Media Studies Theory Revision Exam with Questions and Answers

Media Studies Theory Revision Exam with Questions and Answers Barthes' Semiotics ANSWER -texts communicate their meanings through a process of signification Signifier - the literal, commonsensical meaning Signified - the meanings interpreted, associated or suggested by the signifier Polysemic/polysemy - the signifier can be interpreted in various ways by an audience or individual Enigma Codes - when not enough information is provided, there is no clear interpretation, creating mystery Levi-Strauss' Structuralism ANSWER -the idea that texts can be understood through an examination of their underlying structure A binary opposition is a pair of related terms or concepts that are opposite in meaning Masculinity/Feminity Conservative/Socialist Us/Them Steve Neale's Genre Theory ANSWER -the idea that genres may be dominated by repetition, but are also marked by variation. They variate through borrowing and overlapping with other genres Genre - a style or category of art, music or literature Newspaper - Tabloid/Broadsheet Music Videos - Performance/Narrative/Abstract Genre Hybridity - texts and media that use multiple genres Video Games - Sandbox/FPS/RTS/RPG