Gauntlett

Key Terms: Fluid identity, constructed identity, negotiated identity, collective identity, progressive / regressive representations, prosumers. 

Identity is a super slippery subject and increasingly contentious in the current culture wars.

Since the early 2000’s David Gauntlett has asked a crucial question:

How far does the media shape our personal and collective identities?

David Gauntlett argued our heavy exposure to the media could, “hardly fail to affect our own way of conducting ourselves and our expectations of other people’s behaviour.” Although the research and case studies mostly focused in the representation of gender, his approach can easily be applied to other aspects of our identity, such as age, ethnicity, race, politics, social class…

Fluidity of Identity

Much of Gauntlett’s work was focused on gender identity and he pointed out that representations of gender has changed. Watch these two ads for Lynx deodorant, separated by 16 years. Consider the different representations of men and women to see a marked difference on the values, attitudes and beliefs of gender roles & heteronormative relationships.

Lynx (2006)

Lynx (2020)

Discussion: What changes do these adverts reveal about how gender roles have changed, evolved and are fluid?

Constructed Identity

We use the media to construct a sense of our personal identity (Blumler & Katz). We see behaviours which we then model to reflect our own values, attitudes and beliefs (ideology).

Gauntlett argues that we construct various identities for a variety of contexts and that the media is, at least partially, responsible for serving up representations which we adopt for ourselves. The media, Gauntlett suggests, is partially responsible for helping us form a sense of ourselves and these are reinforced by the influencers we follow, through something called The Two-Step Flow of effects theory.

Negotiated Identity

The media can help us form our own identity. No matter how we feel about ourselves there will be some media representations with appeal to our sense of identity, gender or otherwise. Our identity is a negotiation between our desires and the public identity which we are adopting. Gauntlett calls this our ‘Public Facing’ identity, this identity is malleable and context specific.

Gauntlett suggests we have multiple identities which are adopted by use in order to ‘fit in’ to different social contexts. These identities are shaped partially by the representations we see in the media.

Consider the ways in which you talk and act to teachers compared to how you talk and act with your friends. You adopt different public facing identities to suit the context you find yourself in.

Collective Identities

Fandom and collective identity.

We belong to certain groups, often groups which are constructed around media texts. Think music, gaming, films, football…

Fandom is an excellent example of a collective identity and allows the audience to adopt alternative public facing identities.

Media Technology has enable us to be prosumers and increasingly media industries are tapping into the power of fan groups in order to influence the audience and, of course, sell them stuff. Think Comic Con and The Premier League.

Gauntlett’s conclusions on identity in so far it is shaped by the media.

Watch it from the beginning for more on the complexity of this issue and on how media technology has empowered audiences to create media which projects their own identities.

What Exam / Essay can I use this in?

Which Topics – CLICK HERE

Glossary of Terms

Progressive representations – A representation which subverts or challenges traditional stereotypical representations of characters, places or events.

Regressive representation – A backward looking representation – a stereotype. Often set up in the narrative to be challenged by the another character, place or event.

Prosumers – Audience members that interact with other media texts or make their own homemade media texts – often appropriating and/or remixing existing media. We’re all journalists now.

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