cultural identity: cultural elements
traditions, language, religion, ancestry, aesthetics, social norms, and values all contribute to cultural identity
cultural identity
as an individual you belong to a culture
cultural identity: internalization
we learn and internalize these cultural elements, often subconsciously, shaping our beliefs and behaviors
cultural identity: group affiliation
cultural identity connects us to a group, providing a sense of belonging and shared experiences
key characteristics: cultural identity
- Dynamic and evolving: Cultural identity is not static. It can change throughout life as
we encounter new cultures and experiences - Multifaceted: We can hold multiple cultural identities simultaneously, influenced by
ethnicity, nationality, religion, social class, etc. - Constructed and contested: Cultural identity is not always fixed. Individuals may
choose to identify with certain aspects of a culture and reject others. - Influences worldview: Our cultural background shapes how we see and interact with
the world
definition representation
Chris Barker: representation refers to how the
world is socially constructed and represented to
and by us
2 viewpoints representation
essentialist approach
social constructionism
essentialist approach
things have an inherent
and unchanging nature
-> when viewers watch something they will get the meaning by just watching it
social constructionism
meaning of things,
subjects, or concepts depend on their temporal
and spatial context
-> when viewers watch something they will interpret that representation based on the society or culture or community they live in
(example: people now look different at ‘i love lucy’ than in the 50s)
cultural studies approach
culture gives meaning to the social
(lgbt people look different at lgbt content than straight people)
media can participate in social change through
- providing different repertoires (putting new ideas in show, black president in 24)
- a pluralist representation (full black cast, diverse cast, a lgbt person in cast, …)
- questioning normative practices (voorbeeld, natalia astrid geen geld show = poverty porn)
- cultural resistance (its important to know how the public will react)
the proces of representation
- who makes the representation (ideology, production)
- who is represented and how (text)
- how is representation understood (audience)
impact on representation on politics
the same person could have a whole different representation in a right wing news item than a left wing news item. Some ideas and beliefs are legitimized and ‘made real’ through their media representations
media representation: 4 elements
the portrayal of cultures
power dynamics
stereotypes vs nuance
cultural identity
portrayal of cultures
media shapes how we see different cultures. It portrays their traditions, values, beliefs, and social structures
power dynamics:
representation is not neutral. Media outlets, often concentrated in powerful nations, can influence how cultures are perceived globally
stereotypes vs nuance:
media can perpetuate stereotypes or offer nuanced portrayals that challenge assumptions
cultural identity:
media representation can influence how cultures see themselves and each other. It can contribute to cultural pride or feelings of marginalizations
most media content = hegemonic (?)
dominant ideas and beliefs reinforced or legitimised in representations
movie 24
featured a black president and a woman president after a few seasons of white president: had an impact, people were more prepared for obama and hillary clinton
tokenism and burden of representation
putting lgbt or black person in show just to claim that you are diverse, the character then often suffers of stereotypes/discrimination
the practice of making only a perfunctory or symbolic effort to do a particular thing, especially by recruiting a small number of people from under-represented groups in order to give the appearance of sexual or racial equality within a workforce.
“the use of gay supporting characters is mere tokenism”
whitewashing
white actors playing ethnic roles, a casting practice in the film industry
in which white actors are cast in non-white roles
Cultural appropriation
occurs when cultural
imagery and materials (ex: ways of dress, music) are
removed from their cultural context and used in ways
they were never intended
representation matters: global exchange
in today’s interconnected world, media shapes how cultures interact and influence each other (we all have an idea of what new york looks like or tokyo even if we never been there)
