WJEC/Eduqas Media Studies for A Level Yr 2 & A2:SB

Demonstrating Knowledge and Understanding of Media Contexts and Their Influence on Media Products and Processes In order to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of the influence of historical contexts on the set magazine products, you should consider: • the extent to which the representations of gender found in the set editions of the two magazines reflect the norms and values of the historical periods in which they were produced • the extent to which any differences in the representations of gender in the two set magazine products are due to the respective historical contexts in which they were produced. Evaluating Academic Theories This question also requires you to evaluate an academic theory, which means assessing its potential strengths and limitations, and making a judgement about its validity, value or relevance. One question on the A Level Component 2 paper will always be an evaluation of theory question. In evaluating Gauntlett’s theory, you may find it useful to discuss: • the extent to which the representations of gender in the two set magazine products differ • the extent to which the messages about ideal types of gender identity offered in the historical magazine from the 1960s are singular and straightforward • the extent to which the representations of gender in the contemporary magazine are diverse, pluralistic and complex • the extent to which any differences in the representations of gender in the two set magazine products are due to the respective genres of the two magazines, their particular target audiences and/or their relationship to mainstream culture. If you are studying Option 1, you could discuss: • the extent to which Woman offers singular and straightforward messages about domesticity and female beauty (e.g. in the ‘Are You an A-Level Beauty?’ feature) • the extent to which the advertisement for the Women’s Royal Army Corps in Woman introduces a degree of diversity in terms of the representation of gender • the extent to which Adbusters offers more nuanced, complex and pluralistic representations of gender (e.g. through the cover image) • the extent to which Adbusters subverts hegemonic messages about ideal male and female identities through parodies and culture jams such as the mock advert for ‘Louibouton’ (sic) shoes. If you are studying Option 2, you could discuss: • the extent to which Woman’s Realm offers singular and straightforward messages about domesticity and female beauty (e.g. in the ‘Bottled Beauty’ feature) • the extent to which love and romance are constructed as stereotypically female interests in Woman’s Realm (e.g. in the opening editorial about Valentine’s Day) • the extent to which Huck can be seen to offer a more diverse and pluralistic range of gender representations (e.g. through the main cover image which features an armed Kurdish woman) • the extent to which Huck challenges binaristic understandings of gender (e.g. in the ‘Beyond Binary’ feature on genderqueer identities). The evaluation of theory question could feature in any of the three sections in Component 2. Check the grid on page 238 of Chapter 6 to see which theories you need to study for each section. Tip Although you need to refer to the products you have studied when evaluating the prescribed theories, it is important not to place too much weight on isolated examples. For instance, if one or both of the set products do not appear to support a particular theory or hypothesis, this does not necessarily mean that the entire theory or hypothesis is invalid. It is important to consider how typical the set products are of broader trends across the media. Tip 300 Media Studies for A Level Year 2 & A2