Marxism and Hedgemony

Marxism:
The theory that society is controlled one elite power who keeps the rest of us in our place by making sure we share their ideas about the ways things should be. (e.g Blair in Gossip Girl)

Examples:
Cosmo-

• A feminist marxist reading of the magazine cover of the December 2014 issue is that we are able to recognise the ideal version of ourselves.
• A feminist marxist reading of women's magazines suggests that women are told what to think by magazines, which distracts them from really important issues, however Cosmo contradicts this view in articles like "Women Hating= Not Cool", by bringing those issues into the spotlight.
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Hegemony:
This is when social groups agree on a particular idea to make it seem natural and true (e.g. The family should consist of a mother, father and children or England's favourite sport is football etc.)

Examples:
Cosmo-

• Cosmo claims to celebrate the independent woman, however it applies to the hegemony that women should be slim and beautiful and therefore has some stereotypes

Women's Health:

Michael Foucault

An identity is communicated to others in your interactions with them. Identity is not a fixed thing within a person. It is "a shifting, temporary construction". People construct themselves according to a set of rules. A Foucauldian analysis of Mockingjay presents that individuals like Katniss can obtain power through 'techniques of the self'. Also in Gossip Girl, Blair and Serena change their identity according to who they are dating.

Anthony Giddens

"What to do? How to act? Who to be?"

Giddens developed the theory of structuration, wherebuy individuals are shown to have the power to make changes and influence society as well as large powerful organisations e.g. the government or mass media. You can apply Giddens' theory to the film 'Made In Dagenham' where the protagonist, Rita, leads the women of Forn in Dagenham to win equal pay as the men for 'semi-skilled' work. Also Hunger Games: MockingJay as Katniss leads the districts into rebellion against the Capitol. 

Queer Theory- Judith Butler and David Gauntlett

Following our study of the Hunger Games, I looked into Judith Butler's theory of Gender Performance, which she addresses in her book Gender Trouble (1990)through David Gauntlett's book 'Media, Gender and Identity, An introduction'(2002). This is described by Sandra Lee Bartky as 'The most authoritative attack to date on the "naturalness" of gender'. The Hunger Games applies to Butler's theory of Gender as a Performance as Katniss must act very differently when in the public eye as to when she isn't being shown on TV. Suzanne Collins creates a world which is completely governed by the media by using the Hunger Games as a way to distract the members of the public from creating an uprising and war. 

 Other satirical looks at gender performance: - Ja'mie, Life of a private school girl - Conchita Wurst- Eurovision winner