i take my own Preffered reading, Reception theory, associated with Stuart Hall and David Morely, for example when I am watching a film I as comment on how that would never happen in real life. However I do think I am slightly conformed into the Hegemonic idea, as I do Agree with Marcuse's view that the media helps to 'Indoctrinate and Manipulate and promote a false consciousness to audiences'.

COVER Wed 12.11.08 p1/p2

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=tQLrnN3qsDs - (Could not post up on blog as the embedding code had been disabled, due to terms of privacy). The Uprising Scene.

M - the camera moves around the protagonist, to give that first hand view, as if the audience are actually there. The camera uses low angles on the mob, to present them as powerful. Some parts of the film actually contain dirt on the lens of the camera, which allows for that perception that you are once again getting that first hand experience. The lighting is low key/natural lighting, also giving out that perception. The camera always maintains eye level with the protagonist, in order to give the perception that you are living this nightmare world with him, as if you were his friend.

I - Ideologies are the beliefs of the dystopian world and the nature of chaos.

G - sci/fi/apocalyptic

R - representations, those who are civilians are represented as weak, possibly relating to how many civilians feel to the economic situations in today's society, where as the mob are represented as powerful, however still rebellious through their fighting of their opposition. This can be seen in the episode of spooks (BBC one) that I watched on Tuesday - http://www.bbc.co.uk/spooks/index.shtml

A - the audience are those everyday working class adults that can relate to that feeling of having a dead end job, being bored, this film reflects some of their feelings about toady's societies. They are usually in their late 20's to early 30's. Mainly a male audience as they probably can relate to the male protagonist.

I -

N - it usually goes in order, no flashbacks.

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Value Judgement - a subjective opinion based on an individual's attitudes, beliefs and values rather than on any objective criteria.

Social Realism - the representation of characters and issues in film and television drama in such a way as to raise serious underlying social and political issues.
- the films are usually shot in a naturalistic way, avoiding the use of sophisticated editing and treatments and sometimes giving the impression that the camera is simply recording the events as they take place. There is often little use of non-diegetic sound.

Science Fiction - a film genre involving a futuristic or alien world setting, and technologies not available in the contemporary world.
-The first film in the genre was Metropolis (Fritz Lang, 19270. The futuristic writings of H. G. Wells provided screenplays for Things to come (William Cameron Menzies, 1936) and The war of the worlds (Byron Haskin, 1954) and its remake, war of the worlds (Steven Spielberg, 2005)
- The imaginary future often has a dystopian setting or reflects current fears and phobias such as alien or foreign invasion (Independence day, Roland Emmerich, 1996) technological Nightmares (The Terminator, James Cameron, 1984), or ecological disaster (Waterworld, Kevin Reynolds, 1995). The genre is equally adaptable to the mystical and mysterious (2001: A space Odyssey, Stanely Kubrick, 1968) and to fairy-tale fantasy narrative (Star Wars, George Lucas, 1977) and horror (Alien, Ridley Scott, 1979).

Preferred Reading - the meaning of a text as intended by the author.
- The term is associated with the works of Stuart Hall and David Morley and the view that texts can have open or various meanings or closed, restricted meanings depending on their origin, intention and complexity. Readers, however can always interpret texts in line with their own attitudes, beliefs and values.
- Preferred readings are often in line with dominant ideology, but resistance to this can genrate negotiated or oppositional readings (reception theory).

Oppositional Reading (also known as 'aberrant decoding') - a reading of a media text that rejects the ideological positioning and apparent mening intended by the producers of the text and substitutes a redical alternative.
- The term, along with negotiated reading and dominant reding, is part of Stuart Hall's encoding/decoding model (Reception theory).

Self Evaluation

Attainment -

Effort - 1, this is as I always put alot of effort into everything I do, however sometimes I do need to put in more effort into my homework, this is as I rush to get it done sometimes.

Punctuality - 2, Im always attending Media classes, however I think that I am late many times so I need to work on my lateness, however this lateness is never over 7 minutes!

Submission and quality of work - 2, most of the time I hand in my work on time to a good quality, however lately I have been lacking in both of these, but it is not to that point to be worried and I do believe that I have sorted this out now.

Ability to work Independently - 1, I am very good at working Independently, hence the work and the quality of the work i have done for my 'INDEPENDENT' study.

Quality Of writing - 2/3, I find that I am sometimes more able to express myself verbaly better, however I also find that I sometimes am unable to put these expressions down on paper with the write wording or making it sound influencial as well as in a correct way.

Organisation Of Media Folder - 2, I always arrande my work that I get from both teachers correctly, however sometimes you do find the odd notes here and there hangin out.

Oral Contribution in Class - 1, I always contribute in class, i've even been told that i 'need to calm down sometimes' as i do get over-excited with the work.

Standard Of Module 5 Blog - 1, alot of work, quite organised, with extra work...

Standard Of Module 6 Blog - 3/4, have been concentrating more on Module 5 blog, needs more effort/organisation.