MEDIA MATTERS

MEDIA MATTERSStereotypes and Social Change in Popular MediaErica BenderACADEMIC CONNECTIONS UCSD SUMMER 2014Socially-Acceptable Narcissism!About Me.Ph.D. candidate in Sociology What does that mean, anyway?? My educational historyWhat do I do??Im interested in things like gender, organizations, the military, and mediaIm writing a dissertation and teaching courses at UCSDHow you can get in touch with me:e1bender@ucsd.edu (Remember the 1)

Lets Get to Know Each Other!!First, tell us about yourself.Your nameYour gradeWhere are you from?Why did you enroll in this course (Media Matters) for Academic Connections?

Now, a game (2 truths and a lie)

Which do you think is NOT true?Im 30 years oldMy face has been licked by a giraffeIm afraid of butterflies

#1: Im 27 years old!

Your Turn!Think of two truths and a lie about yourselfWell go around the room to share

Can we guess the lie?!?!Lets help each other remember our names.First, form a line by putting yourselves in alphabetical order by your first names.

Now, the name game! Think of a letter that describes you that ALSO starts with the same letter as your first nameExample: Energetic Erica! The first person will state their name and adjective, the second person will repeat and add theirs, and so onSo, now that we know each otherLets look at some media!What do YOU notice??There are no wrong answers!What do you see/hear/feel/think?

Media Matters!!Even the simplest and shortest pieces of media communicate a message to usOften, they communicate multiple messagesWe have no choice but to consume these mediaHow so?We have to ask ourselvesWhat message(s) are being communicated?Who made/constructed these messages? How are these messages targeted at specific people?Who benefits/profits from this? Who doesnt?

Well be asking these questions, and more, in this class!Class GoalsBuilding critical media literacyA set of tools to read media and consume it actively rather than passivelyMaking critical media literacy a habitIntroduction to core sociological conceptsClass (aka socioeconomic status), Race, Gender Social Structure and CultureSee the link between the media and social inequality /// the media and social changeCourse PlanFirst, well introduce the concepts of media literacy and practice analyzing mediaToday! (July 7)Then, well spend 3-4 days on each sociological realm and how we can see these representations in the mediaClass (July 8-11)Race (July 14-17)Gender (July 18-23)Well wrap up with a couple days of looking at how media can be used as a tool for social justice and listening to student presentationsJuly 24-25Lets review the syllabus

Goal 1: Critical Media LiteracyWhat does media mean?Plural for medium an avenue for transmitting informationThe media are the multitude of ways we transmit information in societyTypes of media?TV, Films/movies, Music, Radio, News sources, AdvertisementsThe internet, social media, emailSocial networks, social interaction, communicationGoal 1: Critical Media LiteracyLets think about just ONE medium: television. What kind of things do you see on television?Television shows (characters, behaviors, products)CommercialsNews storiesWhat else?

WHO decides WHAT we see on television??This is the first step to building media literacy

What role does popular media play in society??Goal 1: Critical Media LiteracyMedia literacy:The ability to access, analyze, and evaluate media in a variety of forms.Media literacy is a tool we can learn so that we can control the interpretation of what we see and hear rather than letting the interpretation control us. Media literacy is NOT about memorizing facts or statistics, its about learning to ask the right questions about what we are watching, reading, or listening to.What do you think those questions might be?Adapted from: Thoman, Elizabeth and Tessa Jolls. 2005. Literacy for the 21st Century. Center for Media Literacy. Goal 1: Critical Media LiteracyLets revisit that H&M Commercial

Goal 1: Critical Media LiteracyThis class will teach you: What kinds of questions you should be asking when consuming mediaHow to interrogate the media you see so that you can control its effect on youHow to see what is missing or left unsaid, and draw conclusions about why that is importantConnect media to broader sociological issuesGoal 2: Intro to Core ConceptsWhat is sociology?

(Systematic study of society)

What do sociologists study?(Everything!)There are over 50 unique subfields, including: race, class, gender, education, crime, families, organizations, food, religion, and more!!What are core sociological concepts?(The building blocks of sociological thinking)They are: Class, Race, Gender, Social Structure and CultureGoal 2: Intro to Core ConceptsClassWhat is class? How would you define it?Class is complicated to define. Is itIncome?Education?Professional status?How many hours per week you work?The things you buy (houses, cars, clothes, etc)?Your position relative to others? (i.e. Can you hire a maid, gardener, or personal assistant?)Class is all of these things put together. It is:

Social differentiation based largely on economic factors and factors that indicate economic standing.

Do we have a classless society?

Goal 2: Intro to Core ConceptsRaceI think this concept is much more real in our minds. We know that race is real. Do you agree?But what is race? How do you define what race is?More than just racial categories If an alien from outer space came to the US, how would it describe this pattern to its home planet?

Put simply, race is a way we differentiate (and hierarchize) different groups in society, based on physical characteristics. But what counts as one race and not another depends on the social and historical context. For example: Italian immigrants to the US

Is race biological, or does it just seem biological?

Goal 2: Intro to Core ConceptsGenderThis one is easy! What is gender?First, we need to know the difference between sex and genderSex/Sex Category the biological categories of male and female based on biological traits (genitalia, hormones, physiology)Gender the social categories of masculine and feminine that attach meaning to being male or female

Gender is not just about your category, its also about ALL the behaviors and conduct that are associated with that categoryWhen I say guy or boy or man, what kinds of qualities or characteristics come to mind? When I say girl or woman, what kinds of qualities or characteristics come to mind?

Is there anything wrong with having a gendered society?

Goal 2: Intro to Core ConceptsSocial Structure - The way society is organized, that you have little to no control over, that shapes your lifeSystems economic, political, powerSocial institutions education, laws, the military, the mediaDistribution/organization of resources wealth, social networksSIDE EFFECT: CREATE AND REINFORCE INEQUALITYCulture the shared knowledge in society that we learn and internalize, which shapes our beliefs and our worldviewSocial norms and customsBeliefs, ideologies, values/moralsWell-known stories or genres of storiesFood and food mannersHolidays, Rituals (weddings/funerals)Emotions, bodiesALSO REINFORCE INEQUALITY Thats just the way it is.

Structure/Culture Continued.Relationship between structure and culture:They reinforce and legitimate each other.

Lets think of an example.

Beliefs about educationTry hard and you will succeedEducation is key to getting a good jobThe system of evaluation is fair and impartial The people who get to (and do well) in college truly deserve it.

StructureCultureStructures of educationK-12 education is set up for middle class, abled studentsNecessary labor in an information/service economyTeachers and test makers have their own backgroundsRising tuition costs, state budget crises, cirricula and language, other responsibilities

Goal 3: Media and Social Inequality // Media and Social ChangeThe media is a.. social structure (an institution) that creates and reinforces cultural beliefs and attitudes.

Now that you know thisHow do y0u think the media might create inequality? How can it reproduce inequality that already exists?How do y0u think the media might challenge the status quo? How can it contribute to social change?