transnational audiences 1 · hypodermic model, propaganda model •media uses and interpretations:...

TRANSNATIONAL MEDIAAUDIENCES

MEVIT3220/4220

MEDIAANDGLOBALIZATION

Spring2011

Agloballivingroom?

• Whichdramaserialsdoyouwatch?

• WhydoaudiencesallaroundtheworldenjoyUStelevisiondramas?

• WhatkindsofpleasuresdoUSserialslikeTheSopranos,SexandtheCity,Grey’sAnatomyandMadMenbringtoaudiences?

• WhatmightbethewiderconsequencesoftheglobalexportofUSdramasaroundtheworld?

Whataremediaaudiences?

Referstoanassemblyoflistenersorviewerswhocometogetherthroughsharedconsumptionoffilm,television,radio,theinternet,musicandadvertising.

Whystudymediaaudiences?

• Tounderstandtowhatextentmediaexertpoweroverusandwhatkindsofpowerweexerciseasaudiences.

• Howandtowhatextentmediashapetheknowledge,values,andbeliefsofaudiences.

• Howchangesinmediatechnologytransformtheexperiencesofaudiencesandhowaudienceschangeovertime.

Researchtraditions

• Mediaeffects:

– Whatdomediadotoaudiences?

– Audiencepassivity

– Examples:hypodermicmodel,propagandamodel

• Mediausesandinterpretations:– Whatdoaudiencesdowithmedia

– Audienceactivity

– Examples:usesandgratificationmodel,encoding‐decodingmodel

Effectsresearch:AlbertBandura’sdollexperiments

Usesandinterpretations

StuartHall:

Encoding–decodingmodel

– Audienceactivity– Powerofencodedtextsversuspossibilitiesofaudiencetoresistthispower

– Polysemictexts

Modelsofinternationalcommunication

Mediaimperialism– NewworldorderdominatedbyAnglo‐Americanempire.

– Inequalitiesinmediaflows.

– Promotesglobalhomogeneityandculturaluniformity.

– Destroystheauthenticityoflocalcultures.

Global/local– Multi‐directionalflows.

– Tensionsbetweenglobalsystemsofproductionandlocalprocessesofconsumption.

– Negotiationofmeaningsbyaudiences.

Case:melodramaandmodernsubjectivity

RaymondWilliams(1989)“dramatizationofconsciousness

• Televisiondramahasencouragedustoseeourlivesasnarrativesandtoviewourselvesasthekeysubjectsinthenarrativesthatweconstructofourlives.

Melodramaandmodernsubjectivity

• Themakingvisibleoftheeverydaylivesof“ordinarypeople”.

• Theexplorationofthemostprivateandintimaterealmsofhumanexperience

• Therepresentationofheightenedemotionsbroughtabouthumansuffering

• Theconcernwiththerupturingandrestorationofanunderlyingmoralandsocialorder

• Theroleoffate,chanceandcircumstancesinthehopesanddreamsofindividuals

Ethnographyandmediaaudiences

• Seekingtounderstandsociallifethroughfirst‐hand,directexperience,conductingfieldworkinparticularlocalcontexts

• Studyoftelevisiontalk

• Useoftriangulation

DanielMiller:TheYoungandtheRestlessinTrinidad

TheYoungandtheRestlessinTrinidad

“Thesamethingyouseeontheshowwillhappenhere,youseethewifeblackmailingthehusbandortheotherwayround,Iwastellingmysister‐in‐law,Liannainthepicture,justlikesomebacchanal(scandalous)woman”

“Peoplelookatitbecauseitiseverydayexperienceforsomepeople.Ithinktheypatterntheirlivesonit”

TheYoungandtheRestlessinTrinidad

“Itteachesyouhowhusbandscouldlieandcheatandhowawifecouldexpectcertainthingsandnevergetit,thewomenalwaysgettheshortendofthestick.”

“PeopleinTheYoungandtheRestlesscan’thavefunlikepeopleinTrinidad,theirsortoffunisboring.There’smorebacchanalherethaninTheYoungandtheRestless,ineachsoapyoucantellwhat’sgoingtohappenbutaroundhereyoucan’ttell.”…

TheYoungandtheRestlessinTrinidad

“IloveLauren,howshedressesandidentifywithher”

“IlikeNickythewayshedresses,mynameisNickytoo,sheisalovingperson.

“itissomodernizedwithAIDS,uptodatemusic‐wise,clothes‐wise,whenyoulookattheshoesyousaythisisnicethisisreallyuptodate,it’smodernit’snow,that’swhyyouappreciateitmore,Iadmiretheearrings,necklaces.”…

Liebes&Katz:Dallas

Liebes&Katz:Dallas

Beverly:Ithinkwehavetobeascuzzypersontobeabletoactlikethattobeginwith.Imean,ifIhadamilliondollars(heistalkingaboutfiftymilliondollarsforjustaplacetostorehisdamnoil),ifIhadfiftymilliondollarsIwouldgiveittoallmyfriends,allmykids;Iwouldn’tconniveandcheatjusttogetmore.

Don:Giveherahundredbucksandshesplitsfiveways.(haha)Twentytoeachkid.(Americangroup7)

Liebes&Katz:Dallas

Anise:SueEllenisJ.R.’swife,butArabsbelievesheisabadwoman,she’stoofreeandgoneastray.

Sherifa:Abadwoman.Consideringthebehaviorofherhusband,theremaybesomejustificationforwhatshedoes,butIwouldn’tbehavethatway.

Anise:Ithinkso,too.Accordingtoournorms,sheisforbiddenbothtodrinkandtosmoke,inthisfinalanalysis,Ipityher.(Arabgroup43)

Liebes&Katz:Dallas

Americans Moroccans Arabs Russians Kibbutz

“therichareimmoral”

18 26 13 22 16

“theAmericansareimmoral”

‐ 13 34 2 12

“therichareunhappy”

33 28 16 18 43

“theAmericansareuncultured”

‐ 2 3 9 ‐