arguement a & b plan

Attitudes concerning the representation of gender, ethnicity and sexual preference have certainly changed in the last 50 years. These changes are evident in the contrasts between cultural products created in the past and cultural products created today. There are, however, many different analyses of these changes. The two arguments set out opposite indicate contrasting interpretations of such changes. 

Task: Use your knowledge of selected theoretical perspectives and key concepts to evaluate the contrasting views expressed by Argument A and Argument B. 
 Your response should refer to a range of cultural products and practices, but you may choose whether to focus on any one, two or all three of the following: gender, ethnicity, sexual preference. (40 marks)

intro - side with argument b, include opinion on the fact that only this month Ireland voted to have same sex marriage where other countries still prosecute homosexuals.

1 - post colonialism; edward said "the other", outcasts in society are poked fun at, not politically correct to "black up" anymore so arguement A has some ground. but strong racism occurs - Mike Brown, Freddie Gray, Walter Scott all shot unarmed in America and Black Lives Matter campaign group was formed in 2012. obviously B argues the lack of equality. 

2 - feminism; laura mulvey "male gaze" there always has to be someone in a position of power to create inequality, here its the media and the victim, a woman's body or mind. 

3 - market liberalism& post modernism; Bauman "without repetitive frustration of desire, consumer demands would dry up and the economy would fall"
 the cultural practises and products of previous years were seen as keeping the proletariat happy and distracted whereas now the shift means people want more ethical and politically correct adverts or coffee 

exam terminology

hegemonic control: adj for hegemony the political, economic, or military predominance or control of one state over others.

The Marxist theory of cultural hegemony is the idea that the ruling class can manipulate the value system and more so of a society, so that their view becomes the world view 

enculturation: socialisation.  the process whereby individuals learn their group's culture, through experience, observation, and instruction.

cultural appropriatation: the adoption of elements of one culture by members of a different cultural group, especially if the adoption is of an oppressed people's cultural elements by members of the dominant culture

constructivism: a theory -- based on observation and scientific study -- about how people learn. It says that people construct their own understanding and knowledge of the world, through experiencing things and reflecting on those experiences.

technological determinism: technology in general are the sole or prime antecedent causes of changes in society, and technology is seen as the fundamental condition underlying the pattern of social organization.

anomie: is a "condition in which society provides little moral guidance to individuals". It is the breakdown of social bonds between an individual and the community

accelerated culture: a book by Douglas Coupland

enlightened false consciousness: somebody can see the cynicism in everything

bricolage: the processes by which people acquire objects from across social divisions to create new cultural identities. In particular, it is a feature of subcultures such as, for example, the punk movement. Here, objects that possess one meaning (or no meaning) in the dominant culture are acquired and given a new, often subversive meaning. For example, the safety pin became a form of decoration in punk culture

cultural implosion: collapse inwardly of a cultural practise or product 

metanaratives: any story told to justify another story, esp. involving artifice; a story about oneself that provides a view of one's experiences

BB King - Youre Gonna Miss Me.

we will Riley..

Thirty Days of Night

Narrative

how Setting is important:

- the choice to set a horror film in an Alaskan village 'most northern part of US' and when the sun doesn't rise for a month. So if vampires are real, they would love it there..

how they differ from 'conventional' vampires:

- hunt in a group

- use victim's head as a trophy

- they use a completely different language to any other film

how the colour schemes fit the expected repertoire of elements:

dark, cold (snow) grey 

how the kill scenes fit with 'conventional' ones:

- a person all alone hears a noise. a shadow moves across the screen. a vampire attacks the human's neck. 

Structure
Sheriff Eben is the protagonist.
Marlow is the antagonist

Technology
released in 2007, in the same decade youtube and myspace were invented and technology advanced rapidly making this film more poignant with its remote location and the fact all phones etc are destroyed so they cannot contact the outside world

Bookers Seven basic plotlines

Overcoming the Monster: Hero and the bad guy. Rags to Riches: Success and crisis. The Quest: Seeking and finding. Voyage and Return: Boldly exploring. Comedy: From confusion to enlightenment. Tragedy: The price of fatal flaws. Rebirth: Finding the personal light.

fictions past question

‘The role of fictions is principally ideological.’ Discuss this view. June 2014


Culture exposes us to so many stories that we often perceive our own experiences and relationships in narrative terms; we see ourselves as characters in our own fictions.
 Discuss this view of fictions. June 2013


How have your cultural values and your identity been influenced by fictions? January 2013


‘Imaginary worlds teach us how to interpret the real world.’ Do you agree with this view of fictions? June 2012


Compare and contrast the mode of address of two examples of fictions you have studied. January 2012

vampire clips and key concepts

Interview with the Vampire -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7m_n2aM51Q
Narrative: using genre theory, this film keeps to the horror fiction sub genre of vampires with the use of creepy dark setting and imagery and the images of blood, necks, fangs.
However as Patrick Phillips says "commercial films are made up of a large base of generic conventions, but with a small, telling, twist of originality" and this film does that by having a non typical 'family' as the centre of the plot - 2 men and a little girl thus making the theme different to other vampire films by insinuating a gay subtext.

Fright Night -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ISgM9sjza8
Discourse:  most importantly when discussing discourse of a vampire film is to consider the audience's experience or 'situated culture'. For this kind of film where the lead character is not believed by anyone but the audience can empathise with him, vampires happen to be the cause of the character's fears for his mother and girlfriend.
When watching in groups; emotions, images and reactions are mixed together and can create a unanimous feeling of discomfort and fear. As Wes Craven says "horror films don't create fear, they release it". Also this is a good example of vampire fiction becoming a brand as there are numerous sequels and even modern remakes of this narrative which shows the popularity of the storyline.

Underworld -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqT-e44kIM8 
Mode of Address: in this film, the main vampire is represented as a pretty female warrior fighting the enemy that killed her human family. She still burns from daylight etc but the character creates sympathy and male audiences would be attracted to her. the assumptions of the audience is that she will win as she is the protagonist and this storyline is familiar to the audience thus means it has been succesful enough to release 3 sequels. The film's fast pace and sexy style means it is nothing like 1930s Dracula but a more modern approach to a classic fiction.

Bram Stoker's Dracula -
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=bram+stoker%27s+dracula+trailer+ 
Ideology:  based on the novel with some slight changes, the "prince" still has the menacing impact on audiences but with the added details of his wife that died and his desire to find happiness in immortality.
vampire fictions are said to contain metaphoric references to the prevalent fears within contemporary society. Paul Wells highlights the historic link of society's fears - the "other" linked to immigration of Eastern Europeans, promiscuity and sexualisation of youth counter culture, AIDS and contamination of blood.