Media and collective identity

Notes and key theories

Collective identity

Collective identity is the shared sense of belonging to a group. In Media Studies, we need to consider the influence media has over a person’s sense of identity.

This is closely linked to the key concept of representation as the way groups are portrayed in the media can influence our sense of identity.

Collective identity: theories

Marxism and the Frankfurt School

Marxists believe identity is constructed through hegemony imposed by the ruling elite. A sense of individual identity is a myth that prevents people challenging powerful groups.

This links to the Frankfurt School, a group of influential Marxists who viewed media audiences as passive vessels. They believe the media is used to control and manipulate people.

Example: Apple branding

Apple’s branding suggests individuality and creative freedom... But in fact it is a massive profit-seeking corporation looking to sell as widely as possible.

 



Daniel Chandler: CAGE

Daniel Chandler suggested the acronym CAGE, stating our identity is constructed through class, age, gender and ethnicity. 

Does this still apply in the 21st century? Do we construct our own identities along these lines? Think about your presence on social media.

Stuart Hall: media construction

Stuart Hall suggests the media actively constructs our society rather than reflecting it back. 

Our identity is part of this and therefore any sense of individuality we may feel is actually constructed through the media we engage with.

Constructing our own identities

New technology has changed the way we see ourselves and others. Through social media we can construct identities for ourselves.

Example: Facebook

• How did you choose your profile pic?
• What do you ‘like’?
• What groups have you joined?
• How many friends do you have?

Shared identity online

New technology has also created the opportunity for people to form groups online that represent their shared identity.

Think about the work we have already done on feminism and online activism.

Collective identity in the 21st Century

So, collective identity doesn’t just refer to representations in mainstream media.

It also refers to self-constructed identity by users of social media and communities formed online of shared identity (e.g. Feminism).

Collective identity: blog task

Read the Media Magazine article on collective identity: Self-image and the Media (MM41 - page 6). Our Media Magazine archive is here.

Complete the following tasks on your blog:

1) Read the article and summarise each section in one sentence, starting with the section 'Who are you?'

-Who are you section : we all construct an image to communicate our identity.  There is a difference between the person we think we are, the person we want to be and the person we want to be seen to be.

-I think, therefore I am : we present ourselves based on social constructs, constructed outside of our selves; class, religion, gender and the predetermined roles

-The rise of the individual : idea that beneath the surface there was an ‘essential self’ – the core of who you actually are.

-Branding and lifestyle : Branding is the association of a ‘personality’ with a product. Advertisers sell the personality rather than the product, so that people will choose products that match their own self image.

2) List brands you are happy to be associated with and explain how they reflect your sense of identity.

-Apple : as I own multiple apple products, and I use my iPhone constantly. 

-Instagram : This is the social networking site I like to use the most

3) Do you agree with the view that modern media is all about 'style over substance'? What does this expression mean?

-I agree that modern media is all about style over substance. it seems that people are more concerned with being defined through their sense of style and the materialistic products they possess rather than the authentic human experiences.

4) Explain Baudrillard's theory of 'media saturation' in one paragraph. You may need to research it online to find out more.

-Baurdrillard's theory of 'media saturation' results in high cultural value being placed on external factors such as physical beauty and fashion sense over internal traits such as intelligence or compassion. 

5) Is your presence on social media an accurate reflection of who you are? Have you ever added or removed a picture from a social media site purely because of what it says about the type of person you are?

-Social media presents a reflection of what the user wants to show themselves as to others. People usually rely heavily on 'likes' and 'comments' to feel good about their appearance. Personally, although I may post pictures of myself onto apps such as instagram, it doesn't give people information of the type of person I am, people construct their own opinions of you through what you post which doesn't affect me as I don't rely on people's opinions to construct my own identity. 

6) What is your opinion on 'data mining'? Are you happy for companies to sell you products based on your social media presence and online search terms? Is this an invasion of privacy?

-Data mining allows corporations to create products designed to meet the needs we reveal in our personal information and ultimately we end up selling our selves. This is an invasion of privacy as corporations have our personal details and I am against that.

Identities and Film: blog task

The media we choose to watch says a lot about us as people – it helps to construct our identity. 

Complete the following tasks using Media Factsheet 142: Identity and Film. You'll find it in our Media Factsheet archive on the Media Shared drive: M:\Resources\A Level\Media Factsheets

1) Read Media Factsheet 142: Identity and Film.

2) Complete the Twenty Statements Test yourself. This means answering the question ‘Who am I?’ 20 times with 20 different answers. What do they say about your identity? Write the 20 answers in full on your blog.

-I am a female
-I am Indian 

-I am a student
-I am the youngest in my house

-I am a feminist
-I am a film lover
-I am a fan of action movies
-I am a caring person
-I am extremely lazy
-I am loud

-I am amazing
-I am a good listener 
-I am violent :) [WARNING: don't mess with me] 
-I am kind
-I am polite
-I am funny 
-I am highly addicted to sweets 
-I am 17
-I am going to turn 18 on the 3rd of August
-I am the best. 

3) Classify your answers into the categories listed  on the Factsheet: Social groups, ideological beliefs, interests etc.

Self-evaluation : I am a caring person -I am extremely lazy -I am loud -I am amazing -I am a good listener -I am violent :) [WARNING: don't mess with me] -I am kind -I am polite -I am funny 
Ideological: I am a feminist
Interests: -I am a film lover -I am a fan of action movies

4) Go back to your favourite film (as identified in the lesson). What does this choice of film say about your identity? Are there any identities within the film (e.g. certain characters) that particularly resonated with your values and beliefs?
-I love the Harry Potter movies; although they don't contribute to my identity, I just enjoy watching movies like that. 

2 Article Summaries (21)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/digital-media/12137374/Yahoo-admits-it-could-sell-off-its-core-internet-business.html

Yahoo admits it could sell off its core internet business

Summary:

Yahoo has opened the door to a sale of its core internet business, as part of a raft of measures aimed at reversing the company’s long-running slump. Yahoo has come under pressure from activist investors to sell off its main business and cut costs so it can return to better shape. Yahoo will also close offices in five cities - Dubai, Mexico City, Buenos Aires, Madrid and Milan - and raise up to $3bn from the sale of non-core assets.

Key Data:

• The US search firm, which also revealed that it suffered a $4.4bn loss last year, said it would explore “strategic alternatives” for the internet unit alongside its preferred plan of a spin-off.
• in November 2014, Yahoo revealed plans to axe 15pc of its workforce. It aims to have 9,000 employees by the end of the year.
• As its core business has struggled, Yahoo has been looking at ways to maximise the performance of its $24bn stake in Chinese internet retailer Alibaba.

My View:

In my opinion, yahoo is not a very popular option for internet so selling its core internet business may be the best thing to do. 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/digital-media/12134465/Twitter-shares-jump-over-10pc-on-talk-of-Marc-Andreessen-and-Silver-Lake-takeover.html

Twitter shares jump over 10pc on talk of Marc Andreessen and Silver Lake takeover

Summary:

Shares in Twitter leapt more than 11pc at one stage on Monday amid reports that the company may be a takeover target for private equity group Silver Lake and famous Silicon Valley investor Marc Andreessen. Twitter, which is struggling with growth two years after it floated in New York, is rapidly becoming seen as a takeover target as its share price falls, making a potential deal more likely. Google and News Corp have both been rumoured to be interested, although the latter denied it two weeks ago.

Key data:

• The news sent shares in Twitter soaring but they fell back after reports that the private equity group was not interested, trading around 5.5pc up.
• Its market value is now around $11bn, less than 25pc of its peak.
• Google and News Corp have both been rumoured to be interested, although the latter denied it two weeks ago.

My view:

In my opinion, twitter has been a very popular social networking site for a long while, which is why I think the shares have grown especially due to the talk of the new takeover.

Identities: Feminism and new/digital media

Key notes

Waves of feminism

First wave: early 20th century, suffragette movement (right to vote).

Second wave: 1960s – 1990s, reproductive rights (pill), abortion, equal pay.

Third wave: 1990s – present, empowerment, reclaiming of femininity (high heels, sexuality etc. See Angela McRobbie's work on women's magazines).

Fourth wave? 2010 – ongoing, use of new technology and digital media (e.g. Twitter) for activism.

Fourth wave?

Many commentators argue that the internet itself has enabled a shift from ‘third-wave’ to ‘fourth-wave’ feminism. What is certain is that the internet has created a ‘call-out’ culture, in which sexism or misogyny can be ‘called out’ and challenged. 

This culture is indicative of the continuing influence of the third wave, with its focus on challenging sexism and misogyny in advertising, film, television and the media. 

Key quote: “power users of social media”

The internet has facilitated the creation of a global community of feminists who use the internet both for discussion and activism. 

According to #FemFuture: Online Feminism, a report recently published by Columbia University’s Barnard Center for Research on Women, females aged between 18 and 29 are the ‘power users of social networking’.

(Source: http://www.psa.ac.uk/insight-plus/feminism-fourth-wave)

Critics of online feminism

Critics of online feminist movements suggest that petitions and pressure from Twitter campaigns is simply a witchhunt orchestrated by privileged middle-class white women.

They ask: are ‘trolls’ the danger they are portrayed to be?

Case study: Everyday Sexism

Watch this TEDx talk by Everyday Sexism founder Laura Bates:

Individual blog task

Caroline Criado-Perez: female presence on banknotes

Caroline was the feminist campaigner who had won her battle with the Bank of England to reinstate a woman on the back of an English banknote. Caroline had campaigned since it was announced that social reformer Elizabeth Fry was to be wiped off the fiver and replaced with Winston Churchill, leaving an all-male, all-white lineup on our English banknotes. Criado-Perez had threaten to sue the bank under the 2010 Equality Act. The then Bank of England governor, Mervyn King, appeared to dismiss her request. Then, within a week of new boss Mark Carney taking up his post, she had been invited to the bank and asked if she would accept Jane Austen on the back of a tenner. Five days later, Criado-Perez was back on the news in a very different context. This time she was talking about the rape and death threats she had received on Twitter, following her victory. I believe that Caroline's campaign was successful as it meant that women have equality around economics and politics by remaining on the banknote. She states that 'Women have always been put in their place and kept there through the threat of sexual violence. What social media has done is enable people to behave in way they wouldn't face to face."

Caitlin Moran: Twitter silence

Caitlin Moran created a Twitter trend called #TwitterSilence, this Trend was towards women and for women who were not able to speak out. Twitter, however, had already announced it would be listening to the protests of the U.K. feminists, adding more staff to deal with abuse claims and rolling out its current "Report Abuse" button for iPhone to its Android and web platforms as well. 

 However, many people were allowing Twitter users to "Report Abuse" and would do anything but make it harder for feminists to make their voices heard. This campaign was not useful as women were not getting their opinions across by being silent.

Emma Watson: HeForShe gender equality campaign

Emma Watson started the "HeForShe gender equality campaign" which was the first campaign of its kind at the UN to try and motivate as many men and boys as possible to be advocates for gender equality. She outlines how no country in the world can yet say they have achieved gender equality. - "it is right that as a woman I am paid the same as my male counterparts. I think it is right that I should be able to make decisions about my own body. I think it is right that women be involved on my behalf in the policies and decision-making of my country. I think it is right that socially I am afforded the same respect as men. But sadly I can say that there is no one country in the world where all women can expect to receive these rights." It's a balanced debate as she then goes on to identify that men are being imprisoned by gender stereotypes - "Men don’t have the benefits of equality either - young men suffering from mental illness unable to ask for help for fear it would make them look less “macho”—in fact in the UK suicide is the biggest killer of men between 20-49 years of age; eclipsing road accidents, cancer and coronary heart disease." Overall, I think Emma Watson's campaign is valid as it looks at both sides and discusses the issues surrounding gender stereotypes, such as pressures from society to look a certain way.

Individual blog task

Choose THREE of the examples above, read the linked articles and complete the three tasks above on your MEST3 exam blog for each.

Identities: Feminist theory and blog task

A current debate in feminism is whether we are in a post-feminist state: is feminhism still needed?

Feminist theory: key notes

Judith Butler: gender roles

Butler believes traditional feminists are wrong to divide society into ‘men’ and ‘women’ and says gender is not biologically fixed.

By dividing men and women, feminists accidently reinforced the idea of differences between the two genders

Butler believes gender roles are ‘a performance’ and that male and female behaviour is socially constructed rather than the result of biology.

Butler and the media

If gender is a ‘performance’ rather than biological, we then need to think about what is influencing that ‘performance’.

And that’s where the media comes in. How might the media influence our behaviour in terms of gender roles?

Angela McRobbie: empowering women

McRobbie is a British cultural theorist known for her work analysing magazines aimed at women and teenage girls in the 80s and 90s.

McRobbie highlights the empowering nature of magazines such as Cosmopolitan and Glamour, taking a different perspective to traditional feminists.

This idea of ‘popular feminism’ fits into the idea of post-feminism and challenges the radical feminism of the 1970s.

Feminism: blog task

Watch the Beyonce video for ‘Why Don’t You Love Me?’ 

 

1) How might this video contribute to Butler’s idea that gender roles are a ‘performance’?

- This video contributes to Butler's theory of gender roles being a performance as she is portraying the social construction of what society expects of her, also we see Beyonce fixing a car, which is typically a 'mans' job - this shows how gender role are a 'performance'.

2) Would McRobbie view Beyonce as an empowering role model for women?

- McRobbie may not view Beyoncehe may also be dis empowering women as she is self objectifying her self through sexualising her whole entirety, to something of less value and importance.

3) What are your OWN views on this debate – does Beyonce empower women or reinforce the traditional ‘male gaze’ (Mulvey)?

-In my opinion, I think that Beyonce reinforces the traditional 'male gaze'. This is due to the fact that she is wearing a tight, figure-hugging, 'sexy' outfit, which males gaze upon and stare at her body.

2 Article Summaries (20)

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jan/28/apple-quarterly-results-iphone-silicon-valley-developers

Apple – losing out on talent and in need of a killer new device

Summary:
Apple has been losing its popularity as a potential working area and is no longer a company where engineers would want to work in after the great tech boom. The company is no longer attractive to new young talent and people are choosing other big companies such as Facebook or Alphabet (Google's new parent company). For Apple to gain popularity again, instead of making new iPhones, Apple need to create new ideas and projects.

Key Data:

• At Apple, you’re gonna be working 60-80 hours a week and some VP will come yell at you at any moment?
• The Silicon Valley computing giant is stumbling. With news of massive but slowing sales, its stock price fell 6.5% after its results on 27 January, to $93.42
•  a springtime high of $133.
• Apple’s market value is now $522.63bn, down from a high of $774.69bn in February 2015.

My View:

Apple has been coming up with similar ideas for the past few years and i think in order to gain back the popularity they lost they need to create something the new generation would be very interested in. 

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jan/29/twitters-us-users-fall-by-third-two-years-report

Twitter's US users fall by a third in two years - report

Summary:

Twitter reported 255m monthly active users, while in its most recent quarterly results, in September 2015, it reported 320m users. There could be multiple reasons for this decline in users and that being that one is that Twitter’s growth in monthly active users could have come from real users who have declined to install the mobile app. These users would not show up in 7Park’s data, which is drawn from a panel of mobile users who have agreed to share app usage data.

Key Data:

• The figures contradict Twitter’s own numbers, which report a 25% growth over the same period. 
• 7Park says that Twitter’s second social network, Vine, has also suffered falls, declining to less than three-fifths of its April 2014 install base.
• In that month, Twitter was installed on 36.1% of US mobile devices, according to 7Park, while Vine was installed on 5%. Today, that has fallen to 25% and 2.9% respectively.
• The company’s weekly active users, the number who open the app each week, has fallen too, from 15% to 10.5% for Twitter and 1.7% to 0.8% for Vine.

My view:

In my opinion, as having used twitter as a for of interaction, the decline may simply be due to the fact hat it is getting old to those who have been on it for a long while. 

Identities and the Media: Feminism

Are we living in a post-feminist state? Do you agree there is still a need for feminism? To what extent does the media contribute to the identity created for women in popular culture? These are some of the questions we need to consider in this next section of our Identities and the Media unit.

Media Magazine reading

1) Read Playing With The Past: Post-feminism and the Media (MM40, page 64 - our Media Magazine archive is here).

2) What are the two texts the article focuses on?

-HBO’s Pan Am

-Beyoncé’s music video for ‘Why Don’t You Love Me’

3) What examples are provided from the two texts of the 'male gaze' (Mulvey)?

-The first image of the Pan Am stewardesses is one which is highly constructed and mediated, an image whose purpose is to be admired and aspired to by women, and visually enjoyed by men.

-Beyoncé parodies the stereotype of the 1950s housewife. With over twelve costume changes, all exaggerated versions of the Fifties looks presenting a playful, nostalgic version of the time, and highlighting the performative nature of femininity. The dress codes are highly sexualised; the costumes include tight high-waisted knickers, a vintage style bra, Fifties pedal pushers with cats-eye-shaped glasses, suspenders and stockings which all allow the audiences to appreciate Beyoncé’s ‘credentials’.

4) Do texts such as these show there is no longer a need for feminism or are they simply sexism in a different form?

- I think there is still a need for feminism as texts like these are seen to be more sexist than empowering in the eyes of many as the women are shown to be sexualised and objectified.

5) Choose three words/phrases from the glossary of the article and write their definitions on your blog.
Feminism – A movement aimed at defining, establishing, and defending women’s rights and equality to men. 

Post-feminism – An ideology in culture and society that society is somehow past needing feminism and that the attitudes and arguments of feminism are no longer needed. 

Third wave feminism – Was a movement that redefined and encouraged women to be dominant and sexually assertive.

No More Page 3

1) Research the No More Page 3 campaign. Who started it and why?
- Lucy Anne Holmes started the campaign as it was exploiting and sexualising women.

2) What are the six reasons the campaign gives for why Page 3 has to go?

-Page 3 is was seen to be sexist

-The Sun was using sexualised images of women being used to decorate news stories both featuring and aimed at men
-They were portraying women as primarily decorative sexual objects
-People associated the models and Page 3's with rape culture
-Children shouldn't be exposed to sexual content on newspaper front pages

-"Boobs are not news"

3) Read this debate in the Guardian regarding whether the campaign should be dropped. What are Barbara Ellen and Susan Boniface's contrasting opinions in the debate?

Susie Boniface:

The campaign to stop Page 3
Page 3 girls considered they were sexually empowered and celebrating the female form. 

There a lot of other far more serious, demeaning or damaging things in the world that women don’t consent to we could be campaigning about instead?

Barbara Ellen
If Page 3 was dreary, dated, and offensive before, now it sits like a pathetic leering bare-breasted woolly mammoth amid modern enlightened sensibilities.
The very passivity of Page 3 is offensive
It does not matter that, compared to other pornography, the photos are “tame” or “lame” – women’s bodies are neither lame nor tame. 

4) How can the No More Page 3 campaign be linked to the idea of post-feminism?

The purpose of this campaign is to stop the media promoting gender inequality and patriarchy so this could be seen as a progression towards feminist or even show it being an example of being the post-feminist movements that society think we're in.

5) What are your OWN views on the No More Page 3 campaign. Do you agree with the campaign's aims? Should the campaign continue?

I agree with the campaigns and I don't think such a page should continue to exist as it is degrading and disrespectful to portray women as sex objects. Considering the newspaper could fall into the hands of anyone, even young children, it should absolutely be abolished as it will allow children to believe that seeing women portrayed in this sexist way as being acceptable, which it is not. If people wish to see explicit pictures like these then there are other means to do so privately, but to publicly support such images on newspapers where women are seen as mere objects is disgusting and unacceptable.

6) Do you agree that we are in a post-feminist state or is there still a need for feminism?

I think that we are not post-feminist state because there is still a need for feminism as although women's rights have improved over the years, there is still a lot of inequality between the sexes.