Summary
Summary Sociology Ten Markers: Media (AQA)
Two full ten mark questions and one essay plan for sociology alevel, all focusing on the topic of media. All essays received full marks.
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Outline and explain two ways in which the new media enable people to challengestereotypical media portrayals of women. [10 marks]
One way in which the new media enables people to challenge stereotypical media portrayals
of women is the reduced concentration of ownership in new media platforms, leading to a
more diverse array of media content. Marxist feminists view the stereotypical portrayals of
women in media as a direct result of profit incentive, with owners utilising stereotypical and
hypersexualised presentations of women to attract audiences. However with the rise of
social media more content is created by individuals, who are less likely to prioritise profit
when forming media content. According to McNair, elite groups have less control over the
new media leading to a form of ‘cultural chaos’ with wider diversity and choice in content that
is being produced and consumed. Similarly, the new media is more interactive than
traditional media, meaning that a wider range of women who may have been excluded from
traditional media platforms can now share media content, further diversifying the new
media’s portrayal of women. However it can also be argued that social media algorithms
often suppress content that is deemed ‘undesirable’ by consumers. Furthermore, the rise in
social media content creation as a career path means that for many people the media they
put out is as motivated by profit as traditional media owners.
Another way in which new media can subvert stereotypical portrayals of women is the
increase in leadership roles for women within media, primarily due to the rise of feminism
and the social and political advancements of women as a result. According to feminist
theorist Laura Mulvey, the domination of men in traditional media sectors leads to more
objectifying portrayals of women, encouraging audiences to view female characters through
a ‘male gaze’ of sexual desire. However the increased equality of women due to feminist
action means that more women are taking leadership positions within media, which in turn
leads to more nuanced and diverse portrayals of women through a female perspective. As
one 2019 study states, the amount of female directors has risen from 2.7% in 2007 to 10.6%
in 2019, illustrating the increase in media representation both on and off screen for women in
recent years. Pluralist theorists would support this view, as increased diversity in the
portrayals of women within new media will attract a wider range of audiences, both male and
female, rather than catering only to male heterosexual audience members.
Item M
People are increasingly being exposed to violent content in the media. Some sociologists
argue that this has an immediate and negative effect on the audience. Other sociologists
point to the positive effects of such content on people’s well-being.
Applying material from Item M, analyse two possible effects of the output of the media on
their audiences. [10 marks]
As stated in Item M, many sociologists argue that the portrayal of violence in the media “has
an immediate and negative effect on the audience”. One example of such a theory is the
hypodermic syringe model, which argues that the media’s messages are directly transmitted
to audiences who passively adopt the beliefs and values that are presented to them. This
can be linked to the beliefs of radical feminists such as Andria Dworkin who suggested that
porongraphy and the portrayal of violence against women in the media directly contribute to
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