1. G325B – Key terms
Here are some of the key terms we looked at during my units on Collective identity:
Term/ clever word Meaning How to use it
Where a group are represented as all being Homogeneity/ homogenous
the same, or where a group of diverse Nuts magazines creates a representation of
• Homogeneity
people/ things are made to all be the same males as a homogenous group of
(they are homogenised). heterosexual
Heterogeneity/ heterogenous
Where are group are represented as being The wide range of male lifestyle magazines
• Heterogeneity
diverse and varied represent the heterogeneity of men within
contemporary society
The way in which people create a sense of Young people’s sense of collective identity
group identity/ collective identity. This comes from their difference to adults.
• Collective identity could be real or constructed.
identity Here’s a useful website:
http://davesmediablog.posterous.com/1916
4500
• Female Cosmopolitan magazine seeks to create a
All these terms point towards the same
solidarity/ teen sense of female solidarity that Angela
idea. There is a notion that the media
solidarity/ male McRobbie would describe as ‘false
constructs a sense of togetherness/
solidarity sisterhood’.
collective identity in order to collect people
• Constructed Media texts offer audiences certitude,
in to target markets (e.g. e4/ Cosmo
certitude constructed by the media text.
readers/ etc…) Media texts construct a
E4 consciously constructs a bond that
sense of solidarity that offers the audience
encourages teen audiences to identity
a feeling of certainty and confidence
themselves as being part of this group,
• Consciously (‘constructed certitude’). There is also a
encouraging brand loyalty, and enabling
cultivated notion that masculinity is in a state of crisis
the channel to construct a target audience
(fe)male bond/ and that contemporary media texts (e.g.
for advertisers. In this way the sense of
teen bond Nuts magazine/ This Is England) deal with
collective identity is actually an artificial
the construction of masculinity,
construct that collects people into target
constructing certitude for the audience.
audiences.
Binary means a pair of opposition (e.g. Gendered magazines reassert as male and
• Binary
male vs female/ black vs white/ etc) female as binary and oppositional.
Plurality has a similar meaning to In representing the diversity of teen
• Plurality heterogeneity, where representations are identities, and in showing different types of
not monolithic but acknowledge diversity masculinities and femininities, Glee
and variety. The opposite would be acknowledges the plurality and complexity
homogeneity (saying all males are the of teen identity.
• Femininities/
same/ females are the same).
masculinities
Feminities/ masculinities referes to this
plurality also.
Hegemony = the dominant ideology at any Hegemonic/ hegemony
• Hegemony one time. Hegemony shifts and changes Avatar creates a hegemonic representation
over time. of gender.