Question 1B – Key Concepts and TheoriesBY ALINA HAQ

Why is genre important?

Producers of media texts:

Provides a pattern for construction, a template

Genres have an established audience who are easy to market to

Certain personnel can develop their skills within a particular genre

Stars can associate themselves with a particular genre e.g. Will Ferrrel – slapstick comedy and when the audiences see him on a film poster it instantly tells audiences what kind of film they are likely to see if he is in it

Distributors

Clear channels for marketing and distribution – target audience easily established

Concentration of distribution resources

Fans of a genre as a whole can easily be persuaded to buy other texts in the genre e.g. dance music compilations CDs

Provides a structure for retail outlets

The five functions of Genre:

Reinforcement of cultural ideas and values

Creation of a set exceeding audience’s expectations

Creation of characteristics by producers which audiences recognise

A relationship between audiences and producers which minimises the risk of financial failure

Dynamism and flexibility that is constantly transforming with new examples

Genre Theory

Daniel Chandler “Conventional definitions of genre are based on the idea that they share particular convention of content e.g. themes or setting”

Steve Neale “Genres are instances of repetition and difference; this is what pleasure for the audience is derived from”

John Hartley “The same text can belong to different genres in different countries or time”

David Buckingham “Genre is a constant process of negotiation and change”

John Fiske “Genre attempts to structure some order into the wide range of texts and meaning that circulation in our culture for the conveniences of both producers and audiences”

Narrative Theories

Narrative is the media term for story telling

Equilibrium theory – Tzevtan Todorov - Equilibrium, disruption, recognition, attempt to repair, new equilibrium

Binary opposition – Claude Levi Strauss – contrast or opposites

Linear/non-linear – chronological vs non

Abstract, performance, narrative, hybrid (music video)

Vladimir Propp – 7 characters

Roland Barthes – enigma codes, semiotic, action, cultural, symbolic

Representation

To represent something is to describe or depict it, to call it up in mind by description or portrayal

For representation to be meaningful to audiences there needs to be a shared recognition of people, situations, ideas etc.

All representations therefore have ideologies behind them. Certain paradigms are encoded into texts and others are left out in order to give a preferred representation (the preferred syntagm) (Levi – Strauss, 1958).

Ideologies and Representation (MARXISM)

A hegemonic view of society – fundamental inequalities in power between social groups. Groups in power exercise their influence culturally rather than by force.

Concept has origins in Marxist theory - ruling capitalist class are able to protect their economic interests.

Representations are encoded into mass media texts in order to do this – reinforce dominant ideologies in society.

Tim O ’Sullivan et al. (1998) Ideology – refers to a set of ideas which produces a partial and selective view of reality. Notion of ideology entails widely held ideas or beliefs which are seen as ‘common’ sense and become naturalised.

What is important is that, in Marxist terms, the media ’s role may be seen as :

Circulating and reinforcing dominant ideologies

(less frequently) undermining and challenging such ideologies.

…

Links to Roland Barthes (1973) Myth – ideologies work through symbolic codes – mythic in the sense of having the appearance of being ‘natural’ or ‘common sense’.

Judith Williamson (1978 ) detailed that advertisements (film posters, adverts for music texts you created) draw heavily on myths – they use cultural signifiers to represent qualities which can be realised through the consumption of the product. (fulfilment of needs – Maslow).

In the case of magazine texts and adverts they are encoded specifically to represent an aspirational lifestyle offering audiences images of an ideal self and ideal partner (Carl Rogers,1980).