Videogames: Further feminist theory

1) What definitions are offered by the factsheet for ‘feminism ‘and ‘patriarchy’?

Feminism is a movement which aims for equality for women – to be

treated as equal to men socially, economically, and politically.

patriarchy is male dominance in society

2) Why did bell hooks publish her 1984 book ‘Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center’?

She had identified a lack of diversity within the feminist movement,

and argued that these diverse voices had been marginalised, being

put outside the main body of feminism.

3) What aspects of feminism and oppression are the focus for a lot of bell hooks’s work?

Feminism as a struggle to end patriarchal oppression - it should be a serious political commitment rather than a fashionable lifestyle choice. “Feminism is a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation and oppression”

4) What is intersectionality and what do hooks argue regarding this?

The term intersectionality is used to describe overlapping or intersecting

social identities and related systems of oppression, domination or

discrimination.

hooks argue that understanding intersectionality is vital

to gaining political and social equality and improving our democratic

system.

5) What did Liesbet van Zoonen conclude regarding the relationship between gender roles and the mass media?

Gender is constructed through media language

These constructions reflect cultural and historical contexts

The objectification of the female body is a key construct of western culture (building on Mulvey – male gaze)

If women have to be like men to be treated equally, then equality itself is repressive

6) Liesbet van Zoonen sees gender as socially constructed. What does this mean and which other media theorist we have studied does this link to?

Zoonen, culture is seen as “ways of life” or,

as she quotes theorist John Corner, “the conditions and the forms in which meaning and value are

structured and articulated within a society”

7) How do feminists view women’s lifestyle magazines in different ways? Which view do you agree with?

Radical, Liberal and Marxist view.

8) In looking at the history of the colours pink and blue, van Zoonen suggests ideas gender ideas can evolve over time. Which another media theorist we have studied argues this and do you agree that gender roles are in a process of constant change? Can you suggest examples to support your view?

9) What are the five aspects van Zoonen suggests are significant in determining the influence of the media?

• Whether the institution is commercial or public

• The platform upon which they operate (print versus digital media)

• Genre (drama versus news)

• Target audiences

• The place the media text holds within the audiences’ daily lives

10) What other media theorist can be linked to van Zoonen’s readings of the media?

Van Zoonen builds on Stuart Hall’s negotiated readings, arguing that the negotiated readings and subsequent focus on the way meanings are

encoded and decoded

11) Van Zoonen discusses ‘transmission models of communication’. She suggests women are oppressed by the dominant culture and therefore take in representations that do not reflect their view of the world. What other theory and idea (that we have studied recently) can this be linked to?

12) Finally, van Zoonen has built on the work of bell hooks by exploring power and feminism. She suggests that power is not a binary male/female issue but reflects the “multiplicity of relations of subordination”. How does this link to bell hooks views on feminism and intersectionality?

bell hooks theory suggest that for femisimsim race and class has to be taken into consideration and therefore power is not binary male and female but it has many factors.