MIGRAIN 3 Assessment - Learner response

 MIGRAIN 3 Assessment - Learner response

1) Type up your feedback in full (you don't need to write the mark and grade if you want to keep this confidential).

WWW- Good attempts to incorporate the media language in both answers.

EBI- More nuance needed and a recognition of the changing and diverse representations in the media.(not always but often or typically)

2) Read the mark scheme for this assessment carefully. Write down the number of marks you achieved for the two questions: _/8; _/12. If you didn't achieve full marks in a question, write a bullet point on what you may have missed.

4/8 - 

• The Carolina Herrera fragrance campaign reinforces traditional representations of gender through a combination of factors including images, language and typography.

• The verbal codes (text) reinforce the gender roles expected in society, supporting Judith Butler’s theory that gender is “a performance” – a pattern of repeated acts or rituals. Here, the expectation that women should be ‘good girls’ while men are allowed to be ‘bad boys’ reinforces the restrictive gender roles that are set from childhood. This is then explicitly reinforced in the text ‘The new feminine/masculine fragrance’ – suggesting that people should behave, look and smell a certain way to perform their gender.

•  The choice of typography – serif font, formal white on dark background – reinforces this idea of traditional gender roles and rejects the current move in society and the mass media for a more ‘woke’ approach to gender identity and fluidity. The typeface is old-fashioned, authoritative and extends the idea that men and women should be expected to dress and act in a certain way.

• The image of the woman reinforces both Laura Mulvey’s ‘male gaze’ theory and Liesbet van Zoonen’s idea that women’s bodies are presented as ‘spectacle’ for the benefit of male gaze

7/12 - 

• The Carolina Herrara campaign reinforces Liesbet van Zoonen’s ideas regarding the media and patriarchal dominance. Undoubtedly, the female model is presented as a ‘spectacle’ for male pleasure and the positioning of the models and the use of text (‘good girl’ and ‘bad boy’) establishes a male dominance.

•  The female model arguably provides evidence for each element of van Zoonen’s theory regarding the representation of women. Here, she is clearly objectified, restricted to a secondary role (at the man’s feet), passive, framed to emphasise her sexuality and adhering to white western beauty standards. This could undoubtedly have an impact on media audiences and therefore influence social or cultural norms.

• David Gauntlett argues that masculinity is constantly evolving and social concerns that masculinity is ‘in crisis’ are exaggerated. However, this campaign does not provide particular evidence for an evolution in representations of men (aside perhaps from a lack of socks and no necktie). Indeed, this campaign reinforces classic masculine stereotypes and therefore perhaps provides evidence against Gauntlett’s theory audiences.

• The Carolina Herrara advertising campaign may be seen as an attempt to reclaim traditional gender roles in response to an increasing tolerance of gender fluidity and non-binary gender identity.

• The campaign reinforces Judith Butler’s work in Gender Trouble – particularly the idea that gender is culturally and socially constructed – not ‘natural’. The construction of the adverts supports Butler’s idea that we are conditioned to adhere to social norms – both in terms of gender roles and heterosexuality.

3) For Question 2 on the social and cultural contexts of gender representations, identify three potential points in the mark scheme that you didn't include in your answer.

• The verbal codes (text) reinforce the gender roles expected in society, supporting Judith Butler’s theory that gender is “a performance” – a pattern of repeated acts or rituals. Here, the expectation that women should be ‘good girls’ while men are allowed to be ‘bad boys’ reinforces the restrictive gender roles that are set from childhood. This is then explicitly reinforced in the text ‘The new feminine/masculine fragrance’ – suggesting that people should behave, look and smell a certain way to perform their gender.

•  The choice of typography – serif font, formal white on dark background – reinforces this idea of traditional gender roles and rejects the current move in society and the mass media for a more ‘woke’ approach to gender identity and fluidity. The typeface is old-fashioned, authoritative and extends the idea that men and women should be expected to dress and act in a certain way.

• The image of the woman reinforces both Laura Mulvey’s ‘male gaze’ theory and Liesbet van Zoonen’s idea that women’s bodies are presented as ‘spectacle’ for the benefit of male

4) Having read the whole mark scheme, pick out one media theory that you didn't include in this assessment and summarise it briefly here so you can use it confidently in future.

• David Gauntlett argues that masculinity is constantly evolving and social concerns that masculinity is ‘in crisis’ are exaggerated. However, this campaign does not provide particular evidence for an evolution in representations of men (aside perhaps from a lack of socks and no necktie). Indeed, this campaign reinforces classic masculine stereotypes and therefore perhaps provides evidence against Gauntlett’s theory.

5) Based on your experience in this assessment, identify three aspects of Media (e.g. skills/particular theories/examples) that you need to work on for your next assessment.

I need to work on remembering a broad variety of theories and examples within them, also looking at the social context as well as the cultural context.