MEST3 Identity/NDM stories: updated indexes

1) Reading the riots

2) Post-colonialism: Orientalism theory and Yasmin clip task
3) Post-colonialism: Media Magazine articles and questions

4) Feminism: post-feminism and No More Page 3 research
5) Feminism: Feminist theory and Beyonce video analysis

6) Feminism: waves of feminism and online activism

7) Collective identity and the media

Collective identity: blog task

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

Who are you?
We have complex ideas about our selves; 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
Our identity is based around aspects of our lives that are constructed outside of our selves; class, religion, gender and the predetermined roles that were part of the accident of the family we were born into.

From citizen to consumer
Edward Bernays said we adopt an identity 
 based not on behaving as 
‘active citizens but as passive consumers’.

The rise of the individualT

The notion of individualism began in the late 1960s and 1970s. People wanted to express themselves the way the wanted to. We have many identities "Fragmented self"

Who will we be
We have more control over our public image thanks to the anonymity of the internet. We shape materials to suit and create our own identity.

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

YouTube - Creativity, community, Expression

Lush - Cruelty Free, environmentally conscious, creative

Twitter - Freedom of speech, debates.

Pixar - Success, creativity, childhood.

Gleam Futures - Community, support, talent.

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

I do agree to an extent that modern media is all about 'style over substance' however with most modern debates there are various section of the medium that contrast greatly. Right not the most mainstream areas are definitely all about 'style over substance' There is an obsession with the best labels, the hefty price and the 'bragging rights' rather than having something that will last longer, more reliable or cheaper. even in terms of people, there is a trend to overlook their behaviour/personality just because they are attractive. 

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

MM

In addition, the increasing dominance of the mass media and what Baudrillard calls ‘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. The influence of the media in providing the images, the products, the role models and the ideas that we use to help construct an idea of identity and image has been tackled widely infilm. Fight Club (1999) is direct in its exploration of the construction of self-image and the de-centred self; more recently films such as Shutter Island (2010), Ghost Writer (2010) and Inception (2010) have played with similar ideas.

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?

I think that, overall my presence on social media is an accurate reflection of who I am, my snapchat tends to be where I post anything, my Instagram mainly focuses on my own photography that i take and edit to my own satisfaction rather than others. My Twitter is somewhere that I share my own views on a topic rather than just accepting other people's views and ideal. On Facebook there could be reason to believe that i do change myself to suit family expectations however I never really favoured Facebook to begin with and I liked anything that I genuinely did like, not because I though it would please my family.

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?

I am happy to an extent because this is a small price to pay for a theoretically free service. However once it stems past your online presence to your personal information or other services spying on you, it then becomes an invasion of privacy. It oversteps the line of what most people are comfortable in sharing and is unfair as many companies base themselves/have and online presence.

Identities: Feminism and new/digital media

Case study: Everyday Sexism



1) Why did Laura Bates start the Everyday Sexism project?

Laura Bates started the 'Everyday sexism project' due to the fact that she experienced three incidents of harassment where she was groped and had sexual comments shouted at her within the space of a week. This made her realise how frequently it happens and when she spoke up she was told to ignore it as women and men were equal, however, she found statistics that showed otherwise which made her want to raise concern about it so that people wouldn't see it as 'normal'.

2) How does the Everyday Sexism project link to the concept of post-feminism? Is feminism still required in western societies?

The 'Everyday sexism project' helps us acknowledge that we are not in a state of post-feminism since women are still undermined in comparison to men and victims of sexism and sexual harassment. Therefore feminism is still required in order to obtain 100% equality.

3) How can you apply Judith Butler's theory of gender as a 'performance' to the creation of the Everyday Sexism project?

Butler believes gender roles are ‘a performance’ and that male and female behaviour is socially constructed rather than the result of biology. This theory can be applied to the 'Everyday sexism project' as boys grow up to see that women are mostly acknowledged due to their physical assets which is why they find it appropriate to say sexist things. If boys grow up to see women as equals and academically successful rather than as a thing to look at (male gaze), they will be less likely to be sexist. 

4) How does Angela McRobbie's work on female empowerment link to the Everyday Sexism project?

McRobbie highlights the empowering nature of magazines such as Cosmopolitan and Glamour, taking a different perspective to traditional feminists. This theory can be applied to the 'Everyday sexism project' as it allows women all over the world to tell someone their story and this helps to empower them as they are not alone and as a result gain the confidence to step up to sexism rather than ignoring it. 

Media Magazine: The fourth wave?
The Fourth Wave? Feminism in the Digital Age in MM55 (p64)

1) What is networked feminism? 

The new fourth wave of feminism is also known as ‘networked feminism’.It aims to tackle social  equality issues found  both on, and using, modern technology.  

Why is it a problem?
Feminists in 2015 still deal every day with misconceptions and prejudice: the idea that rape or coercive sex may be justified if a woman is wearing provocative clothing, the huge gender pay gap despite equality legislation, the ubiquitous representations of women as weak and dis-empowered.

2) What are the four waves of feminism? 

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

Second wave:
1960s-1990s, reproductive rights (pill), abortion, equal pay (including 1970s radical feminism)

Third wave:
1990s-present, empowerment, reclaiming of femininity (high heels, sexuality etc), challenging sexism in advertising, film and media


Fourth wave:
2010-ongoing, use of new technology (e.g. twitter) for activism

3) Focus on the examples in the article. Write a 100-word summary of EACH of the following: 

Everyday Sexism
Everyday Sexism is a campaign started by Laura Bates in 2012. It was a site people posted example of sexism faced by users. This was mainly to argue against those who believe feminism isn't needed, sexism doesn't exist and that women are in fact equal now. Thanks to the internet interaction it has become a lot more  instant and personal.

HeForShe
HeForShe is a campaign led by Emma Watson and was mainly focused on the male support for gender equality and solidarity. It has a large online presence and has shown people that feminism doesn't equal misandry.

FCKH8 campaign
FCKH8 is a popular digital campaign and focuses on modern representations of girls and the social inequalities. It is a for profit organization and exploited feminism.

This Girl Can.
FCKH8 is a popular digital campaign and focuses on modern representations of girls and the social inequalities. It is a for profit organization and exploited feminism.

4) What is your opinion with regards to feminism and new/digital media? Do you agree with the concept of a 'fourth wave' of feminism post-2010 or are recent developments like the Everyday Sexism project merely an extension of the third wave of feminism from the 1990s?

I agree with both, this is a new concept of feminism but only to an extent and is a partial extension of third wave feminism. The internet has pushed the movement further ahead and it was only inevitable that it was going to be different from third wave as it is more internet based. However, it isn't so different that it is a completely different wave.

Week 13-

The royal twitterati: how the monarchy learned to love social media

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/feb/16/the-royal-twitterati-how-the-monarchy-learned-to-love-social-media

The Queen almost never takes to Twitter personally – just twice, it seems – but for her aides, social media has become as important as the walkabout, the garden party and her Christmas broadcast in promoting the monarchy brand.

Buckingham Palace and Prince Charles at Clarence House have recently advertised for digital communications officers to sustain their online presence and keep the royal palaces at the forefront of new technology.

Forget the court circular tucked away in “establishment” newspapers. Today’s announcements, and reports of audiences and ambassadorial hand-kissing, land in the Twitter feeds and Instagram timelines of followers almost before bowing guests have departed Her Majesty’s white drawing room. Images are swiftly pinged out into cyberspace – and without the sometimes unflattering filter applied by mainstream media.

For the royals, social media platforms are becoming a huge success. Prince Harry and his “mic drop” antics with granny and the Obamas, promoting the Invictus Games, went viral on Twitter. The prince was broadcast live on Facebook being tested for HIV, garnering enormous publicity and audience reach.

PewDiePie angrily accuses media of 'out-of-context' reports on antisemitic video

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/feb/16/pewdiepie-antisemitic-video-media-wall-street-journal

The YouTuber, who lost support from Walt Disney Company and Google for posts featuring neo-Nazi ‘jokes’, claimed Wall Street Journal was ‘scared’ of him.

YouTube star PewDiePie has released an impassioned, 10-minute diatribe in which he blames the mainstream media for cherry-picking parts of his videos to make him look like an antisemite.

On Tuesday, the Walt Disney Company and Google severed ties with the 27-year-old YouTuber, whose real name is Felix Kjellberg, after the Wall Street Journal highlighted the fact that he’d posted several videos featuring antisemitic or neo-Nazi “jokes”, including one where he paid two men to hold a “Death to All Jews” sign. Another video features a man dressed as Jesus saying: “Hitler did absolutely nothing wrong.” 

Kjellberg, who rose to internet fame making videos about video games, is angry that the Wall Street Journal referred to his antisemitic “jokes” as “posts”.

Identities: Feminist theory and blog task

Feminism: blog task

 

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

There is the reinforcement of the ideas that men and women are divided, also linking to the traditional idea that women belong in the domestic household to cook, clean e.t.c. The idea of the roles being socially constructed rather than biological is emphasised by the  failure to do some acts such as cooking.

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

McRobbie may view Beyonce as an empowering role model for women as she is showing an unsuccesfull attempt at conforming to stereotypical roles such as cooking a cleaning. Possibly highlighting to the audience that these attributes don't make or break a woman. Furthermore in terms of objectification, this isn't an example of a man viewing the women as a sexual object, she is sexualising herself with the use of body language, costume and camera angles herself whilst also showing alternative roles typical of a domestic housewife.

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

I think that this video reinforces the traditional male gaze as I think that some shot angles and costumes were unnecessary and had no real connection to the video if it was to subvert stereotypes. Sexuality is still a prevailing factor used to appeal to a wider audience using the appropriate gaze.

Identities and the Media: Feminism

Media Magazine reading

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

Pan Am  - ABC TV Show

Why Don't You Love Me - Beyonce music video

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

Beyonce - 'sexy outfits' Costume, objectified and welcoming the male gaze. The lyrics  surround the basis of her offering everything a man 'could want or need' whilst being seductivem, 'submitting herself to sexual objectification and acknowledging the male gaze' She is empowered only because she is 'controlling the gaze'

Pan Am - The first shot of the character of Laura is on a magazine where the purpose was for her to be 'admired and aspired to by women and visually enjoyed by men.'

The Image on the magazine also shows a 'constructed version of femininity'

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

On one hand texts like this could show that there is no longer a need for feminism and that we have a current understanding of it which enables us to look into the past with such criticism. However, women are still being objectified even by themselves, they are still not equal so there is still a very big need for feminism.

4) 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.

Patriarchy - An ideology that places men in a dominant and sexually.

No More Page 3

1) Research the No More Page 3 campaign. Who started it and why?

The More Page 3 campaign was started by Lucy-Anne Holmes who wrote a letter to the editor of the sun in 2012 suggesting that they reconsider page 3.

2) What reasons did the campaign give for why Page 3 had to go?

• 'It isn’t the sexist 1970s anymore' 
• 'Women are not sexual objects'
• 'derogatory treatment of certain sections of society'

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?

Ellen - Against

-The sun has been inconsistent in the removal of page three which means the they may be likely to bring it back on several occasions.

-Objectification is stil rife, and should not be stood for.

Boniface - For

-outdated + pointless.

-2015 Feminist - Sexually empowering and celebrating the female body.

4) The main campaign website has now been replaced by a site called Sexist News, designed to highlight sexism in the media. Give an example of a recent story the website has highlighted. Do you agree with the view of the website?

REPORT FROM UGANDA : ABORTION

The article shows a mostly negative side to the issue of Abortion in Uganda, which I agree with. Especially under circumstances of rape and danger to the mother/child. I don't completely agree with the statement of the religions being the two 'most misogynistic religions'. In my opinion I believe that the Misogyny comes from the perception of the religion rather than what the religion often promotes itself. The Misogyny and constant need to tell women what to do with their comes from the people themselves and religion is often used as an excuse.

5) How can the No More Page 3 campaign and Sexist News website be linked to the idea of post-feminism?

The no more page three campaign and the Sexist News website can be linked to the idea of Post-Feminism as it shows change in perceptions. People are understanding the reasoning behind the campaigns behind the campaigns. Which for some could suggest that we no longer need feminism, or what we currently know feminism to be.

6) What are your OWN views on these campaigns? Do you agree with their aims? Is there still a need for these campaigns in the media?

I agree with these campaigns in terms of their aims, they are directly addressing massive issues within society and there is definitely a need for these campaigns especially today with the rise of Trump in America. We need to makes sure we make a stand to continue the progress of equality and prevent falling backwards.

7) Finally, do you agree that we are in a post-feminist state or is there still a need for feminism?

I definitely think that there is still a massive need for feminism. People are forgetting that the main aim for the movement was euality and we still do not have this. Quite simply we are still paid less just because we have the ability to birth a child. Many women do not want children, many are incapable, many choose to have them later in life and are paid less as a result of something that they are not even going to do. men still have a parental responsibility and some are single parents why are they not paid less even though many have the same responsibilities and expectations of mothers. If we lived in a post-feminist society we wouldn't have this gap, we wouldn't still be used as sexual plot devices rather than independent leading roles.

Post-colonialism - bonus reading and tasks

MM58: Social Media and Black Identity

1) List three theorists discussed in the article and what they believe regarding black identity.

Some theorists, such as Aisha Harris, have argued that social media plays a negative role in the construction of black identities. She argues that the rise of social media has created a culture where in black people are often subject to a process of ‘memeification’, where their likeness becomes a decontextualised internet ‘meme’. An infamous example of this process was of ‘Sweet Brown’, an African American woman, whose closing line in an interview ‘Ain’t nobody got time for that’ went viral on social media, becoming a catchphrase in the public consciousness, triggering a stream of user-generated content such as parodies and remixes that appropriated Brown’s likeness and her words, for the sake of ‘humour’. Harris believes that this process is an unconscious reflection of a deep-rooted desire to see black people perform and entertain, creating an environment where black identities are fixed, and dominant attitudes towards blackness are reinforced. 

In contrast, some theorists, such as Giddens, would argue that social media can be an arena for the construction of positive black identities. An example of this would be ‘The Blackout’, a campaign that originated on the social network ‘Tumblr’, and involved a systematic ‘re-imagining’ and celebration of blackness. It involved black people posting pictures of themselves and sharing pictures of others, commenting and attaching positive hashtags, such as ‘#Goddess’, ‘#Queen’, ‘#Melanin’ and ‘#BlackExcellence’. This, seems to suggest that black people have used social media as a tool to inspire, and to construct an image of black identity that is often misrepresented (if represented at all) by the mass media.

Henry Jenkins would argue that social 

media is an arena where in ‘participatory cultures’ can 

be established: online, interest-driven networks that 

allow members to creatively channel the skills they 

gain online into political activism and the voicing of 

marginalised viewpoints. An example of this is ‘Black 

Twitter’ (#BlackTwitter), a socially-constructed community 

that actively challenges negative representations of 

black identity in the mass media and wider society, 

social media is arguably the most significant recent 

development in the world of constructing identities.

Marxist theorist Christian Fuchs has accused 

Jenkins of divorcing the idea of ‘participation’ from the 

concept of participatory democracy. Fuchs argues that 

in order to have a true ‘participatory culture’, there needs 

to be equality of ownership; 

and as social media (and the 

internet as a whole) are largely 

directed, owned and influenced 

by large corporations with 

vested, ideological interests, 

it can not, therefore, be claimed that they facilitate the 

creation of ‘true’ participatory cultures. This is because, 

as institutions, social media websites choose who can 

participate, how they participate, and the extent to which 

their participation is seen. This is particularly significant 

in that marginal groups frequently do not have the same 

access to social media resources as other, more dominant 

groups. For example, although Black Twitter has a large 

‘population’, it is still a largely ‘underground’ subculture, 

possibly because it actively challenges dominant ideas, and, 

therefore, jeopardises Twitter’s access to power and profit.

2) In your opinion, is social media a positive or negative force when it comes to issues of black identity? 

In my opinion social media is a positive force as it helps create awareness of issues such as police brutality towards black people in America. If individuals didn't record evidence of this and upload it on social media, many people would be unaware of the issue therefore social media has allowed people to acknowledge it as well as challenge it by creating campaigns such as 'Black Lives Matter'.

3) How could you apply the post-colonial theories we have learned in class to the issue of social media and black identity?

Alvarado 

 'Dangerous' is reinforced through the representation of the black community. For example, when we hear of a crime that has been committed in a predominantly black area, we assume that all black people are 'dangerous' and he reason behind crime, However, we fail to recognise the whole story. 

Fanon

 'Decivilize' and 'Essentialize' are reinforced when it comes to society and black identity. The black community are not shown the same respect as the average white male. This can be supported by a quote in a Guardian article: "Black people are often turned away from jobs because we are not the 'right fit'. While on the streets, we are regularly treated by police as dangerous suspects."

Said 

The issues of social media and the black community can be linked to Said's theory due to the fact that Western culture consists of black people, they are still 5 scales further down then the rest of the Western community when represented on social media and in the mass media.

A Hustle for Life: Refugees in the Media

1) What examples of different representations of refugees in the media are offered in the article?

• Refugees labelled as migrants to create the impression that they are travelling by choice rather than to flee genuine disaster.
• Represented as a swarm,horde or tide marauding and invading their way across the world.
• Such representations of refugees create an image in reader's minds that refugees are a dangerous and threatening mass. 

2) In your opinion, is the documentary genre more or less biased than the news media? What examples can you provide from the article to support your view?

I believe that the documentary genre is less biased than news media because it can 'correct overwhelmingly negative representations elsewhere in the media'. An example from the article is the BBC documentary 'The Refugee Camp: Our desert home' which displays the crisis from both viewpoints: One viewpoint is from the viewpoint of the presenter and her crew and the second viewpoint is from the perspective of the people that reside in the camp in Zaatari that has slowly grown into a city. 

3) How could you apply the post-colonial theories we have learned in class to the representation of refugees in the media?

Alvarado 

'Pitied' is reinforced due to the fact that the Eastern culture and society are looking for help from the west therefore they are reliant on other countries to take them in as they escape from war.

Fanon

'Essentialize' is challenged due to the fact that people from the East are not all the same; while some have chosen to include themselves in the war other innocent people are escaping the war. 

Said 

This theory is reinforced due to the fact that the East is represented in the Western mass media as showing a clear division between the West and the East. The media reports the East as dangerous, different and uncivilised people.