Press Representations

Teen Trouble (2007)

12% of offenders under the age of 18
Adults think teenagers are the single biggest threat
Teenagers chose around 10-20%
Media 'their to entertain' .. negative story gets a bigger reception than a positive one
'teens out of control' makes a good story
police think 95% of the time, youths are just hanging around not causing trouble
Mosquito- sends out a noise only teenagers can hear
Police can break up a group of 2 or more on dispersal orders and if they are seen together in the next 24 hours they will get arrested
Real life case Kerry has been blasted in the newspapers for having an ASBO. She has been called 'foul mouthed' and 'teen terror chav scum'
There has been cases where the press have paid youths to make some trouble so that they can report about it
Jamie Bulger case changed the way police viewed children
culural hegemony
cultivation theory - the amount of proliferation of press coverage means that people are more likely to believe its happening in real life, in turn creates moral panic
hypodermic syringe theory - we are passive and are 'injected' by the media and we believe everything that we are injected with, particularly old people
Stewart halls different readings - encoded
youths become desensitisation


CCTV vindicated for saving the day
4.2 million CCTV cameras in the country
young people caught on camera, turn on tv and see antisocial behaviour happening
Knife crime
6% more likely to get injured falling down stairs then getting stabbed


40% of articles focus on violence, crime, anti-social behaviour, 71% are negative
Tv news: Violent crime or celebrities; young people are only 1% of sources
72% of articles were negative; 3.4% positive
75% about crime, drugs, police
Boys; yobs, thugs, sick, feral, hoodies, louts and scum
Only positive stories are about the boys who die young

When TV was covering the riots on a round-the-clock basis, it seemed as always with roling news that they desperately trying to talk about it all the time. Looked for experts, community leaders called to condem the rioters

What role did new media technologies, particularly social networking sites, play in the london riots?

Do media cause riots or revolutions? Campaigns, riots that happened in Egypt

Technology and surveillance: mobile phones, CCTV, 24- hour news

Online media

I associate facebook with

- friends
- arguments
- pictures
- statuses

negatives
- facebook causes a lot of arguements if you don't agree with someones profile.
- facebook is dangerous as paedophiles can disguse themselves as someone young and similar to you to lure you in


positives
- you can connect with people all over the world i.e who you may have met on holidays
- you can stay in the loop with the latest music, news
- anyone can have facebook, it doesn't discriminate against any race, gender, age.


Sharing of information
Globalisation
Development of self- identity
Self- realisation
Collective intelligence
Reshape media messages and their flow
Increased voice
Consumer communication with business (greater influence) - mass collaboration
Awareness- bands/skills
Communication has become an interactive dialogue
User generated content
Self- presentation and self- disclosure
Increasing diversity in subcultures
Online media focus on some or all of the 7 functional building block - identity, conversations, sharing, presence, relationships, representations and groups (kietzmann et al) 2011.

Online media are especially suitible to construct and develop several identities of the self (Turkle, 1998)

Identity consists of several fragments that permanently change, multiple but coharent, a live-long developing and new conceptualized patchwork.

Highlight ke points/quotes that you think are important and then answer these questions when reading this text:

•      Young people are surrounded by influential imagery – popular media (Examples?)

Radio, tv, magazines, music, advertising, internet, music videos, supermodels,

•      It is no longer possible for an identity to just be constructed in a small community and influenced by a family (Discuss)

As we our constantly surrounded by media it is impossible not to be influenced by it. Therefore we construct our identity depending on what we like in the media. Although part of identity is formed by our family and where we live, the media plays a huge role in constructing our identity.

•      Everything concerning our lives is ‘media saturated’ (What does this mean?)

Media is all around us constantly and is heavily integrated into our lives so it’s impossible to ignore it.

In society today the construction of a personal identity can be seen to be somewhat problematic and difficult. Young people are surrounded by influential imagery, especially that of popular media. It is no longer possible for an identity to be constructed merely in a small community and only be influenced by family. Nowadays, arguably everything concerning our lives is seen to be ‘media-saturated’. Therefore, it is obvious that in constructing an identity young people would make use of imagery derived from the popular media.
However, it is fair to say that in some instances the freedom of exploring the web could be limited depending on the choice of the parents or teachers. So, if young people have such frequent access and an interest in the media, it is fair to say that their behaviour and their sense of ‘self’ will be influenced to some degree by what they see, read, hear or discover for themselves. Such an influence may include a particular way of behaving or dressing to the kind of music a person chooses to listen to. These are all aspects which go towards constructing a person’s own personal identity.
Firstly, it is important to establish what constitutes an identity, especially in young people. The dictionary definition states the following:

“State of being a specified person or thing: individuality or personality…” (Collins Gem English Dictionary. 1991).

The mass media provide a wide-ranging source of cultural opinions and standards to young people as well as differing examples of identity. Young people would be able to look at these and decide which they found most favourable and also to what they would like to aspire to be. The meanings that are gathered from the media do not have to be final but are open to reshaping and refashioning to suit an individual’s personal needs and consequently, identity. It is said that young people:

“…use media and the cultural insights provided by them to see both who they might be and how others have constructed or reconstructed themselves… individual adolescents…struggle with the dilemma of living out all the "possible selves" (Markus & Nurius, 1986), they can imagine.” (Brown et al. 1994, 814).

When considering how much time adolescents are in contact with the popular media, be it television, magazines, advertising, music or the Internet, it is clear to see that it is bound to have a marked effect on an individual’s construction of their identity. This is especially the case when the medium itself is concerned with the idea of identity and the self; self-preservation, self-understanding and self-celebration.

 “With a simple flip of the television channel or radio station, or a turn of the newspaper or magazine page, we have at our disposal an enormous array of possible identity models.” (Grodin & Lindlof 1996)

I believe the Internet is an especially interesting medium for young people to use in order to construct their identities. Not only can they make use of the imagery derived from the Internet, but also it provides a perfect backdrop for the presentation of the self, notably with personal home pages. By surfing the World Wide Web adolescents are able to gain information from the limitless sites which may interest them but they can also create sites for themselves, specifically home pages. Constructing a home page can enable someone to put all the imagery they have derived from the popular media into practice. For example:

“…constructing a personal home page can be seen as shaping not only the materials but also (in part through manipulating the various materials) one’s identity.” (Chandler 1998)

This is particularly important as not only are young people able to access such an interesting and wide ranging medium, but they are also able to utilise it to construct their own identity. In doing this, people are able to interact with others on the Internet just as they could present their identities in real life and interact with others on a day to day basis.
In conclusion it can be seen that the popular media permeates everything that we do. Consequently, the imagery in the media is bound to infiltrate into young people’s lives. This is especially the case when young people are in the process of constructing their identities. Through television, magazines, advertising, music and the Internet adolescents have a great deal of resources available to them in order for them to choose how they would like to present their ‘selves’. However, just as web pages are constantly seen to be 'under construction’, so can the identities of young people. These will change as their tastes in media change and develop. There is no such thing as one fixed identity; it is negotiable and is sometimes possible to have multiple identities. The self we present to our friends and family could be somewhat different from the self we would present on the Internet, for example. By using certain imagery portrayed in the media, be it slim fashion models, a character in a television drama or a lyric from a popular song, young people and even adults are able to construct an identity for themselves. This identity will allow them to fit in with the pressures placed on us by society, yet allow them to still be fundamentally different from the next person.


"Identity's complicated - everyone thuinks they've got one" - David Gauntlett

" A focus on Identity requires us to pay closer attention to the ways in which media and technologies are used in everyday life and their consequences for social groups" - David Buckingham

He classifies identity as an 'ambiguous and slippery' term
- Identity is something unique to each of us, but also implies a relationship with a broader group.
- Identity can change according to our circumstances.
- Identity is fluid and is affected by broader changes.
- Identity becomes more important to us if we feel it is threatened.

Cultural imperialism
- American culture being imprinted on british culture
Globalisation

David Gauntlett
Religious and national identities is at the heart of international conflicts.
The average teenager can create numerous identities in such a short space of time.
We all like to think we are unique but Gauntlett questions whether this is an illusion, and we are all much more similar than we think.

5 stages

- Creativity as a process, emotions and experiences
- Making and sharing, to feel alive, to participate in community
- Happiness, through creativity and community
- Creativity as a social glue, a middle layer between individuals and society
- Making your mark, putting your stamp on the world and making it your own

Collective identity: the individuals sense of belonging to a group ( part of personal identity)

Representation: the way reality is 'mediated' and 're-presented' to us.

1.       When was Youtube first released?

2005

2.       According to Michael Wesch what does Web 2.0 allow people to do?

Web is about linking people, sharing ideas with one another. user generated distribution

3.   When media changes what else changes?

Human relationships change

4.       What influenced the loss of community? And what has now filled this void?

When women join the work force, moving from corner store to big superstores, connected only by roadways and tv's. New forms of networks, ie mobile phones. Cultural inversion, increasingly individual but longing for community. Youtube is shaped by this.

5.       How are communities connected?

By youtube, mobile phones,

6.       Explain what he means by voyeuristic capabilities?

It allows you to watch other people without staring at them or making them feel uncomftable.

7.       Write 3 points about what he refers when he discusses playing with identity

8.       What does the ‘Free hugs phenomenon’ suggest about people?

Representation in The Inbetweeners

Director: Ben Palmer (2011)

Representation of

- Age

The four boys are represented as more normal than their parents. Jay and Simon's dads are quite innopropriate when talking about sex in front of the boys. Its a realistic representation of young boys as they are all going on a holiday abroad to meet girls and have a good time, which a lot of young boys do in the real world. Therefore, this allows other young boys to relate to the main characters.

- Ethnicity

All the people in the programme are white. You don't see people from other ethnicitys and as they are middle class it gives representations that most middle class people are white.

- Gender

The boys are represented as quite lazy and dependent on their mothers, seen as Simon doesn't help his mum with dinner and Will tells the audience how their parents have paid for their holiday. The females in the programme are quite objectified and the way in which the boys and men talk about the women is disrespectful. They are only seen as sexual objects. Audience being positioned to look at women from a males perspective to objectify females.

- Social class

All the people in the programme are represented as middle class from their level of education, they live in nice houses in the 'suburbs', which comes with it the stereotype of wealthy people. Simon also says the parents are paying for their holiday. Lower class people are not being targeted by the Inbetweeners as they will not identify with the middle class people in the film. The fact they go on holiday reflects they are middle class. If you are working class you have to stand on your own two feet more whereas the middle class don't have to rely on being independent. Types of cars they have. Their housing is safe and secure. Middle class parenting is represented to be much stronger and more traditional whereas working class representations show a lack of parenting.


Social class: Reinforcing cultural hegemony/ dominant ideologies

Working class British youths are generally represented as being violent, brutal, unapologetic, criminals, addictive personalities- Harry Brown, Eden Lake, Quadrophenia, Kidulthood

vs

Middle class british youths are generally represented as being more law abiding, conscientious citizens

On top of this the antagonists are always the working class youths and middle class adults are positioned to be the protagonists.


Fish Tank

Immeditately connotates their class and subculture by their clothes, colloquial language. Film is challenging dominant male representations because its a female protagonist. She is positioned as someone you need to identify with unlike Harry Brown where you are meant to identify with middle class. The style of film, use of handicam and lack of stylish camera work gives it a british feel and social realist edge.

Fish tank continues to represent young people in a similar 'broken britain' context but is more sympathetic to them.

The behaviour of the characters is less extreme- no torturing and general mayhem.

Most teenage characters in representations are working class whereas most adults are middle class. Youth representations are being filled by adults anxieties as Giroux's theory of an empty catorgory states.

Who produces these representations and why?


Media effects

Hypodermic model - Media injecting their theories into consumers, we as consumers have no power over how the media influences us. We are passive and believe everything we hear.
Cultivation theory - If you see enough violence, the more you see it the more you believe its actually happening and occuring in society at that level.
Copy Cat theory - So influenced by what you see, you copy what you're seeing. Jamie Bulger killing 'due to' copy cat theory.
Moral Panic - Media creates panic in society by setting the british youths to be antagonist, then the governement or police come as protagonists.

Analysis

Whose perspective is dominant in each of the texts?

What do the representations have in common?

How are the representations different?

How are the parental figures being represented?

How important is social class?


Social realist films attempt to portray issues facing ordinary people in their social situations.

Social realist films try to show that society and the capatalist system leads to the exploitation of the poor or dispossessed,

These groups are shown as victims of the system rather than being totally responsible for their own behaviour.

"These places represented everywhere of Britain where relationships are broken down and where people have become isolated and disconnected. Their britishness is their culturally specific address to audiences at home" (Murray, 2008)

These are directed at a British audience. In comparison to that films that are targeted at american audiences such as notting hill or love actually have more 'glossy' representations.

These films are made on a lower budget i.e fish tank, with handheld camera work.

When analysing representation, consider the following:

Who is being represented

Who is representing them?

How are they being represented?

What seems to be the intentions of the representations? Whats film trying to say?

What is the dominant discourse? ( World view offered by the film)

What range of readings are there?

Look for alternative discourses


Media contributes to our sense of 'collective identity'

Representations can cause problems for the groups being represented because marginalized groups have little control over their representation/ stereotyping

The social comtext in which the film/ tv programme is made influences the messages/ values/dominant discourse of the film.

Encoding- Decoding (stuart hall, 1980)

Encoding- Decoding is an active audience theory developed by stuart hall which examines the relationship between a text and its audience.

Encoding is the process by which text is constructed.

Decoding is the process by which the audience reads and understands and interprets.

Hall states that texts are polysemic, meaning they may be read differently by different people, depending on their identity, cultural knowledge and opinions.

Three ways

- Preferred reading- These representations are created to fufill hegemonic expectations so this is when an audience interpret the message that was meant to be understood. We understand the media text exactly how the industry wanted us to understand it - we agree with what we are seeing.

- Negotiated meaning-  This contains a mixture of adapative and oppositional elements- you may not agree with everthing you see- you're going to acknowledge the dominant ideologies that are imbedded in the film. But there will be other elements in the film that you don't neccersarilly agree with.

- Oppostional reading/ counter hegemonic - You may understand the dominant ideologies but you disagree or refuse the media text completely.

Any representation is a mixture of:

1. The thing itself

2. The opinions of the people doing the representation

3. The reaction of the individual to the representation

4. The context of the society in which the representation is taking place

Stereotyping 

We can identify with characters easily if there are stereotypes

Implicit personality theory

When you meet someone- you already make judgements

Past experience is more important than the actual personality we are judging

We have a system of rules that tell us which characteristics go where

We catogorise people into types (workaholic, feminist. etc)

These traits form a pattern of connections that can be called a prototype.

If we encounter someone in reality or in the media who seems to fit neatly into a prototype, we feel reassured. It confims our stereotyped view- we do not need to think further.

Once a few traits fit the prototype, we bundle the rest of the traits from the prototype onto the person.

If we find people who do not fit into our prototypes, we will form strong impressions of them, forces us to think more deeply.

We will try and twist the truth to make it fit into our prototype.. as time passes we forget these traits that do not fit in, this can lead to enormous differences bwteen our perceptions of people.

All of this happens naturally in our minds, its almost as if we conspire with the media to misunderstand the world.

Quadrophenia,(Frank Roddam 1979), set in 1965, depicts a representation of British youth after the second world war, when subcultures played a key role in forming youth identity. Contrast to this, Harry Brown (Daniel Barber 2009) reflects the attitudes in modern day society towards youth in Britain. However, similar themes and representations can be identified within the two texts.
Cohen's theory of moral panic can be applied to both Quadrophenia and Harry Brown. This theory suggests that a single group or person emerges out of the media to become defined as a threat to society and this creates moral panic. In the case of both these films, the youth have been defined as the threat to society as they are seen as engaging in acts of violence and threatening behaviour.
The theme of violence is heavily integrated within the two texts. In Quadrophenia, we see violence between the mods, rockers and the police. The riot scene gives a negative representation of the youth in Quadrophenia as they are portrayed as aggressive and rebellious. This theme of violence coincides with McRobbie's theory of symbolic violence which says that the middle class make sure the lower class are symbolised with violence in every media text which causes a boundary between the two classes and depicts the middle class as better. In Harry Brown, the youth also engage in aggressive and violent acts such as rioting  whereas the police fall victim to these attacks, and therefore middle class is portrayed as better than lower class. Gerbner's cultivation theory , could also be applied, as it states the more violence we watch, the more we become used to it. In the case of Harry Brown, what Harry does in terms of going out and killing youths is accepted by us as we are used to the violence and therefore not shocked by it.
Class is an important theme that runs through out both texts. Strong binary oppositions between working class and middle class are present. In both films, the working class are represented as inferior whilst middle class is seen as superior. This complies to Gramsci's theory of cultural hegemony, as the middle class are trying to dominate society by making their way of life seem natural. This is exemplified in Harry Brown, where Harry is portrayed as being a "normal" elderly man, therefore depicting his way of life as the social norm and making the youth seem as though they are wrong as they don't follow the social norms that Harry does. Acland's Ideology of Protection, which states that middle and upper class  believe society should be a certain way, could also be applied as Harry decides to take control of what he believes society should be like. In quadrophenia, it is the police who use their power of authority to try to control the youths and make them conform to societies norms.
There are similarities in the importance of gang ideologies in the two films. Although two seperate sub-cultures can be identified in both films, mods and rockers in Quadrophenia and chavs in Harry Brown, both films show the importance of subcultures to young people. Rebellion is a shared ideology in both youth subcultures in the two films. The 'mods' in Quadrophenia and the 'chavs' in Harry Brown like to rebel against society and any authority such as the police. Clothing , hoodies in Harry Brown, suits and thin ties, in Quadrophenia, is a  key ideology of the two gang cultures and this shared sense in fashion is something that allows them to identify with eachother.
Identity and subcultures have a strong relationship in both films. In Quadrophenia, Jimmy only feels happy and accepted when with his 'mod' clique and this shows how the subculture has helped shape his identity. When his friends move on from the mod culture, Jimmy feels a loss of identity, not knowing where he belongs. Similar to this, the 'chav' youths seen in Harry Brown stay in a pack at all time, conveying that they identify with eachother and can't stand alone outside their subculture.
There is a difference within the role of parents in Harry Brown and Quadrophenia. In Harry Brown, it is clear that the character Noel has inherited his attitudes towards society from his parents, in particular his father who also spent time in prison. He has been inspired by his parents to rebel against authority whereas in Quadrophenia, Jimmy's hate for his parents has led him to join the mods and become rebellious. However in both cases, parents could be blamed for the way in which Jimmy and Noel turned out.
In conclusion, there are many similarities between the representation of youths in Quadrophenia and Harry Brown. Youths are depicted as trouble- makers who want to rebel against any kind of authority and overall they are represented negatively in both films.




Jack's Comments: A good essay here Sian Louisa Martin. Overall I think you have explained the points well, with using some relevant theory when needed.

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