Paul Gilroy Theory

Paul Gilroy's Representation theory (post colonialism) is the idea that colonialism from the 1500s-1900s still exists/is present in the media today.

Definition from OCR:

- The African diaspora caused by the Slave trade has now constructed a transatlantic culture that is simultaneously African, American, Caribbean and British - the 'Black Atlantic'.

- Britain has failed to mourn its loss of empire, creating 'postcolonial melancholia', an attachment to an airbrushed version of British colonial history, which expresses itself in criminalising immigrants and an 'us and them' approach to the world founded on the belief in the inherent superiority of white western civilisation.


Applying the Theory:

News - In both Tabloids and Quality Tabloids (Broadsheets) ethnicity is still commonly portrayed in a contrasting way to how current society expectations would prefer, however opposing colonialism eras, the existing portrayal of ethnic minorities is now more related to the nationality and political whereabouts of the subject rather than their skin colour.
Due to the content being overseen by (mostly) older white males, culture and ethnic origin is still partially portrayed with post colonial stereotypes in mind - allowing Gilroy's theory to be successfully applied.

The Theory is more useful for News than LFTVD (especially set works studied).


LFTVD - Both Stranger Things and Deutschland 83 contain examples of ethnic diversity, however are still dominated by a white cast/character base. This is most likely due to the context of the narrative in the shows (1980s ethnic inequality).
ST character Lucas is one of the only common ethnic diversity representations found within the show - linking to Gilroy's theory as the character is a part of the group of young teenagers that act against Hawkin's norm. Lucas (black) is addressed by the name 'Midnight' by bullies at the school (racially discriminating him) however the other 3 boys in his friendship circle are also attacked verbally and physically, providing a sense of cross-ethnic 'teaming up' which subverts the theory.
In D83, similarly, American General Jackson is the only evident ethnic representation the audience are given. Due to Jackson's powerful status, Gilroy's theory is less useful here than in ST - however the verisimilitude of this situation is accurate as the contextual status of Germany in the 1980s was lacking in ethnic diversity.

Paper 1

Paper 1 Section 1

Paper 1

Section 1 - News

Q1. Representation, 2 unseen texts, apply a Representation theory.
   (Hall, Gauntlett, Bell Hooks, Butler, Van Zoonen, Gilroy.)

Q2. Media Language on same unseen texts. (LAYOUT, colours, pictures, font, size etc...)

Q3. Audience - GUARDIAN and DAILY MAIL. (online, examples of articles etc...)

Q4. Theory. "Evaluate the usefulness of......theory". Guardian and Daily Mail (and others).

Cultural/Social:

- Class
- Ethnicity
- Religion
- Gender
- Political Views
- Audience
- Patriotism

Example:
(Point): The Mirror chooses to represent the cultural issue of gender through the choice of image on the front page. It depicts Theresa May, the female PM on the day of the 2017 General Election.

(Evidence): The Tabloid has printed a full colour, low angle closeup which bleeds to the edge of the page.

(Explain): The low angle shot has subverted the usual convention of tabloid imagery. Hall's theory suggests that the 'code' of low angle shot would empower the subject (Theresa May). However, this photograph undermines her authority, making her look unattractive, flawed and ridiculous. The representation of May as a female here also subverts Hall's theory of representation, as she does not fit the generic stereotype of the 'attractive' woman. Hall's theory is more in evidence in the Daily Mail (surprisingly) as she is looking repectable, open and positive.

OCR Jungle Book fact sheet

George Gerbner

George Gerbner's Cultivation Theory (The drip drip effect)

The repetition of images, stories etc... being to shape our beliefs. Below are stereotypical images surrounding these particular 'titles'.

Teenagers - Moody, lazy

Muslims - Religious, terrorism

Gypsies - Pikeys, dirty, cheating society

Americans - Fat, stupid, patriotic

Doctors - Safety, clean, well-educated

Girls from Essex - Orange, fake, chavvy

Theorists

Claude Levi Strauss (French anthropologist)


Binary Opposition theory:

Binary opposites help to thicken the plot and further the narrative/bring contrast. For example, in a superhero film this would be 'good' vs 'evil'. A problem with binary opposites is that they may sometimes perpetuate negative stereotypes. For example, if the binary opposite was 'man' vs 'woman', the man may be portrayed to be 'strong' whereas the woman is the 'damsel in distress'. It is important to see how these stereotypes have changed in media forms over time.

In structuralism, binary opposition is thought to be the fundamental organizer of human philosophy, language and culture.

However, critics have suggested that everything has a 'medium'
alongside an opposite. For example:
-For rich and poor, there is Middle Class.
-For gay and straight, there is Bisexual.

Steve Neale

       Steve Neale

. Steve Neale stated that genres may be dominated by repetition, but are also marked by difference, variation and change.