Issues of Representation

ISSUES OF REPRESENTATION
Winter 2010 • Grand Valley State University
Professor Jennifer Proctor

"To frame is to select some aspects of a perceived reality and make them more salient in a communicating text, in such a way as to promote a particular problem definition, causal interpretation, moral evaluation, and/or treatment recommendation for the item described."

Entman, R.M. (1993). Framing: Toward a clarification of a fractured paradigm. Journal of Communication, 43(4), 51

Objectives: To examine the framing of sexual orientation, disability, or class in the popular reviews of a movie of your choice, to hone your research skills, and to apply theoretical formulations to argumentative writing.

First - select a film that substantially deals with representations of sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or class. This may be a film viewed in class or one you choose on your own.

Next – Research at least 10 (more is better) mainstream movie reviews on your chosen film.

Then – drawing upon the definition of “framing” above, and our discussion of it in class, examine the way these reviews frame the relevant category of representation in the movie you’ve chosen. In other words, how do they set the viewer up for a particular interpretation of the film? What criteria do they use for interpreting representation in the film? What context do they offer? Consider how their framing might limit the scope of how we understand the representation of class, sexual orientation, etc. – does it render a certain category invisible? Or does it expand the possibilities for better understanding this kind of representation?

Refer to the course article “Framing Brokeback Mountain: How the Popular Press Corralled the ‘’Gay Cowboy Movie’” as a guide for your research and analysis. Your paper should construct a clear and well-formulated argument, with a central point, about how the press handled your chosen category of representation in the movie. What overall conclusion do you draw?

The reviews you select, therefore, are critical to a strong analysis. Choose only reviews from credible sources – well-established and reputable publications. Look, especially, for reviews that are relevant to your research project – don’t just choose the first ten reviews you come across. Make sure they offer useful material for your paper. DO NOT use Wikipedia as a primary source, or websites by little-known or unestablished writers. If you’re not sure if a source is credible, ask.

QUOTE LIBERALLY from your chosen movie reviews. These quotes are your evidence – PROVE to the reader that the observations you make are a trend among the reviews, not just a small tangent in a single article.

As always, include a CLEAR and SPECIFIC thesis statement that states the main point your paper is ultimately making.

Be sure to include VOCABULARY and CONCEPTS related to representation as presented in class. The most successful papers will also quote and draw from course readings.