Alan McKee

This book presents an innovative cross-disciplinary report on research across the humanities and social sciences about the relationship between pornography and its consumers.For policy makers and the wider public it can be difficult to obtain a clear understanding of the current state of knowledge on pornography and its relationships with audiences, due to the often-contradictory nature of research spanning the various and politically diverse academic disciplines. The cross-disciplinary expertise of the author team has engaged in an extensive examination of the findings of academic research in the area in order to explain, in a clear and accessible style, the most important conclusions about the relationship of pornography to Healthy Sexual Development.This short and accessible overview is suitable for students and scholars in Psychology, Sexual Health, Film Studies, Sex Education, Queer Theory, Gender Studies, Sexuality Studies, Sociology, Media Studies and Cultural Studies.

This book presents an innovative cross-disciplinary report on research across the humanities and social sciences about the relationship between pornography and its consumers.For policy makers and the wider public it can be difficult to obtain a clear understanding of the current state of knowledge on pornography and its relationships with audiences, due to the often-contradictory nature of research spanning the various and politically diverse academic disciplines. The cross-disciplinary expertise of the author team has engaged in an extensive examination of the findings of academic research in the area in order to explain, in a clear and accessible style, the most important conclusions about the relationship of pornography to Healthy Sexual Development.This short and accessible overview is suitable for students and scholars in Psychology, Sexual Health, Film Studies, Sex Education, Queer Theory, Gender Studies, Sexuality Studies, Sociology, Media Studies and Cultural Studies.

This is a concise and accessible introduction into the concept of objectification, one of the most frequently recurring terms in both academic and media debates on the gendered politics of contemporary culture, and core to critiquing the social positions of sex and sexism.Objectification is an issue of media representation and everyday experiences alike. Central to theories of film spectatorship, beauty fashion and sex, objectification is connected to the harassment and discrimination of women, to the sexualization of culture and the pressing presence of body norms within media. This concise guidebook traces the history of the term’s emergence and its use in a variety of contexts such as debates about sexualization and the male gaze, and its mobilization in connection with the body, selfies and pornography, as well as in feminist activism.It will be an essential introduction for undergraduate and postgraduate students in Gender Studies, Media Studies, Sociology, Cultural Studies or Visual Arts.

This is a concise and accessible introduction into the concept of objectification, one of the most frequently recurring terms in both academic and media debates on the gendered politics of contemporary culture, and core to critiquing the social positions of sex and sexism.Objectification is an issue of media representation and everyday experiences alike. Central to theories of film spectatorship, beauty fashion and sex, objectification is connected to the harassment and discrimination of women, to the sexualization of culture and the pressing presence of body norms within media. This concise guidebook traces the history of the term’s emergence and its use in a variety of contexts such as debates about sexualization and the male gaze, and its mobilization in connection with the body, selfies and pornography, as well as in feminist activism.It will be an essential introduction for undergraduate and postgraduate students in Gender Studies, Media Studies, Sociology, Cultural Studies or Visual Arts.

Combining media effects with aesthetic approaches this book offers the first substantial, systematic and coherent account of fun and its importance. But what exactly is fun and what purposes does it serve? Fun is a vital element of entertainment, and entertainment is the most important form of culture in modern Western democracies. It demonstrates that fun is at the heart of entertainment's effects – entertainment both offers its consumers fun and provides them with the intellectual materials to think about the nature of fun. More than this, the book argues that entertainment shows us that fun – pleasure without purpose – is at the heart of living a good life. Illustrated with detailed examples from entertainment – from the Urban Dictionary to The Simpsons, to the Culture novels of Iain M Banks – this book is intelligent, original, and even (dare we say it) fun.

Written for a broad audience and grounded in cutting-edge, contemporary scholarship, this volume addresses some of the key questions asked about pornography today. What is it? For whom is it produced? What sorts of sexualities does it help produce? Why should we study it, and what should be the most urgent issues when we do? What does it mean when we talk about pornography as violence? What could it mean if we discussed pornography through frameworks of consent, self-determination and performance?This book places the arguments from conservative and radical anti-porn activists against the challenges coming from a new generation of feminist and queer porn performers and educators. Combining sensitive and detailed discussion of case studies with careful attention to the voices of those working in pornography, it provides scholars, activists and those hoping to find new ways of understanding sexuality with the first overview of the histories and futures of pornography.

Written for a broad audience and grounded in cutting-edge, contemporary scholarship, this volume addresses some of the key questions asked about pornography today. What is it? For whom is it produced? What sorts of sexualities does it help produce? Why should we study it, and what should be the most urgent issues when we do? What does it mean when we talk about pornography as violence? What could it mean if we discussed pornography through frameworks of consent, self-determination and performance?This book places the arguments from conservative and radical anti-porn activists against the challenges coming from a new generation of feminist and queer porn performers and educators. Combining sensitive and detailed discussion of case studies with careful attention to the voices of those working in pornography, it provides scholars, activists and those hoping to find new ways of understanding sexuality with the first overview of the histories and futures of pornography.

The Porn Report is a radical new way of thinking about the place of pornography in society. The writers draw on wide-ranging empirical research to show the production, distribution and consumption of pornography, its content, its consumers and the public debates within which people make sense of it. During a groundbreaking three-year investigation, the authors conducted interviews and surveys to produce a detailed picture of the adult-content industries. They interviewed the models, photographers and distributors involved in the pornography industry to find out why they are involved and what they think of it. They have analysed the contents of best-selling videos and conducted a large-scale survey of consumers to find out who they are and what they think of the materials they watch and read. The authors do not assume pornography is a bad thing, nor do they ignore the difficult issues that surround its production and consumption. The Porn Report engages with the most controversial issues relating to the industry, and provides an insight into the everyday uses of pornography by ordinary consumers, and the place of pornography in society.

What is happening to public debate in Western cultures? Is our public sphere disintegrating? In the face of popular tabloid newspapers, new forms of reality television and an increasing lack of respect for traditional authorities, many critics are concerned that our society no longer has a rational, informed and unified space where everyone can communicate about the issues that affect us all. In this book Alan McKee answers these questions by providing an introduction to the concept of the public sphere, the history of the term and the philosophical arguments about its function. By drawing on many examples from contemporary mediated culture, McKee looks at how we communicate with each other in public - and how we decide whether changing forms of communication are a good thing for the ‘public sphere’.

`Alan McKee presents a student friendly introduction to the analysis of cultural texts. The book highlights the cultural differences in interpretation with an array of fascinating examples. Textual Analysis is written in an accessible style with several useful case studies. Each chapter also includes exercises for classroom' - Jane Stokes, London Metropolitan University `McKee is a gifted practitioner of the skills he would teach in this book, as well as a lively and engaging writer and one who has a real commitment to making his ideas available to a larger public' - Henry Jenkins, Massachusetts Institute of Technology This book provides an indispensable basic introduction to textual analysis. McKee starts from the most basic philosophical foundations that underlie the practice and explains why texts are important and what they tell us about the world they represent. Textual Analysis guides students away from finding the `correct' interpretation of a text and explains why we can't simply ask audiences about the interpretations they make of texts. Textual Analysis: - points to the importance of context, genre and modality - uses excellent examples drawn from popular culture - provides students with a solid grounding on many of the important concepts underlying media and cultural studies Written in an accessible and straightforward style Textual Analysis: A Beginners Guide will be essential reading for all students of media, cultural and communication studies.

`Alan McKee presents a student friendly introduction to the analysis of cultural texts. The book highlights the cultural differences in interpretation with an array of fascinating examples. Textual Analysis is written in an accessible style with several useful case studies. Each chapter also includes exercises for classroom' - Jane Stokes, London Metropolitan University `McKee is a gifted practitioner of the skills he would teach in this book, as well as a lively and engaging writer and one who has a real commitment to making his ideas available to a larger public' - Henry Jenkins, Massachusetts Institute of Technology This book provides an indispensable basic introduction to textual analysis. McKee starts from the most basic philosophical foundations that underlie the practice and explains why texts are important and what they tell us about the world they represent. Textual Analysis guides students away from finding the `correct' interpretation of a text and explains why we can't simply ask audiences about the interpretations they make of texts. Textual Analysis: - points to the importance of context, genre and modality - uses excellent examples drawn from popular culture - provides students with a solid grounding on many of the important concepts underlying media and cultural studies Written in an accessible and straightforward style Textual Analysis: A Beginners Guide will be essential reading for all students of media, cultural and communication studies.

The Indigenous Public Sphere is a fascinating and innovative account of the connections between textuality and citizenship. Focusing on the reporting and reception of Aboriginal affairs in the media, it has major implications for rethinking the study of journalism and ethnicity in national politics and public life. The book is in three sections: Research: The authors explore the historical and theoretical context to show how nation, media, ethnicity and storytelling intersect, and how politics can no longer be understood by reference to the institutions of government alone. While centred on Australia, the analysis draws on comparable developments in the USA, Canada, Siberia and Scandinavia to provide some pointers towards best practice in the conduct of ethno-national dialogue with established nation-state polities. Reception: In a major new departure, the authors have evolved a 'parliamentary' method of audience research. Instead of investigating individual opinions or consumer attitudes, they seek to identify the collective or 'national' voice of Indigenous people. This section canvasses the public views of Indigenous leaders, community activists and media producers, gathered in a 'national media forum' designed to set a new agenda for the 'Indigenous public sphere.' Reporting: The findings of a three-year investigation of media coverage of Aboriginal and Islander affairs in Australia, across newspapers, magazines, radio and TV. The research includes a comprehensive survey of how journalism education, media codes of ethics, regulatory bodies and working journalists themselves deal with the reporting of Indigenous issues. Aboriginal people are massively over-represented in the media. That coverage is compromised not so much by media racism as by Indigenous people's unresolved national status. The Indigenous Public Sphere is thus a contribution to the growing literature on their claims to sovereignty, in the specific context of news and journalism - public story-telling that not only counts as true, but also speaks on behalf of 'the' nation.