Page 177 - A Handbook Genre Studies in Mass Media
P. 177

CHAPTER 6

                           3. Country of origin
                           4. Ethnicity
                       d. What messages are conveyed with regard to social class? Be
                         specific. Use analytical tools (such as word choice, plot, struc-
                         ture, oppositional analysis, production elements) to support your
                         observations.

                    What conclusions can you derive from this analysis?
                    9. In the chapter, it was stated that the science fiction genre often re-
                      flects the uncertainty posed by threats, or perceived threats, to the
                      established system. Conduct an ideological analysis of a science
                      fiction program (comic, video game, film, or television program):
                      Who (or what) represents a threat to this initial order? Explain.
                   10. Conduct an ideological analysis of a selection of programming
                      belonging to a genre. What belief system is operating in this genre?
                      Use any of the following strategies in your analysis:
                       a. Worldview
                       b. Function
                       c. Formulaic approach
                           1. Premise
                           2. Structure
                           3. Plot
                           4. Character
                       d. Point of view
                       e. Intergenre analysis
                       f.  Production elements

                  Genre Analysis: Ideological Approach • by Meredith Wurm

                  Fame, Fashion, Fortune and the “Fortunates”:
                  Reality Television: Ideological Approach

                  Introduction

                  Just when you thought, “Good, that’s done with,” you flip the channel
                  and what do you see? Another ad for another reality television show.
                  Reality TV has become the most interesting thing to happen to television
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                  since the launch of MTV in the 1980s.  It began with Real World (MTV),
                  but since then has emerged (and over overflowed) into celebrity lives,

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