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Module 5 Culture, Context and Communication

This exam paper lasts one and a half hours and you must answer TWO questions.

Section A Questions

Section B Questions
Personal
Organisational culture
Mass Media
Built Environment

Module 6 Questions

Section A questions are compulsory and you have no choice of question - you must answer the one question in this section on the paper.

Here is a list of past Section A questions:

1.In February 2001 the Deputy Literary Editor of The Guardian newspaper argued that controversial rap artist Eminem’s lyrics “have all the depth and texture of the greatest examples of English verse”. Giles Foden went on to say that ‘ Stan’ (one of Eminem’s tracks) “…explores humanity’s most profound experience: not just madness, but also terror, melancholy and (not least) laughter. In this view Eminem is neither the ‘authentic voice of disaffected working youth’ (Independent on Sunday), nor ‘a nasty little yob’ (ditto) but a rapper whose genuis is, principally, poetic”.

Is it ‘dumb’ to take popular culture seriously? Your answer should draw upon appropriate examples from popular and/or high culture. These examples may or may not include reference to Eminem.

2. Some Marxists argue that popular culture reinforces dominant ideology. Postmodernists, however, see the distinction between popular culture and high art as irrelevant or even nonexistent.

Discuss the ideas and evidence which may be used in support of one of these views.

3. It has been argued that high culture is difficult, demanding and rewarding whilst popular culture is easy, undemanding and superficial. Using examples discuss the validity of making distinctions like these between high culture and popular culture.

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4. The term ‘canon’ is often used to refer to a body of texts including works of art, literature and music which are said to have achieved ‘classic’ status. It is claimed these works of art have stood the test of time and that they meet high standards of beauty, quality and value. Popular culture
has sometimes been seen as a threat to the canon of ‘great works’.

How does popular culture differ from the canon and why is it seen as a threat?

5. According to some of its critics popular culture is:
• superficial;
• formula-based;
• mass produced for cheapness;
• standardised.

Using examples explore the strengths and weaknesses of this argument.

6. “In Italy opera is a popular and widely recognised cultural form, singers are well known and performances draw big audiences which are knowledgeable and critical. In contrast, opera in Britain is regarded as an elite taste and research shows that typically audiences for opera are older and are drawn from higher social classes than other forms of entertainment. Yet in 1990, following the use of Nessun Dorma from the opera Turandot, sung by Pavarotti, to introduce the BBC television coverage of the 1990 World Cup finals, opera rocketed in public popularity in Britain.” Source: E. BALDWIN ET AL., Introducing Cultural Studies (Prentice Hall) 1999

Discuss the factors that affect the value placed on cultural forms and activities.
Your answer does not need to refer to opera but you should refer to examples from both high culture and popular culture.

7. How important are forms of popular culture and high culture in the construction of a national identity such as ‘Englishness’ ? (30 marks)
In your answer you may wish to refer to the following explanation by novelist Hilary Mantel of why she could never define herself as English.“As I grew up, I came to see that Englishness was white, male, southern, Protestant and middle class. I was a woman, a Catholic, a northerner, of Irish descent. I spoke and speak now with a northern accent. And if I tell an Englishman my date of birth and my religion and my ancestry, I am telling him, without needing more words, that my family are working people, probably with little education. All these markers – descent, religion, region, accent – are quickly decoded by those who possess Englishness, and to this day are used to exclude. […] If you want to belong to Englishness, you must sell off your identity.”
Source: ‘No Passes or Documents Are Needed: The Writer at Home in Europe’ by Hilary Mantel, from On Modern British Fiction edited by Leader, Zachary (2003). By permission of Oxford University Press.
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8. “Differences between popular and high culture can be explained purely in terms of money and technology. Popular culture requires substantial investment in, for example, sophisticated recording and broadcasting equipment, as well as the high wages of celebrities. High culture in contrast is ‘low tech’, with much more emphasis on individual creativity and small-scale distribution networks.”

Critically examine this argument and explore alternative views of the differences between high
culture and popular culture.

9. “Questions of cultural value cannot simply be reduced to matters of personal taste. We must have some agreement about what is good and what is bad. If the only criterion for judging a work of music, art or literature is whether or not an individual likes it, then we really can be accused of abandoning standards altogether.”

Drawing on examples from popular culture and high culture, discuss this view of the value of cultural products. In your answer you should identify other criteria which could be used in addition to ‘personal taste’.

10. “Some commentators have argued that the cultural habits of the rich and the poor are still very different. The rich and powerful have developed a taste for low culture in addition to maintaining their interest in high culture. Poorer and less powerful people, on the other hand, continue to be excluded from, or show no interest in, high culture.”

What are the strengths and weaknesses of this view of cultural consumption in contemporary society?

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Here is a list of Section B questions - you only choose ONE question from this section but it can be EITHER a personal communication, organisational culture, mass media or built environment question, depending on what your college or centre has taught you .

SECTION B (in order of topic)

PERSONAL COMMUNICATION

1. Using examples, discuss the significance of ideology in the construction of personal identity. Your answer should refer to at least one of the following:

dress and appearance
use of language
personal possessions.

2. How and why do both individuals and groups use clothing to express identity?

3. Discuss the ways in which any two of the following may be used to construct personal identity:
• hairstyle
• clothing
• personal stereo
• mobile phone
• tattooing
• body piercing

4. “Personal forms of communication such as clothing, appearance, language and personal possessions can symbolise conformity or resistance to dominant ideology. On occasions, an individual’s personal communication may symbolise both conformity and resistance.”
Using examples discuss the view of personal communication that is expressed here.

5. For many years the slogan ‘Because You’re Worth It’ has been used to promote the L’Oreal rang of hair and beauty products.
How important is self-worth in understanding the meanings of clothing, appearance and personal possessions?

7. Discuss the ways in which hairstyle and other aspects of personal appearance can symbolise identity and attitude.

8. “The clothes we wear, the things we buy and even the way we speak are all lifestyle choices. We make these choices in order to develop an identity for ourselves.”
Discuss the arguments for and against this point of view.

9. Many people explain their dress, hairstyle, body adornment and personal possessions as ways in which they can express themselves.
How adequate is this explanation of the role of personal communication in cultural transmission?

10. It is sometimes said that ‘what you see is what you get’. To what extent is this true of the meanings attached to personal communications such as clothing, body adornment and personal possessions?

11. Individuals have sometimes been described as ‘carriers of ideology’. Discuss this idea in relation to personal appearance and communication.

ORGANISATIONS

1. There are many reasons why an organisation may choose to change its modes of address, for example an out of date image or a declining market share.

Referring to examples, show how organisations change their modes of address in response to factors like these.

2. How do organisations develop and promote a corporate identity?

3. Describe and evaluate the mode of address of an organisation with which you are familiar. In your answer you may wish to consider:
• how the organisation addresses different audiences
• advertising, marketing and corporate identity.

4. “Corporate identity often contains subtle messages about the identity of employees, clients and customers as well as the organisation itself. As we are all employees, clients and customers, our personal identity is strongly influenced by the ways in which organisations address us.”

Using examples with which you are familiar discuss the view of organisational modes of address that is expressed here.

5. Many organisations have, in recent years, undertaken an “image makeover” involving changes in name or logo or advertising style or corporate identity in general. Sometimes all these have been changed. Using examples discuss the reasons why organisations may consider changes of this kind.

6. Choose two organisations with distinctly different public images. Discuss the causes and consequences of these two contrasting images.

7. How do organisations use various ‘modes of address’ to achieve their objectives?

8. Using examples, discuss the ways in which organisations may or may not reflect the changing values of mainstream culture.

9. How do organisations seek to influence the perceptions of customers, clients and employees?
In your answer you should consider the role of language and images in forming the corporate culture of organisations.

MASS MEDIA TITLES

1. The mass media present us with many rôle models and attractive personalities. Some theorists argue that we use this information to experiment with our own identities.

Discuss this view of the relationship between the mass media and identity using at least two theoretical perspectives.

2. It has been asserted that social divisions based on race, gender and class are reinforced by the mass media. Using examples discuss the strengths and limitations of this point of view.

3. Most feminists have argued that patriarchal ideology is reinforced by the mass media in contemporary culture. Discuss this argument with reference to examples drawn from one of the following: pop music, television, magazines or the internet.

4. How well are the cultural needs of young people served by the mass media? You should illustrate your answer with specific examples.

5. Are the mass media agents of dominant ideology?

6. “By reducing everything, however serious, to a branch of entertainment the true function of the mass media is disguised. And what is this true function? To control the population and keep us in our place.”

Using contrasting perspectives, critically evaluate this view of the media’s role in cultural transmission.

7. “The output of today’s mass communication industry is vast and diverse. It includes all shades of opinion and offers consumers almost limitless choice. It is difficult, therefore, to understand how anyone can accuse the media of operating only in the interests of dominant ideology.”

Using examples and theoretical perspectives, assess this argument. (30 marks)

8. “Magazines and tabloid newspapers take it for granted that everyone wants to be famous. Television programmes such as Pop Idol and Big Brother encourage viewers to think that ‘ordinary people’ can become celebrities.”

9. Discuss the ways in which the idea of celebrity features in the media’s transmission of cultural values.

It is quite wrong to see the mass media as a dominant influence in society. In fact, they provide many opportunities for the expression of different voices and competing ideologies.”

Using examples drawn from one or more media, critically evaluate this view of the role of mass media in contemporary society.

Module 6 Issues in Communication (Resources and learning materials section here)

Section A - COMPETING THEORIES OF COMMUNICATION

1. In their book ABC of Communication Studies Gill and Adams define communication as “a social activity in which people create and exchange meanings in response to the reality they experience”.

Based upon your experience of studying communication, how far do you consider this a useful definition?

2. What are the principal functions of communication? You should answer with reference to communication in at least two different contexts.

3. Explore the theoretical insights you have gained from completing your A2 Communication Studies project.

4. “Context is all.” Margaret Atwood: The Handmaid’s Tale
Explore the significance of context within acts of communication. (30 marks)

5. It has been claimed that it is impossible for anyone to say anything at all without revealing their beliefs.
Is all communication necessarily ideological?

6. How far would you agree with the view that senders, as the originators of messages, are more important than receivers?

7. Some commentators hold the view that models are useful in understanding communication. Explain the usefulness or otherwise of two communication models with which you are familiar.

Section B - NEW TECHNOLOGY

1. What dangers for personal, professional and social life do you think are posed by new communication technologies?

2. What part might new Communication and Information Technology play in defining an individual’s identity?

3. Do you consider the relationship between communication and technology to be a complementary one? You should answer with specific examples. (30 marks)

4. What are the advantages and disadvantages of e-mail when compared with other forms of communication such as:
• letter writing;
• telephone conversations; and
• text messaging.

5. To what extent does communication technology give people power?

6. Examine the impact of the Internet on the way information is accessed and processed.

7. It has been argued that new technology changes the way we think about the world. How far do you agree?

8. What do you understand by the term “digital revolution” in relation to communication technology? What are the likely implications of this revolution?

9. When Clive James worked as a professional television critic, he observed that: “Anyone afraid of what television does to the world is probably just afraid of the world”. Permission granted by PFD on behalf of Clive James.
In the light of this comment, discuss the potential dangers of new communication technologies.

10. Which communication devices have most impact on your personal and social life?
Explain in detail the specific nature of their impact(s).

11. Discuss the view that advances in Information and Communication Technology have created an information underclass.

12. The school and college curriculum puts increasing emphasis on the role of Information and Communication Technology in all subjects.
What are the significant implications of this emphasis on Information and Communication Technology?

13. Marshall McLuhan famously observed that ‘the medium is the message’.
To what extent can it be argued that style rather than substance is the more important element of modern communication technologies?

14. Discuss the theoretical and practical issues surrounding the ownership, capabilities and uses of mobile phone technology.

Section C - SOCIALISATION

1. How important is gender in understanding communication?

2. What part does communication play in helping us to become active and useful members of society?

3. What relationship is there between socialisation and perception? To what extent does what we ‘see’ depend on how we are socialised?

4. “Male-female conversation is cross-cultural communication. [. . .] From the time they’re born, they’re treated differently, talked to differently, and talk differently as a result”. Deborah Tannen
Do you agree? Provide examples to support your answer.

5. The philosopher Aristotle suggested that human beings are social animals.
What role does communication play in making people “social”?

6. What do you consider to be the most significant agents of socialisation? In your answer you should consider groups, individuals and social institutions.

7. Basil Bernstein claimed that “socialisation is a process for making people safe”.
In what ways does communication help to make us “safe”?

8. “The way we communicate also influences our life opportunities.” Peter Hartley: Interpersonal Communication
Write about some of the ways in which “the way we communicate” might influence “our life opportunities”.

9. Shaw’s play Pygmalion tells the story of a Cockney flower seller who is transformed into a society lady by the removal of her dialect and the refinement of her language.
To what extent is the way in which we acquire language part of our socialisation?

10. The ‘Hidden Curriculum’ is a phrase used to describe all the information that we get from schools and colleges beyond lessons. Analyse the specific ways in which your school or college is active in your socialisation.

11. It has been said that, ideologically speaking, growing up is a dangerous business.
What are the ideological implications of growing up in Britain today?

12. Explore the different ways in which mass communication has an impact on the socialisation of young people.

13. Examine the ways in which the communication we receive in our closest social relationships, for example the family, prepares us for our roles as citizens.

14. Explain how an individual’s use of language can reflect or reject the dominant values of society.

Section D - ETHICAL, MORAL and POLITICAL ISSUES

1. What rights should individual citizens have in the face of media interest or intrusion?

2. Can the censorship of the mass media in a democracy be justified? Support your answer with evidence.

3. The artist Andy Warhol once suggested that: “in the future everyone will be famous for fifteen minutes”. What does a fascination with fame and celebrity communicate about contemporary culture?

4. How do opinion leaders shape the public’s view of conflict? In your answer you may consider conflict between individuals, groups or nations.

5. Examine, with evidence from any medium, the current state of “News” as a mode of communication. You may wish to consider one or more of the
following:
• content;
• style;
• format;
• accessibility;
• status.

6. Over the years many languages have gone into decline and some have disappeared completely. Discuss the forces that can threaten the existence of languages and the reasons why many native speakers want to protect and
preserve their language.

7. Which communication skills do you think are most important to young people in the early years of the twenty-first century?

8. The German poet Heinrich Heine warned that they who first burn books, later burn people. Is censorship necessarily as dangerous as he suggests?

9. It has been argued that we are being swamped by communication messages in modern life. To what extent does this undermine the concept of ‘identity’?

10. Is most communication honest? Answer with reference to both personal and cultural communication.

11. What are the implications of the cult of celebrity which pervades the media?
You may wish to consider this from the point of view of producers, consumers, fans and/or the celebrities themselves.

12. To what extent is our identity determined or influenced by our friends?

13. It is said that we live in an increasingly visual culture. What evidence have you found of this in the way people communicate?

14. Gestures, posture, orientation and other forms of bodily communication are often described as ‘body language’. Discuss the ways in which they do and do not resemble a language.