This document discusses several key concepts and theories related to genre, narrative, representation, and ideology in media texts. It explains that genre provides a template for construction and establishes clear audience expectations. The five main functions of genre are also outlined. The document then discusses several genre and narrative theories proposed by scholars like Chandler, Neale, Buckingham, and Propp. It also covers concepts of representation and how representations encode dominant ideologies. Marxist views of how the media circulates and reinforces dominant ideologies are also summarized.

1. Question 1B – Key
Concepts and
Theories
BY ALINA HAQ

2. Why is genre important?
Producers of media texts:
 Provides a pattern for construction, a template
 Genres have an established audience who are easy to market to
 Certain personnel can develop their skills within a particular genre
 Stars can associate themselves with a particular genre e.g. Will Ferrrel – slapstick
comedy and when the audiences see him on a film poster it instantly tells
audiences what kind of film they are likely to see if he is in it
 Distributors
 Clear channels for marketing and distribution – target audience easily
established
 Concentration of distribution resources
 Fans of a genre as a whole can easily be persuaded to buy other texts in the
genre e.g. dance music compilations CDs
 Provides a structure for retail outlets

3. The five functions of Genre:
 Reinforcement of cultural ideas and values
 Creation of a set exceeding audience’s expectations
 Creation of characteristics by producers which audiences recognise
 A relationship between audiences and producers which minimises
the risk of financial failure
 Dynamism and flexibility that is constantly transforming with new
examples

4. Genre Theory
 Daniel Chandler “Conventional definitions of genre are based on
the idea that they share particular convention of content e.g.
themes or setting”
 Steve Neale “Genres are instances of repetition and difference; this
is what pleasure for the audience is derived from”
 John Hartley “The same text can belong to different genres in
different countries or time”
 David Buckingham “Genre is a constant process of negotiation and
change”
 John Fiske “Genre attempts to structure some order into the wide
range of texts and meaning that circulation in our culture for the
conveniences of both producers and audiences”

5. Narrative Theories
 Narrative is the media term for story telling
 Equilibrium theory – Tzevtan Todorov - Equilibrium, disruption,
recognition, attempt to repair, new equilibrium
 Binary opposition – Claude Levi Strauss – contrast or opposites
 Linear/non-linear – chronological vs non
 Abstract, performance, narrative, hybrid (music video)
 Vladimir Propp – 7 characters
 Roland Barthes – enigma codes, semiotic, action, cultural, symbolic

6. Representation
 To represent something is to describe or depict it, to call it up in mind
by description or portrayal
 For representation to be meaningful to audiences there needs to be
a shared recognition of people, situations, ideas etc.
 All representations therefore have ideologies behind them. Certain
paradigms are encoded into texts and others are left out in order to
give a preferred representation (the preferred syntagm) (Levi –
Strauss, 1958).

7. Ideologies and Representation
(MARXISM)
 A hegemonic view of society – fundamental inequalities in power between
social groups. Groups in power exercise their influence culturally rather than by
force.
 Concept has origins in Marxist theory - ruling capitalist class are able to protect
their economic interests.
 Representations are encoded into mass media texts in order to do this –
reinforce dominant ideologies in society.
 Tim O ’Sullivan et al. (1998) Ideology – refers to a set of ideas which produces a
partial and selective view of reality. Notion of ideology entails widely held ideas
or beliefs which are seen as ‘common’ sense and become naturalised.
 What is important is that, in Marxist terms, the media ’s role may be seen as :
 Circulating and reinforcing dominant ideologies
 (less frequently) undermining and challenging such ideologies.

8. …
 Links to Roland Barthes (1973) Myth – ideologies work through
symbolic codes – mythic in the sense of having the appearance of
being ‘natural’ or ‘common sense’.
 Judith Williamson (1978 ) detailed that advertisements (film posters,
adverts for music texts you created) draw heavily on myths – they
use cultural signifiers to represent qualities which can be realised
through the consumption of the product. (fulfilment of needs –
Maslow).
 In the case of magazine texts and adverts they are encoded
specifically to represent an aspirational lifestyle offering audiences
images of an ideal self and ideal partner (Carl Rogers,1980).