Exam Contemporary Media Issues

Media and Collective Identity

What is Collective Identity

A perception of a shared status or relation which maybe imagined rather than experienced directly It is distinct from personal identities, although may form part of it. Can you think of any examples ?

Collective Identities
These can be expressed in cultural materials Names Narratives Symbols Verbal Styles Rituals Clothing

Media and Collective Identity

How do we form our identities and where does the information come from The influence of mass media shapes our concepts of who we are, what is important to us and how we live our lives. Everything concerning our lives is seen to be media saturated

What you need for the Exam

A case study on a social group Britishness TV and Film Understanding of Cultural Critics and Theories Critical Autonomy (your own voice)

What you need to study

How do the contemporary media represent nations, regions and ethnic / social / collective groups of people in different ways? How does contemporary representation compare to previous time periods? What are the social implications of different media representations of groups of people? To what extent is human identity increasingly mediated?

What you must include

1. You MUST refer to at least TWO different media TV and Film 2. You MUST refer to past, present and future (with the emphasis on the presentcontemporary examples from the past five years) 3. refer to critical/theoretical positions

British People in the Media

Britain is (and has mostly been) represented in two binary opposite ways. In a commercial positive way (Love Actually The King's Speech Brief Encounter In a gritty, social realist, negative way (This is England, Eastenders)

Commercial Representations of British Culture

British people are portrayed in a glossy, positive light. Often centred around Surrey, West London Often focus on the white middle/upper classes Often speak in a formal, English accent Often in idyllic countryside, upmarket London appartments, houses in Chelsea, or country cottages

 Themes within the narrative tend to be positive ones such as love, life, friendship, family etc. Bridget Jones' Diary Characters are often quite successful, good and enjoy their lives in Britain. If they do show working class characters they are usually shown mingling happily with the middle/upper classes.Downton Abbey British people are portrayed as friendly, welcoming, hard working, successful, lovable. These films are aimed at a mass audience, including Americans. They are often high budget and usually with a happy ending.

Examples in Film and TV

Mrs Minerver (1942), Love Actually (2003), Notting Hill (1999), The Holiday (2006), Atonement (2007), Quantum of Solace (2008), The History Boys (2006), The Duchess (2008), The Kings Speech (2010) My Family, Downton Abbey, Lark Rise to Candleford, Doc Martin,

Task
Choose two examples, one from film and one from TV which represent British people in a commercial and positive way. Write an essay discussing the representation of this group in detail. The media texts you refer to must be no older than 5 years. From 2009 onwards Although focus is on CONTEMPORARY texts you need to be able to discuss the HISTORY and FUTURE of identity in order to gain a grade higher than a B.

Social Realist Representation of British People

They often speak with informal language or regional accents. Live in run down towns, urban areas, council estates etc... Themes tack crime, drugs, bullying, racism, divorce, loneliness etc.. Characters are often poor, have bad lifestyles, dislike many things about their lives. They are often shown as being totally separate from the middle/upper classes and dont mingle with them. Often shown as rude, aggressive, involved in crime, selfish and unsuccessful .

 They are often low budget productions and rarely have happy endings. Examples in Film and TV

Saturday Night Sunday Morning (1960), Kidulthood (2006), Shank (2010), Adulthood (2008)
Coronation Street, Shameless, Only Fools and Horses, Jeremy Kyle

Task
Choose two examples, one from film and one from TV which represent British people in a social realist way. Write and essay discussing the representation of this group in detail. The media texts you refer to must be no older than 5 years. Although focus is on CONTEMPORARY texts you need to be able to discuss the HISTORY and FUTURE of identity in order to gain a grade higher than a B.

Create a Table to show the differences

Commercial Representation Setting Characters Language Habitats Themes Actors used Budget Other differences Social Realist Representation

New Hybrid Representations

When discussing the future of representation you need to be aware that the traditional binary oppositions of Positive and Negative representations are moving into more grey areas as they try to appeal to both markets. EG: Shaun of the Dead Dr Who

New Regional Representations

A unified British Identity has led the way for a more fragmented collective identity centered around REGIONAL identity. London, Essex, Liverpool, Scotland, Wales etc.. Each region has its own set of cultural values Audience enjoy this representation as they can either identify, laugh at them, or even aspire to be them. The are a mixture of both positive and negative representations.

Why are there differing representations of Britain in the Media

Funding/Profit Platform Purpose of the text Director Background Dominant Ideology of the ruling class Target Audience Current Political Climate Globalisation

Funding and Profit

High Budget films = mass market, global sales (ie; USA) Want to appeal to a mass audience so represent British people as the stereotypical middle/upper classes Low Budget films = domestic production, appealing to niche audience

Platform
Films = escapist, entertainment (Uses and Gratifications Theory) International release TV = lower budgets, generally targeted at British audience, so more real and gritty

Bigger TV productions like Dr Who have a more commercial standpoint

Purpose
Some directors have different purposes for their work. For example, Mike Leigh wants to make a social comment on society and to discuss controversial issues.

Directors Background
Race, Class, Childhood, Birthplace, Nationality, Gender etc..., all effect they way a director represents Britain.

Shane Meadows = grew up in a poor housing estate during a recession and involved in petty crime. Richard Curtis = grew up in a middle/upper class household, travelled the world and went to Oxford University

Dominant Ideology
What is an ideology? An ideology is a world view, a system of values, attitudes and beliefs which an individual, group or society holds to be true or important; these are shared by a culture or society about how that society should function. Dominant ideologies Ideologies that are told to us repeatedly by important social institutions such as the church, the law, education, government, and the media are called dominant ideologies.

Target Audience
Depending on the target audience the type of representation will change. An American audience require a more commerical positive representation of Britain. A British audience might want a more niche, gritty, realistic representation of Britain.

Current Political Climate

Representation will change depending on the social climate. During WWII films made were used as propaganda to motivate British spirit. These showed strong communities pulling together.

Globalisation
With globalisation some may argue that British culture is becoming increasingly Americanised. Film companies cast Americans as British people in films. The collective identity of the British people is now blurred.