In her study ‘Films as Cultural and Emotional Measures,’ Kristen Leder provides interesting insight into the emotions connected to film and how this affects viewing choices. Leder utilises qualitative material to analyse the vernacular criteria through which viewing choices are made in regards to horror films, for instance, specific textual content such as media violence, or the ‘emotional investments’ subjects anticipate due to preconceptions they had of specific films (284). Unlike previous studies in the field, Leder focuses not only on ‘real’ reactions to films but imagined ones also. Drawing upon this, I will contrast Leder’s work with other film audience studies to illustrate the limitations and advantages of her study. Ultimately, I
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Firstly, Leder draws upon Bourdieu’s definition of taste in the introduction to her study. She notes that “tastes function as markers of “class”’ and “” (Bourdieu). As Leder has chosen subjects from one particular class structure, she limits her ability to comment on Bourdieu’s relationship between taste and class and thus this becomes partially irrelevant to her discussion. However, as I note later in the essay, she does manage to contribute to Bourdieu’s ideas of emotional and nonemotional reactions to media. Additionally, I am inclined to critique that by utilising different research methods across the groups the study lacked flow and consistency. Comparatively, other studies of the same field, such as Tamborini and Stiffs’ ‘Predictors of Horror Film Attendance and Appeal’, generally employ one singular research method for all subjects. Although this may limit the range of responses obtained, it creates greater credibility and consistency across the entire study. Importantly, Leder also notes that the study is based on qualitative material initially gathered for a different study altogether, one based on media related fears and their connection to the wider world (). Despite these problems, the results of Leder’s study and the subsequential conclusions made still provide additional knowledge to existing works, however the validity of such knowledge is still uncertain and, therefore, remains tentative within the context …show more content…
Taste distinctions were partly made with cultural hierarchies in mind, and viewers did not as such reflect on the ideology underlying their cultural tastes. Yet, reflection was there, nonetheless, in the narratives of change of emotional lives, in the felt, embodied hierarchies of emotions, and in participants’ strategies of emotional risk-taking. With a degree of caution, it is however possible to consider it as more than the quick brush-off it initially
Firstly, Leder draws upon Bourdieu’s definition of taste in the introduction to her study. She notes that “tastes function as markers of “class”’ and “” (Bourdieu). As Leder has chosen subjects from one particular class structure, she limits her ability to comment on Bourdieu’s relationship between taste and class and thus this becomes partially irrelevant to her discussion. However, as I note later in the essay, she does manage to contribute to Bourdieu’s ideas of emotional and nonemotional reactions to media. Additionally, I am inclined to critique that by utilising different research methods across the groups the study lacked flow and consistency. Comparatively, other studies of the same field, such as Tamborini and Stiffs’ ‘Predictors of Horror Film Attendance and Appeal’, generally employ one singular research method for all subjects. Although this may limit the range of responses obtained, it creates greater credibility and consistency across the entire study. Importantly, Leder also notes that the study is based on qualitative material initially gathered for a different study altogether, one based on media related fears and their connection to the wider world (). Despite these problems, the results of Leder’s study and the subsequential conclusions made still provide additional knowledge to existing works, however the validity of such knowledge is still uncertain and, therefore, remains tentative within the context …show more content…
Taste distinctions were partly made with cultural hierarchies in mind, and viewers did not as such reflect on the ideology underlying their cultural tastes. Yet, reflection was there, nonetheless, in the narratives of change of emotional lives, in the felt, embodied hierarchies of emotions, and in participants’ strategies of emotional risk-taking. With a degree of caution, it is however possible to consider it as more than the quick brush-off it initially