Postmodern Individual’s Representation: "The Witcher" Series Example

Seyfi Kılıç; Aslıhan Akbayır

Article Details

Postmodern Individual’s Representation: "The Witcher" Series Example

Authors:

Seyfi Kılıç | Aslıhan Akbayır

Publisher:

Kastamonu University

Main Topics:

Radyo-Televizyon

Journal:

Kastamonu İletişim Araştırmaları Dergisi Issue 11, pp.262-289

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

12/2023

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001307027

pISSN:

2667-727X

Keywords:

Abstract:

 Representation is about how the outside world is perceived. In addition, representation is related to how an individual defines themselves and the level they form their communication with other people. The contents presented in mass media bring up the issue of media representations. At the same time innovations in the media have enabled the issue of media representations to be reconsidered and the studies in this field to intensify. The relationship between media and representation in communication studies gained meaning through Stuart Halls views. The representations constructed at this point present certain lifestyles to individuals via the media and influence the identification process. Traditional media portrays alternative representations and identities women, children, minorities, LGBT and so on as problematic or incomplete. With new media, has become possible to mention alternative presentations of representations and identities. One of the prominent elements within the alternative presentation structure is the postmodern understanding of the individual. The purpose of this study is therefore to show that in serial narratives on digital platform represent individuals as postmodern individual. The universe of the study is Netflix, which stands out as the first international digital platform in Türkiye. The series The Witcher, with the highest viewing rate in the fantasy series category, was selected for the study sample. The study uses semiotic analysis, shaped by Ronald Barthes views, as the method of study. The first season of the series The Witcher was discussed in the analysis. The result of the analysis saw that The Witcher series narrative represented individual as postmodern individual. The study determines that postmodern individual representations are related to postmodern identities. The identity elements in question are as follows: alone, with supernatural powers, apathetic, fitform, with feeling of inadequacy, in search of balance, with ironyironic, young, with multiple identities, hero, anti-hero, tourist, foreigner.

 Representation is about how the outside world is perceived. In addition, representation is related to how an individual defines themselves and the level they form their communication with other people. The contents presented in mass media bring up the issue of media representations. At the same time innovations in the media have enabled the issue of media representations to be reconsidered and the studies in this field to intensify. The relationship between media and representation in communication studies gained meaning through Stuart Halls views. The representations constructed at this point present certain lifestyles to individuals via the media and influence the identification process. Traditional media portrays alternative representations and identities women, children, minorities, LGBT and so on as problematic or incomplete. With new media, has become possible to mention alternative presentations of representations and identities. One of the prominent elements within the alternative presentation structure is the postmodern understanding of the individual. The purpose of this study is therefore to show that in serial narratives on digital platform represent individuals as postmodern individual. The universe of the study is Netflix, which stands out as the first international digital platform in Türkiye. The series The Witcher, with the highest viewing rate in the fantasy series category, was selected for the study sample. The study uses semiotic analysis, shaped by Ronald Barthes views, as the method of study. The first season of the series The Witcher was discussed in the analysis. The result of the analysis saw that The Witcher series narrative represented individual as postmodern individual. The study determines that postmodern individual representations are related to postmodern identities. The identity elements in question are as follows: alone, with supernatural powers, apathetic, fitform, with feeling of inadequacy, in search of balance, with ironyironic, young, with multiple identities, hero, anti-hero, tourist, foreigner.

 Representation is about how the outside world is perceived. In addition, representation is related to how an individual defines themselves and the level they form their communication with other people. The contents presented in mass media bring up the issue of media representations. At the same time innovations in the media have enabled the issue of media representations to be reconsidered and the studies in this field to intensify. The relationship between media and representation in communication studies gained meaning through Stuart Halls views. The representations constructed at this point present certain lifestyles to individuals via the media and influence the identification process. Traditional media portrays alternative representations and identities women, children, minorities, LGBT and so on as problematic or incomplete. With new media, has become possible to mention alternative presentations of representations and identities. One of the prominent elements within the alternative presentation structure is the postmodern understanding of the individual. The purpose of this study is therefore to show that in serial narratives on digital platform represent individuals as postmodern individual. The universe of the study is Netflix, which stands out as the first international digital platform in Türkiye. The series The Witcher, with the highest viewing rate in the fantasy series category, was selected for the study sample. The study uses semiotic analysis, shaped by Ronald Barthes views, as the method of study. The first season of the series The Witcher was discussed in the analysis. The result of the analysis saw that The Witcher series narrative represented individual as postmodern individual. The study determines that postmodern individual representations are related to postmodern identities. The identity elements in question are as follows: alone, with supernatural powers, apathetic, fitform, with feeling of inadequacy, in search of balance, with ironyironic, young, with multiple identities, hero, anti-hero, tourist, foreigner.

 Temsil, dış dünyanın ne şekilde algılandığıyla ilgilidir. Ayrıca temsil, bireyin kendisini nasıl tanımladığı ve diğer kişilerle iletişimini ne düzeyde biçimlendirdiğiyle de ilişkilidir. Kitle iletişim araçlarında sunulan içerikler, medya temsilleri konusunu beraberinde getirmektedir. Bununla birlikte medyada görülen yenilikler medya temsilleri konusunun yeniden ele alınmasını ve bu alanda yapılan çalışmaların da yoğunlaşmasını sağlamıştır. İletişim çalışmalarında medya ve temsil ilişkisi Stuart Hallun görüşlerinde anlam kazanmıştır. Bu noktada inşa edilen temsiller, medya aracılığıyla bireylere belirli yaşam tarzlarını sunmakta ve kimliklenme sürecine etki etmektedir. Geleneksel medyada alternatif temsil ve kimlikler kadın, çocuk, azınlık, LGBT ve benzeri sorunlu ya da eksik olarak yansıtılmaktadır. Yeni medyayla birlikte temsillerin ve kimliklerin alternatif sunumundan bahsedebilmek mümkün hale gelmiştir. Yeni medyayla gelişen dijital yayıncılık sistemlerinin ise alternatif sunum yapılarını desteklediği bilinmektedir. Alternatif sunum yapısı içinde öne çıkan unsurlardan biri de postmodern birey anlayışıdır. Bu durumdan hareketle bu çalışma, dijital platformlardaki dizi anlatılarında bireyin, postmodern birey olarak temsil edildiğini ortaya koymayı amaçlamaktadır. Çalışmanın evreni, Türkiyede ilk uluslararası dijital platform olarak öne çıkan Netflixtir. Çalışmanın örnekleminde fantastik diziler kategorisinde en fazla izlenme oranına sahip The Witcher dizisi seçilmiştir. Çalışmanın yönteminde ise Roland Barthesın görüşleri çerçevesinde şekillenen göstergebilimsel analiz kullanılmıştır. Analizde The Witcher dizisinin birinci sezonu ele alınmıştır. Analizlerin sonucunda The Witcher dizi anlatısında bireyin, postmodern birey olarak temsil edildiği görülmüştür. Çalışmada postmodern birey temsillerinin, postmodern kimliklerle ilişkili olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Söz konusu kimlik unsurları ise şu şekildedir; yalnız, doğaüstü güçlere sahip, kayıtsız, fitformda, yetersizlik hissine sahip, denge arar, ironiye sahip, genç, çoklu kimliğe sahip, kahraman, anti-kahraman, turist, yabancı.

Article Details

Postmodern Individual’s Representation: "The Witcher" Series Example

Authors:

Seyfi Kılıç | Aslıhan Akbayır

Publisher:

Kastamonu University

Main Topics:

Radyo-Televizyon

Journal:

Kastamonu İletişim Araştırmaları Dergisi Issue 11, pp.262-289

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

12/2023

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001307027

pISSN:

2667-727X

Representation

Identity

New Media

Digitalization

Netflix.Temsil

Kimlik

Yeni Medya

Dijitalleşme

Netflix

Issues

Article Details

Authors: Seyfi Kılıç | Aslıhan Akbayır

Publisher: Kastamonu University

Main Topics: Radyo-Televizyon

Journal: Kastamonu İletişim Araştırmaları Dergisi Issue 11, pp.262-289

Document Type: Article

Publication Date: 12/2023

Document Language: Turkish

Document ID (Org No.): 2001307027

pISSN: 2667-727X

Issues

Authors:

Seyfi Kılıç | Aslıhan Akbayır

Publisher:

Kastamonu University

Main Topics:

Radyo-Televizyon

Journal:

Kastamonu İletişim Araştırmaları Dergisi Issue 11, pp.262-289

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

12/2023

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001307027

pISSN:

2667-727X