Unit 4 Media

Social Values
Representations (re-
presentation)
Representations are words, images, sounds or stories that
stand for something else. Representations say something about
their subject beyond the literal meaning. Representations are
constructed to suit a particular audience and purpose and they
can be influenced by the society in which they are created.

Representations are constructed through a process of selection

and exclusion.

Representations can be of
individuals
social groups (e.g. women),
institutions (e.g. schools),
ideals (e.g. law and order)
events (e.g. political elections).
Codes

Codes
Technical Codes include Symbolic Codes include
camera techniques, body language, objects,
framing, depth of field, setting, clothing, colours,
lighting choice of actors
Camera framing and
The colour RED is often
angles can often be used
to indicate power used as a symbol for
relationships between emotion love, passion,
characters anger.

Look at pp.5-
7 for more
info
Conventions
Conventions are habits or accepted ways
of doing things. The audience is aware of
the conventions of particular media text.
This awareness is developed over years of
exposure to a convention or set of
conventions
ACTIVITY
Examples of conventions in sitcom include:
Use of canned
With (pre-recorded
the person sitting laughter/applause)
next to you use your
A focus on moral issues and morality
knowledge to
Focus on family groups (whether related by blood or
come up with a list of the conventions of sitcoms.
friendship)
Depictions of easily identifiable and highly stereotypical
characters
Stereotypes and
Counter-types
Stereotype = an
oversimplified, clichd
Counter-type = a portrayal
image repeated so many
that deliberately sets out to
times that it seems to have
change an earlier
an established pattern. An
representation or seeks to
archetype is a supreme
portray a group in a positive
stereotype that exemplifies
light
all of the qualities of a
particular ideal/image

Effeminate What do you think ?

Social Value

Socialvalues are the beliefs, opinions or general

attitudes a society or group holds at a particular
time. Social values are intangible and can be
dominant, traditional, alternative/oppositional or
emerging.

Media texts tend to be shaped by the social

values of their production period. Texts include
values of the time, either by depicting evidence
that suggests that they support the values or
challenge them.
Social value

Social Values
Relative Values Absolute Values
Values that may Values that do not
evolve and change evolve or change over
over times time
EXAMPLE EXAMPLE
That children should That human life is
be seen and not heard sacred
Social Values

Social Values
Emerging
Dominant Oppositional Values that are
The most gradually Traditional Alternative
Values that
prominent and challenge the gaining Values that Values that
well supported norm. Usually acceptance have been held directly
values. held only by from a wider for a long challenge the
Usually upheld small groups group of period of time mainstream/
by the people. Often by the majority dominant
in society.
majority of these values of people. values
Sometimes begin as
society. they directly oppositional.
oppose
mainstream
values. EXAMPLE
EXAMPLE
EXAMPLE Polygamy that
EXAMPLE That the family
EXAMPLE That same-sex it is acceptable
That life is unit (in its many
marriage is to be married to
sacred That men are forms) is
acceptable more than one
superior to important.
person
women
Discourse

Discourse
Discourse refers to the creation of
meaning through the interrelationship
of texts, audiences and media
You need to show an understanding of
organisations in society. A discourse is
the discourse or social issue, how it is
like an ongoing discussion about an
represented in a range of media texts
idea or social issue. In VCE Media, you
and how these representations reflect
will be studying how a particular
values in society.
discourse or social issue and how
values related to this discourse are
reflected in a range of media texts.
Discourse : The representation of
homosexuality in mainstream American Media

The way in which homosexual characters were portrayed and in what context this depiction
occurred in, as well as how societys values particularly in attitudes towards homosexuality
were conveyed through mainstream media.

Examining how homosexuality has become widely accepted following years of discrimination
and negative attitudes towards it and the progression made in the representation of
homosexual males in mainstream media.

DOMINANT
DOMINANT

A
A dominant
dominant value
value in
in 1993
1993 was
was that
that homosexuality
homosexuality is
is a
a threat
threat to
to the
the traditional
traditional notion
notion of
of masculinity.
masculinity. This
This value
value was
was held
held by
by a
a majority
majority because
because of
of a
a
generalisation
generalisation that
that asserts
asserts that
that gay
gay men
men were
were feminine
feminine and
and excessively
excessively flamboyant.
flamboyant. Because
Because this
this stereotype
stereotype was
was accepted
accepted by
by aa majority
majority of
of
heterosexual
heterosexual men,
men, the
the notion
notion of
of homosexuality
homosexuality became
became closely
closely tied
tied with
with being
being feminine,
feminine, and
and seen
seen as
as an
an affront
affront to
to their
their masculinity.
masculinity.

EMERGING
EMERGING

The
The emerging
emerging value
value ofof the
the early
early 1990s
1990s that
that homosexuality
homosexuality is
is an
an acceptable
acceptable andand moral
moral behaviour,
behaviour, is
is supported
supported by
by a
a long
long history
history where
where
homosexuality
homosexuality was
was prohibited
prohibited and
and illegal.
illegal. Exemplified
Exemplified years
years earlier
earlier with
with service
service announcement
announcement boys
boys beware,
beware, that
that depicted
depicted homosexuals
homosexuals as as being
being
paedophiles
paedophiles and
and sick,
sick, the
the early
early 1990s
1990s marked
marked aa time
time when
when more
more of
of aa positive
positive discussion
discussion regarding
regarding male
male homosexuality
homosexuality began
began to
to occur.
occur. Given
Given that
that a
a
NORE
NORE poll
poll conducted
conducted inin 1992
1992 demonstrated
demonstrated howhow 66%
66% of
of Americans
Americans still
still believed
believed homosexuality
homosexuality was
was wrong,
wrong, with
with 22%
22% disagreeing,
disagreeing, with
with the
the remaining
remaining
12%
12% undecided,
undecided, it
it is
is evident
evident that
that this
this value
value was
was only
only beginning
beginning to
to become
become moremore widely
widely accepted.
accepted.
What You Will Have To
Do
What could you be asked
to do
Define terminology ( discourse representation, social values values, code,
convention, production context etc.)

Describe the social values from the time that your chosen text was produced.

Describe and analyse the representations in the text.

Describe and analyse the way that the text has been influenced by the social
values of the period in which it was produced.

Analyse the relationship between the production context and the text (year
and place of production, social context, writers, producers etc).

Analyse the relationships between the social value/s and the representations
in the text.

Explain how the representations in the text support and/or challenge the
social values of the time period.
Higher order and lower order
thinking
Lower order thinking recite or regurgitate
information
Define
Describe

Higher order thinking hypothesise, combine

facts and
ideas, and come to a conclusion
Analyse
Explain
Compare
Contrast
 Define terminology.

Q. Define the term social values and discuss their relationships to

media texts.

Social values are the beliefs, opinions or general attitudes a society or

group holds at a particular time. Social values are intangible and can be
dominant, oppositional, alternative or
emerging.

Media texts tend to be shaped by the social values of their production

period. Texts include values of the time, either by showing ways in which
they support the values or challenge /go against them.
 Social values of the
period
Q. Describe a social value from the production period of the text that you
studied.

An emerging social value from the 1990s (represented in Philadelphia) is

that homosexuality is an acceptable and moral behaviour.
 Social Value +
Represenation
Q1. Describe a social value from the production period of the text that you
studied.

ANSWER:
One social value of the production period of Bend It Like Beckham is that people of
different cultures should be accepted and respected.

+
Q2. Explain how the social value identified in Q1. was depicted in
the representation/s in the text you studied this year.

One social value of the production period of Bend It Like Beckham is that
people of different cultures should be accepted and respected. The film
presents us with a very multicultural society, represented via the characters of
Bhamra family (Indians), Joe (Irish coach) and Jules family (British). The
friendship between Jess (an Indian girl) and Jules (an English girl) represents
acceptance for those of other cultures, as does the relationship between Jules
and Joe.
The Key Values so far
Homosexuality is an acceptable and moral behaviour. (emerging)
Homosexuality is a threat to the traditional notion of masculinity (dominant)
Production Context

What is 'production context'?

When writing about your text, it is important to
identify
the production context. Asking the following
questions
can help to define the production context:
Who made the text?
When was it created?
What country was it made in?
The text's time and place of production can help us
understand the social values that the text embodies.
Taken from Lesson Bucket
Discourse

Describe how one of

the texts you
studied reflects the
tension between
dominant and
emerging values.
Discourse : The representation of
homosexuality in mainstream American Media

Sample Response: Describe how one of the texts you studied reflects the tension between dominant and
emerging values.

The 1993 Jonathan Demme Film Philadelphia, one of the first high profile Hollywood films to
depict a realistic representation of homosexuals looks at the changing attitudes towards
homosexuality admidst the context of mass hysteria towards AIDs. Starring Tom Hanks as
homosexual, AIDs sufferer Andrew Beckett, the film looks at the dominant values of America at
the time of production that saw homosexuality as unacceptable clashing with the progressive
emerging values that it is acceptable and that homosexuals deserve equal rights. Consistant
with the dominant value that homosexuality is wrong a 1992 NORC poll found that 66% of
Americans that homosexual relations were wrong with only 22% disagreeing. In Philadelphia
this is reflected through an extensive use of characters using homophobic slurs such as
faggoty little ass and claims that homosexuality makes me sick thinking about it

The films central plot revolves around Beckett filing a lawsuit suing a law firm for his dismissal
claiming discrimination supporting an emerging value of the early 1990s America that
homosexuals deserve equal rights and contrasts heavily with the dominant attitude of
contempt towards homosexuals.

A large protest outside the courtroom in the film demonstrates this tension between the
dominant value of the time and the emerging value, depicting fairly equal crowds of protestors
representing each side of the protest.

CONTINUE THIS ANSWER

Discuss the way that the text
has been influenced by the
production context.
Q. Describe how the text that you studied this year was influenced by
the production context.

Good Times is a family based sitcom produced in the USA in the 1970s.
The 70s in America was a period in which many of the highly important
social changes initiated in the 1960s came to fruition. A prime example of
this was the social change brought about by the Civil Rights Movement
and the Civil Rights Bill of 1963. Good Times owes its very existence to a
better America where black and white Americans were considered equal.
The family in the show is a black family, their concerns and struggles
are depicted honestly. The characters talk about the ongoing social and
economic inequalities facing the African American community suggesting
that whilst reflecting on the legal and social changes that have occurred.
 Analyse representations

Q Describe how one or more of the representations in the text you

have studied this year is constructed to reflect social values of the
texts production period.

Fred has been constructed to reflect the social value that men were
expected to be dominant. Fred is the main character, he dominates
storylines and scenes. For example in the blessed event Wilma is
having a baby but Fred claims that she is barely involved and he acts
like he has to do all the work. He is visually dominant, he is the tallest,
largest character, he has dark hair and bright clothes. His voice is loud
and sound effects are used to convey his emotion as he walks. Generally
in the scenes that include Fred he is positioned at the head of the group.
He drives the car and the car is shown from his side (Wilmas face only
visible.) Generally Freds shot durations last longer and he is shown in
close up shots more regularly than the other characters.