MEST3 Exam Blog

1) Reading the riots: youth identity 2) Post-colonialism: theories and Destiny Ekaragwa film analysis 3)  Post-colonialism: Orientalism theory and Yasmin clip task 4) Post-colonialism: Bonus Media Magazine articles and questions 5)  Feminism: Introduction to feminism and Everyday Sexism 6) Feminism: Feminist and gender theory / music video analysis 7)  Feminism: Applying Feminism - Media Factsheet 9)  Identity & Film - Media Factsheet 10) Identity and the wider media - Factsheet 11)  Collective identity in the online age

1) Briefly list or describe the different waves of feminism. The first wave of feminism surfaced as a result of the Suffragette movement in the late 19th century.  2) The factsheet doesn't mention a fourth wave of feminism. Do you think we are currently in a fourth wave of feminism due to digital media? I think that feminism has progressed in a way that has never been seen before, insofar as the relationship between people in positions of power and media consumers has become much more public and intimate thanks to social media. Therefore, in terms of feminism, these two groups of people are able to fight together and form a bond, creating a sense of belonging to a community. 20 years ago, women could indeed come together and provide mutual support for one another but the chances of them being able to connect with someone  like Michelle Obama or Hillary Clinton at the time wouldn't have been strong. However now, Michelle Obama who is one of the most significant feminist ico...

1) Read the article and summarise each section in one sentence, starting with the section 'Who are you?' The section "Who are you?"  2) List five brands you are happy to be associated with and explain how they reflect your sense of identity. Disney For me, Disney represents happiness, hope and escape in a way that nothing else does and a promise of a happy ending and that good triumphs over evil. It acknowledges sadness and struggle but there is always a positive outcome so it encourages me that there is always a reason to be hopeful. It was a pivotal aspect of my childhood and therefore it always reminds me of a happy time in my life and allows me to embrace the hope and positivity that life offers. Jack Wills Despite substantially high prices, I love Jack Wills clothes and its branding, mainly because it's a British brand and I always like embracing my British identity. It was also established in 1999 which is the year I was born so I find myself identi...

Your chosen industry: Film Your chosen case study (i.e. text/institution etc.): Disney Have you received approval for this case study from your teacher? Yes Audience 1) How has new and digital media changed the audience experience in your chosen industry? I think one of the biggest developments in NDM in terms of how the audience experience Disney is the creation of the Disneyland/Disney World apps which I have used myself. It includes a map of the resort, queue times for all the rides and information about the different places/'lands' in the park. If I needed to find my way around Disneyland the first time I went in 2011, I would have had to seek out a paper map and navigate my way around using just that, with no idea of how long the queue times were. There is now no need for that because most people have smartphones and therefore everyone can access this app. It ultimately makes the Disneyland experience easier, more enjoyable and more accessible, without the struggl...

1) What are the two texts the article focuses on? The TV series 'Pan Am' and the music video for Beyonce's 'Why Don't You Love Me?' 2) What examples are provided from the two texts of the 'male gaze' (Mulvey)? During its focus on Pan Am, the article says that our introduction to the main character Laura is through an image on a magazine cover, an image which has clearly been doctored and is highly unrealistic in its representation of women, with one of its sole purposes to be "visually enjoyed by men." While focusing on 'Why Don't You Love Me?' the article makes it evident that there are many aspects of the video that reinforce Mulvey's 'male gaze'. It states that the dress-codes are "highly sexualised" and that she is overtly "submitting herself to sexual objectification", essentially welcoming the 'male gaze' herself. 3) Do texts such as these show there is no longer a need for feminis...

1) Why did Laura Bates start the Everyday Sexism project? She wanted audiences to realise that sexual harassment is still rife, and just how bad it has become for women, many on a daily basis. 2) How does the Everyday Sexism project link to the concept of post-feminism? Is feminism still required in western societies? I think that there is still a need for feminism in western societies because  you only need to hear Laura Bates' anecdotes to realise  how prevalent everyday sexism still is. Considering she is one of 4.5 billion women worldwide, I think it's clear that we're not living in an entirely post-feminist state, but with the rise of NDM I think it's definitely helped women become more confident in raising their voices and coming together to take a stand against everyday sexism, which wouldn't have been the case 20 years ago. 3) Why was new technology essential to the success of the Everyday Sexism project? It gave a voice to the voiceless and...

1) Complete the Twenty Statements Test yourself. This means answering the question ‘Who am I?’ 20 times with 20 different answers. What do they say about your identity? Write the 20 answers in full on your blog. - I'm 5ft 3in.  - I'm half Welsh. (Social Groups and Classifications) - I'm passionate about performing arts. (Interests) - I'm an introvert. (Self evaluation) - I'm obsessed with Benedict Cumberbatch. (Interests) - I'm in Ravenclaw. (Self evaluation & Interests) - I'm terrified of spiders and vultures.  - I'm currently too scared to learn to drive. (Self evaluation) - I'm a strong believer of fate and soulmates. (Ideological beliefs) - I'm a huge fan of pre-00s music artists e.g. Adam Ant, Nirvana, Queen, Simon and Garfunkel & The Beatles. (Interests) - I'm strongly influenced by my parents' tastes in film, TV and music. (Interests) - I'm addicted to Gingernut biscuits. (Interests) - I'...

1) Watch the opening of Yasmin (2004) again. Does it offer a positive or negative view of British Muslims? To what extent does it reinforce or challenge Edward Said's theory of Orientalism - that the west is superior to the exotic or uncivilised east? I think that in many respects the representation of British Muslims in this film is positive. I find this especially evident in the scene when Yasmin and her male friend are helping the disabled young people into the bus. One of the general views of Muslims held by society is that they are a danger to humanity and that they are probably terrorists. Therefore to feature a scene that depicts a Muslim women opposing this ideological view, it positively represents British Muslims as being helpful, compassionate and community minded. We also see her integrating with western society e.g. going to a pub with her white male friend despite the possible reactions, representing Muslims as friendly and approachable, traits that aren't s...

I believe, as would a pluralist, that through the development of social media over the decades, audiences worldwide have become progressively more powerful in the production of news. With platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and many others, people take advantage of this "information revolution" to capture news as it happens and increase the speed at which it reaches audiences. Aleks Krotoski claims that this is a "paradigm shift" that is "on par with the printing press". We know that the printing press was a profound creation that changed the way news was communicated for centuries. What Krotoski is arguing is that new and digital media is having just as big an impact on audiences and news as the printing press did in 1440.  One particularly poignant aspect new and digital media is citizen journalism. A definite advantage of this is that news is made much more unbiased through it. A recent example of this is the 2014 Eric Garner murder, fi...

BBC News - Teens 'rebelling against social media' say headteachers http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41509402 BBC News - Netflix to raise prices in UK and US. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-41516159

BBC News - Poor coding limits IS hackers' cyber-capabilities, says researcher http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-41385619 BBC News - Facebook can't hide behind algorithms http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-41358078

Print The Guardian: Founded - 2nd May 1821  by John Edward Taylor  Owner - Guardian Media Group Circulation (as of December 2016) - 153,163 Political stance - centre-left Sister paper - The Observer In June 2017,  Guardian Media Group announced that  The Guardian  and  The Observer  will relaunch in  tabloid format  from early 2018. The Daily Mail: Founded - 4th May 1896 Owner - Daily Mail and General Trust Political stance - Conservative Second biggest-selling daily newspaper Current chairman - Jonathan Harmsworth, great grandson of one of its founders. Format - Tabloid Circulation (as of December 2016) - 1,491,264 The Sun: Founded - 15th September 1964 Format - Tabloid Political stance - Conservative Editor - Tony Gallagher Owner - News UK Largest circulation of any UK newspaper - 1,575,996 (as of May 2017) Broadcast Channel 4 News: Original r...