Gender race and class in the media

What is “representation?” What is the process through which media representations (such as stereotypes) are produced? What are the significances of representations and how are “representational politics” related to culture and social power?

In answering these questions, you are to use the readings and other course materials (documentaries and video lectures) to focus on the structural/institutional production of media and representations, media’s influence in shaping audience (our) perspectives, and the cultural and social origins and consequences of stereotypes and representations as they relate to political power (traditional hierarchies and hegemony).    

 

social calss differences in todays world are not determined solely or directly by economic factors. ideological infliecne is crucial now in the exercise of social power ( Lull, 61) 

according to gramsci's theory of ideological hegemony, mass media are tools that ruling elites use to "perpetuate their power, wealth and status [by popularizing] their owen philosophy, culture and morality" (Boggs, 1976: 39) (Lull, 62). 

popular culture is comprised of the everday objects, actions, and events that influence people to believe and behave in certain ways(sellnow,2) 

mediated popular culture shape beliefs, prevades daily lives- it influences things like how we dress and how we interact with other people (sellnow, 3)

popular culture communicates to us and for us through signs and artifacts (sellnow, 4) 

artifacts 

groups we identify with are our popular culture groups- help shapre our characterisitics, values and belifs 

ideology is a cultural groups perceptions about the way things are and assumptions about the wat they ought to be - not factual but a perception ideas 

mediated popular culture text- song movie tv progran 

popular culture text- comprimised of interrelated set of signs and artifacts that all contribute to the same rhetorical argument ( reinforces or chanllenges beliefs about appropriateness , good or bad or desirable or not 

we study popular culture bc it persuades and communicates so many aspects of our lives 

Routines lead mass media creators to portray the Wolff in a way that harmonizes with the established power structure in society (turlow 209)

Routines reinforce institutional continuity (turlow 209)

They help creators deal with the need for change in mass media without causing problems in either institutional acceptablitily or organizational profits (turlow 209)

Many sex differences, it appears, may result from the images that people create in their attempts to act out accepted sex roles (Snyder 372)

Despite people's best intentions their initial impressions of others are shaped by the assumptions about such characteristics (Snyder 370)