Mediation and Collective Identity
Transcript of Mediation and Collective Identity
SPECIFICATION Media and Collective Identity Prompt
Questions:
• How do the contemporary media represent nations,
regions and ethnic / social / collective
groups of people in different ways?
• How does contemporary representation compare to
previous time periods?
• What are the social implications of different media
representations of groups of people?
• To what extent is human identity increasingly
‘mediated’?
Mediation: synonyms: conciliation, arbitration, reconciliation, intervention, intercession, interposition, good
offices; Moremediation
miːdɪˈeɪʃ(ə)n/
noun
noun: mediation; plural noun: mediations
1. Intervention in a dispute in order to resolve it; arbitration.
"the parties have sought mediation and it has failed“
2. Intervention in a process or relationship; intercession.
"they are offering sacrifice and mediation between God and man"
A ‘negotiated’ reading of a media
text; (Stuart Hall)
• Preferred Reading – This is when audiences respond to the textt the way media producers want/expect them to.
• Negotiated Reading – This is when the audience partly agrees with the media text
• Oppositional Reading – This is when the audience are in complete disagreement with ‘meanings’ of the text
How do you think this applies to
Identity? (Relating to the media)
• Preferred Reading – This is when audiences respond to the product the way media producers want/expect them to.
• Negotiated Reading – This is when a member of the audience partly agrees with the media text
• Oppositional Reading – This is when the audience are in complete disagreement with ‘meanings’ of the text
Thomas De Zengotita: (2005)
• Says that almost everything we experience or learn is via the media in some way.
• Therefore the media must shape and create us, our views, an our identity as people.
• We subconsciously believe ourselves (the self) to be somehow inherently important because of all the media addressed to us:
Poletta & Jasper • A collective identity may have been first constructed by
outsiders who may still enforce it, but it depends on some acceptance by those to whom it is applied.
• Collective identities are expressed in cultural materials –names, narratives, symbols, verbal styles, rituals, clothing, and so on – but not all cultural materials express collective identities.
Does this imply Preferred, Negotiated, or
Oppositional readings are normal?
Jacques Lacan‘The Mirror Stage’
‘ That mirrors helped
children develop a sense
of self-identity.’
The assertion is that we
gain an idea of self-
identity through reflection.
• How does this fit with Stuart Hall’s negotiated readings?
• Are there any ‘mirrors’ you can think of that help ‘mediate’ your sense of self identity?
David Gauntlett: (Media, Gender and Identity 2002 )
• 'It is the case that the construction of identity has become a known requirement. Modern Western societies does not leave individuals in any doubt that they need to make choices of identity and lifestyle - even if their preferred options are rather obvious and conventional ones, or are limited due to lack of financial (or cultural) resources. As the sociologist Ulrich Beck has noted - everyone wants to 'live their own life,' but this is, at the same time 'an experimental life'.'
Your life is your project - there is no escape. The media
provides some of the tools which can be used in this work.
Like many toolkit, however, it contains some good utensils
and some useless ones; some that might give beauty to
the project and some that might spoil it.'
'The role model remains an important
concept, although it should not be
taken to mean someone that a person
wants to copy. Instead, role models
serve as navigation points as
individuals steer their own personal
routes through life.'
David Gauntlett: (Media, Gender and Identity 2002 )
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NswJ4kO9u
Hc
'The power relationship between the media and the
audience involves a 'bit of both' or to be more precise, a lot
of both. The media sends out a huge number of messages
about identity and acceptable forms of self-expression,
gender, sexuality, and lifestyle. At the same time the public
have their own even more robust set of diverse feelings on
the issues.
David Gauntlett: (Media, Gender and Identity 2002 )
The media's suggestions may
be seductive but can never
simply overpower contrary
feelings in the audience.'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe1Qyks8QEM
'The power relationship between the media and the
audience involves a 'bit of both' or to be more precise, a lot
of both. The media sends out a huge number of messages
about identity and acceptable forms of self-expression,
gender, sexuality, and lifestyle. At the same time the public
have their own even more robust set of diverse feelings on
the issues.
David Gauntlett: (Media, Gender and Identity 2002 )
The media's suggestions may
be seductive but can never
simply overpower contrary
feelings in the audience.'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe1Qyks8QEM
Does this imply Preferred, Negotiated, or
Oppositional readings are normal?
Althusser: Interpellation 1971
• A mechanism whereby the human subject is'constituted'(constructed) by pre-given structures
• According to this view, the subject (viewer, listener, reader) is constituted(constructed) by the text
• The power of the mass media resides in their ability to 'position‘ the subject in such a way that their representations are taken to be reflections of everyday reality.
Althusser: Interpellation 1971
The subject (viewer, listener,
reader) is constructed by the text.
The text can 'position‘ the subject
in such a way that the text’s
meanings and representations are
taken to be reality.
Althusser: Interpellation 1971
The subject (viewer, listener,
reader) is constituted constructed
by the text.
The text can 'position‘ the subject
in such a way that the text’s
meanings and representations are
taken to be reality.
Does this imply Preferred, Negotiated, or
Oppositional readings are normal?
• 1. Can you personally relate to the idea of creating identity using the media? Are there any characters or media personalities who you feel represent you?
• 2. Can you think of any examples of Collective Identities being heavily influenced and define themselves by the media? Particularly youth sub-cultures that are often defined by the type of media they consume:
• 3. Are there identities that are often constructed then perpetuated by the media? Eg. ‘The Chav’ Or are there individuals? Eg. Amy Winehouse
• 4. How can these media identities influence others? Eg ‘Skins Parties’
• 5. In an Internet ‘We Media’ world how can we use the media to create identities? Eg. Online Fandoms, YouTube, instagram