Theories of representation: ideology, hegemony and constructed reality

Overview

Dominant ideology, Gramsci on hegemony and consent, constructed reality and counter-hegemony.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1. 1

   Define dominant ideology.

   Model answer

   The set of beliefs, values and ideas held by the most powerful groups in society, which become accepted as common sense or natural through their prevalence in media.

2. 2

   How do media representations typically relate to dominant ideology?

   Model answer

   They often reinforce dominant ideology by normalising certain values, lifestyles and power structures while marginalising alternatives.

3. 3

   What is meant by constructed reality in media theory?

   Model answer

   The concept that media representations do not reflect an objective truth but are actively built through selection, combination and presentation of elements by media producers.

4. 4

   What elements shape all media representations as constructions?

   Model answer

   Technical codes, symbolic codes, narrative conventions and the institutional context of production.

5. 5

   Define hegemony as a concept in media theory.

   Model answer

   The process by which dominant groups maintain power not through force but through cultural leadership, making their worldview appear natural and inevitable so that subordinate groups consent to it.

6. 6

   How does media contribute to the maintenance of hegemony?

   Model answer

   By circulating representations that support the interests of powerful groups, encouraging audiences to accept existing social arrangements as normal.

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