This document provides an overview of media representation theory. It discusses key concepts from theorists such as Stuart Hall on encoding/decoding, Richard Dyer on stereotyping, and Laura Mulvey on the male gaze. Mulvey's theory suggests that media often sexualizes and objectifies women as objects of desire for a heterosexual male gaze through scopophilia, voyeurism, and exhibitionism. The document also covers audience effects theories, representation areas like gender and ethnicity, and technical elements of different media like film, advertising, gaming, and magazines.

1. UNIT 1
THEORY OVERVIEW

2. EXAM PRACTICE 1

3. EXAM PRACTICE 2

4. EXAM PRACTICE 3

5. EXAM PRACTICE 4

6. EXAM PRACTICE 5

8. Representation Areas
Gender
• Male
• Female
• Trans
• Other?
Age
• Child
• Teen
• Young Adult
• Adult
• Middle Aged
• Pensioner
Social Groups
• Class
• Interest based
such as fathers,
unemployed,
cyclists
Ethnicity
White British
Black British
Asian
Other>
Places
Countries
Cities
A home
A war zone
A street

9. Film
andTV Advertising Games
Music
Video
Magazines
Textual Areas

10. Theory Overview
Stuart Hall
• Encoding / Decoding
• Preferred / Negotiated
/ Oppositional
Readings
• Power of the Media
• Reflective / Intentional
/ Constructionist
Richard Dyer
• Stereotyping in
the media
Laura Mulvey
and the Male Gaze
• Voyeurism /
Scophophilia /
Exhibitionism
• Women
stereotypes as
sex objects
Passive vs Active
Audience
• Hypodermic
Needle
• Uses and
Gratifications
EffectsTheory
• Negative vs
Positive
• Copycat
• Moral Panic
• Desensitisation
• Socialisation
• Ideologies
• Objectification

11. Language and Technical Elements
Media Language
Denotation – Connotation
Signifier – Signified
Icons / Index / Symbols
Technical Language: Film
andTV
Camera
Sound
Edit
Mise en Scene
Technical Language:
Advertising
Can vary between moving
image and print / online
Technical Language:
Gaming
Camera
Sound
Edit
Mise en Scene
Technical Language:
Magazines
Layout
Camera
Text
Mise en Scene
Technical Language:
MusicVideo
Camera
Sound
Edit
Mise en Scene

12. Laura Mulvey
Visual Pleasure in Narrative Cinema /The Male Gaze
Laura Mulvey, in her essay "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema", introduced the concept
of the male gaze.
This theory suggests that the media ‘sexualize’ and ‘objectify’ women represented in the
media as objects of desire.
The audience is forced to regard the action and characters of a text through the perspective
of a heterosexual man.
Why is this done?

13. Laura Mulvey
Essay onVisual Pleasure in Narrative Cinema /The Male Gaze
Scopophilia
A love of looking. – Deriving pleasure
from looking at naked bodies, erotic
images or others engaged in sexual
activity (sex sells).
Voyeurism
The secret and pleasurable viewing of
another person in a place where that
person would have a reasonable
expectation of privacy (fly on the wall)
Exhibitionism
When a person behaves in elaborated ways intended to
attract attention or to display his or her powers, personality,
sexuality etc.

14. Laura Mulvey
Essay onVisual Pleasure in Narrative Cinema /The Male Gaze
Scopophilia
A love of looking. – Deriving pleasure
from looking at naked bodies, erotic
images or others engaged in sexual
activity (sex sells).
Voyeurism
The secret and pleasurable viewing of
another person in a place where that
person would have a reasonable
expectation of privacy (fly on the wall)
Exhibitionism
When a person behaves in elaborated ways intended to
attract attention or to display his or her powers, personality,
sexuality etc.

15. Male Gaze Writing
Consider the question that was posed earlier and respond with
reference to a variety of texts.
Advertising TV and Film MusicVideo Gaming Magazines