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GCSE Media Studies · key term
The ability of a person or character to make choices, act independently and influence events.
Used by AQA and Eduqas
Paper 1, Paper 2
Revise: Gender and feminist approachesAn important test is agency: the ability to make choices and affect what happens. Does a woman solve the problem herself, or mainly motivate a man's actions? Is her knowledge taken seriously?
The ability of a character to act, make decisions and influence events rather than merely being acted upon.
A product can challenge one gender stereotype while reinforcing another. Consider agency as well as appearance.
For a gender judgement, weigh Lara’s agency against her visual representation. A strong female protagonist does not automatically make representation fully balanced.
Do not assume that a female-centred game must be feminist, or that all its players are female. Examine agency, appearance, authority and the range of roles represented.
Create a free account to keep every note you open and track your progress.
The capacity to act, make choices and influence events. In representation, this includes whether a character directs events or mainly follows someone else's instructions.
The capacity of a character to act, make decisions and influence events.
A person’s capacity to make choices and act, rather than simply have events happen to them.
Component 1, Component 2
A character’s capacity to act independently and influence events, rather than merely being acted upon.
Revise: No Time to Die (2021): the posterWeapons held by two female figures and confident postures suggest agency. Nevertheless, lighting and make-up still emphasise conventional beauty. Paloma, played by Ana de Armas, wears a revealing navy-blue evening dress, preserving the glamorous styling historically associated with ‘Bond Girls’.
The ability to make choices and act in ways that influence events.
The capacity to act, make choices and pursue goals rather than simply have things done to you.
A character’s capacity to make choices and influence what happens, rather than simply being acted upon.
