This is one of the tougher of the prompt questions but does give you plenty of scope to discuss how the media shapes our identities and how we use the media to construct identities. First thing to deal with is this idea of identity being ‘mediated’:
One definition of ‘mediation’ – ‘a negotiation to resolve differences’ is useful as it introduce the idea of us using negotiated readings of media to help us construct media. So not taking the messages at face value but understanding them in context and using our own experience.
Then there’s Thomas de Zengotita use of the word for his book Mediated: The Hidden Effects of the Media on You and Your World in which he asserts that almost everything (info, values, news, role models) comes to us through some media (TV, print, web, magazines, films) so will undoubtedly colour/influence our view of life and therefore our own self-definition.
So firstly, there's the process the audiences make in terms of understanding media representations and relating them to themselves. Then there's looking at how the media construct representations (making a conscious selection of what to include and how to present it) in order to create identities for individuals or groups of people.
Using these ideas we can look at this question as asking to what extent is our identity constructed by media, to what extent do we use media and to what extent does media reflect identity.
Useful theory 1: Jacques Lacan - Mirror Stage
‘Lacan's concept of the mirror stage was strongly inspired by earlier work by psychologist Henri Wallon, who speculated based on observations of animals and humans responding to their reflections in mirrors. Wallon noted that by the age of about six months, human infants and chimpanzees could both recognize their reflection in a mirror. While chimpanzees rapidly lose interest in the discovery, human infants typically become very interested and devote much time and effort to exploring the connections between their bodies and their images. In a 1931 paper, Wallon argued that mirrors helped children develop a sense of self-identity.’
While it's not vital to remember all of the above the assertion is that we gain an idea of self-identity through reflection. Lacan suggested a "mirror stage" in which a child begins to develop an identity; it is a point in their life when they can essentially look into a mirror and recognise themselves. It can be argued that audiences are able to form and develop their identity and change the way in which they see or recognise themselves.
Useful theory 2: David Gauntlett's Construction of Identity is very useful as it discusses the power relationship between media and ourselves when it comes to constructing identity.
'The power relationship between the media and the audience involves a 'bit of both' or to be more precise, a lot of both. The media sends out a huge number of messages about identity and acceptable forms of self-expression, gender, sexuality, and lifestyle. At the same time the public have their own even more robust set of diverse feelings on the issues. The media's suggestions may be seductive but can never simply overpower contrary feelings in the audience.'
Useful Theory 3: Althusser's Interpellation
Here's one definition. And here's an attempt to explain it: Interpellation is the process where a human subject is constructed by pre-given structures. This has been taken up some media theorists to to explain how media texts impose their ideology (their set of ideas) on the audience. If you think about it, we're bombarded by messages from the media, messages that make certain assumptions about us (taste, place in society etc), and as soon as we engage with the message we are positioned as a 'subject' rather than an individual. The idea is that we are controlled by these messages and go some way to defining our identity.
This is an quite an extreme view and doesn't account for the fact that texts often have multiple meanings and audience approach texts with different uses in mind.
Useful Theory 4: Judith Butler's Performativity
Butler says: 'There is no gender identity behind the expressions of gender; ... identity is performatively constituted by the very "expressions" that are said to be its results.' In other words, gender is a performance; it's what you do at particular times, rather than a universal who you are. The idea behind this is our identity (specifically here gender identity) is not defined by biology but is actually a performance learned as we grow. As media students we can apply to our study of identity as many of these performances and notions of idenity will be learned from the media.
Look at these two magazine covers and think about what messages they are putting out about how we should fufil our gender roles. (Or relate it to UK Youth by thinking what roles and performance we learn from Inbetweeners or Skins.)
Use the above theories to begin a response then explore the ideas yourself - here's some things to think about
1. Can you personally relate to the idea of creating identity using the media? Are there any characters or media personalities who you feel represent you? Do you share the same qualities? Which qualities do you reject and which do you aspire to have?
2. There are examples of Collective Identities being heavily influence by the media particularly youth sub-cultures that are often defined by the type of media they consume:
Mods: fashion (often tailor-made suits); pop music, including African American soul, Jamaican ska, and British beat music and R&B; and Italian motor scooters.
Rockers: 50s biker films, Marlon Brando, Elvis, rock’n’roll.
Even counter-cultural groups (groups that reject mainstream values) like Punk can be define by the type of music consumed and also what media they rejected and are oppositional to. So they were still influenced by the media to the point they took a confrontational stance toward it.
Today, even though there might not be clearly defined sub-cultures, they are still ‘scenes’, members of which are still defined by what music/films etc they consume. Can you think of any? Emo? Steampunk? Goth?
3. Identities are often constructed then perpetuated by the media.
a) The ‘Chav’.
Before the mid noughties most regions had their own term for the type of working youth the term refers to – they were Townies, or Meaders/Bedmies (Bristol). But through Media (websites, news, comedy) use of the word ‘Chav’ it became an all-encompassing term.
It then became a stereotype constructed and re-constructed by the media. For example – you had Vicky Pollard (Little Britain) - Lauren (Catherine Tate Show) – Goldie Look Chain etc,
The result of this is that we have Kelly from Misfits who is created as the stereotypical chav – dress, accent, hair, earrings, pet – even her reason for being on community service was ‘chav’ - head butting someone in Argos!
Misfits creates this stereotype intentional to then deconstruct it with Kelly’s character development.
b) Demonisation
Look here for the role that the Media plays in Demonisation. It can be argued that the Media as created the 'hoodie' - the scary youth - by giving them a high profile in the news, then using this representation in films such as F, Attack the Block, Harry Brown and even Misfits. This representation fits the 'narrative arc' so is continued and perpetuated. If a representation is repeated enough then it can be percieved to be a truth or at least an audience expectation.
4. Media creates identities and types of behaviour that are seen to directly influence behaviour or people’s reaction to that type of behaviour. For instance ‘Skins Parties’.
5. The Media is designed to create narratives and therefore identities for people:
a) Watch Big Brother and the way they create characters for the housemates with intro vox-pops, selective editing and reaction shots. Here's Charlie Brooker talking about these types of techniques.
b) Susan Boyle – her whole identity was carefully created from the sandwich eating in the BGT queue, to the music used, to the crowd reaction shots to the image she has now. Can you think of any other examples?
c) (This is big area to explore but it can be argued that the existence of the teenage social group is a media construction. The thought is that due to the post-war prosperity and baby boom in the 1950-60s they was a huge amount of young people with money to spend and so products (films, music, books, magazines) were created to target that demographic)
6. Because of democratisation of the media, we can use media, explicitly to create our identities?
How do you use the internet to create a representation of yourself? Are you on Facebook – how does that create identity – what is the template? How about online worlds and games? Do you (or others) use Twitter or Youtube to express yourself?
How do Collective Identities use the internet to define themselves? Are online communities or Facebook groups important?
The creators of Misfits used Twitter, tumblr and Facebook to construct identities for their characters
7. Have a look at this article, it opens up an interesting idea about the role of Facebook when it comes to identity. The usual idea with Facebook and identity is that it allows you to construct an identity, perhaps one that is perhaps different to the one your friends, family or employers see - it's another side to you. However, this article suggest that because so much of people's life is being lived or recorded and uploaded to Facebook that you end up only being to have ONE identity.
A quote from the article:
"Facebook appears to be deliberately and systematically making it harder and harder for people to vary their self-presentations according to audience. I think that this broad tendency (if it continues and spreads) impoverishes public life. Certainly, the self that I present on this blog is very different from the self that I present in private life (I’m a lot more combative, for better or worse, in electronically mediated exchanges, than I am in person). It’s also very different from the self that I present on the political science blog that I contribute to. Both differ drastically from the self I present to my students. I don’t think I’m unique in this. And one of the things I like about the Internets is that I can present myself in different ways. This isn’t the result of a lack of integrity – you need to present different ‘selves’ if you want to engage in different kinds of dialogue."
So the author is suggesting that in general the internet is liberating in terms of identity and self presentation (so you can rowdy and rude on one forum, more kind and considered on another), but this in contrast with Facebook restricts this idea of fluidity in identity. Your identity isn't mediated - it isn't as selective and edited as you think.
Imagine Facebook being one room. In this one room are your parents, your siblings, your best friends, your teachers, your school friends, your girl/boyfriend, you pals from your football/hockey team - and they all want you to be the version of you they are used to. So you have to be rowdy with your football pals, be polite to your Mum and Dad, and be the romantic caring type to your loved one - everyone gets to see every side of you. You're exposed.
Also here's another discussion on how digital technology - specifically the internet - is affecting how we construct our identity.
Have a read here about a blogger who constructed an identity to bring like to political issues in Syria. It's a very interesting story and throws up question about how we use digital-media, specifically the internet, to explicitly construct identities and for what reasons.
