Associated Resources
- Representation Theory Simplified Handout.doc
The media literally re-presents the world to us. Dominant and oppositional arguments conflict e.g. on one hand the media is showing us how things actually are, on the other hand they are telling us how things should be (dictating representations, not just reflecting society).
The main representations we study in the media are:
- Masculinity
- Femininity
- Social Class
- Sexuality
- Race and Ethnicity
- National Identity
- Age
Hegemonic Cultural Stereotyping
This theory suggests that the media reinforces and circulates traditional ‘old fashioned’ representations and then re-presents them to audiences as common sense e.g. men and women should behave in a certain way:
- Masculinity – Bruce Willis in Die Hard 4.0, James Bond
- Femininity – Weak female characters in Eastenders (female victim) or Wendy in The Shining (dominant meaning)
- Social Class – the stereotype of Hugh Grant as the middle class twit in Notting Hill, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Bridget Jones’ Diary or Hyacinth Bucket in Keeping up Appearances (aspirational working/middle class)
- Sexuality – Graham Norton (hyper real camp representation), Bruno
- Race and Ethnicity – Ali G (exaggerated Asian stereotype)
- National Identity – Combo in This is England (racist beliefs)
- Age – Grandad/Uncle from Only Fools and...
