A2 MEDIA STUDIES G325 SECTION B CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES COLLECTIVE IDENTITY THE REPRESENTATION OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE MEDIA OVERVIEW

IEW OF THEORY LEARNT up to Lesson 5 Theorist Gauntlett Theory / Idea Identitiesare complex constructionsgender is only one part of an individuals sense of self. Ethnicity isan important aspect of identityother axes of identity include class, age, disability and sexuality. In addition, a range of factors may contribute to a sense of identity, such as education, urban or rural residency, cultural background, access to transportation and communications, criminal record, persecution or refugee status. Any aspect of the physical body can be relevant to self-identity. the construction of identity and lifestyle is a known requirement and the Media plays an important role in providing some of the tools which can be used in constructing an identity...models in the Media are navigation points as individuals steer their own personal routes through life. Summary of what the theory means Our identities are complex things that are made up of lots of different aspects. We have a self-identity that is often shaped by our physical appearance, our body, the way we speak etcbut our identities are also made up of other factors such as class, sexuality, education, gender, ethnicity, geographical location and so onIdentity is a complicated thing therefore and often changes over periods of time as we change. What does this tell us about the representation of collective Identity? Individual identities are complex and constructed (put together) by us as a result of a number of influences and aspects at any given time in our lives. It is difficult for the Media to represent this complexity in individual identity because it has to appeal to as many people in the audience as it can so will favour the representation of a collective, stereotyped representation.

Gauntlett

The Media is influential in contributing to the way we see ourselves and construct identities. It can provide information about how to dress and look or advice on how to behave or role models for us to follow.

People can use the media as a way in which to inform, influence or develop their own individual identity. This can be an active, positive process where we select from the Media what is most relevant to our individual experiences and lifestyles.

A2 MEDIA STUDIES G325 SECTION B CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES COLLECTIVE IDENTITY THE REPRESENTATION OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE MEDIA Theorist Theory / Idea Summary of what the theory means The representation of Collective Identity is closely linked to the production of stereotypes. A collective group is made up of lots individuals who are all different but they are easy to STEREOTYPE In stereotyping different collective groups, their shared behaviour becomes generalised it then weakens the individual identity of the people within the group and reinforces one aspect about their identity this creates a paradox. Individuals who feel they are other to the dominant social class will form as collective groups and identify themselves as belonging to that group through the use of specific stylistic feature in the way they dress, look, behave and their lifestyle choices. In doing this, they are making a subversive comment against the dominant ideology. What does this tell us about the representation of collective Identity? People who appear to fall in to a collective group (because of their age, appearance, ethnicity, gender etc) are likely to be subject to stereotypes in the way they see people of their collective group represented in the Media.

Buckingham in seeking to define their identity, people attempt to assert their individuality, but also to join with others, and they work to sustain a sense of status or self-esteemAs a result, the formation of identity often involves a process of stereotypingthat allows people to distinguish between themselves and their group

Hebdige

A 'subculture' is a group of people who seek to develop a minority styleThey bring together like-minded individuals and allow them to develop a sense of identity. Members of a subculture signal their membership to the group through distinctive and symbolic use of style, which includes fashions, musical taste, material possessions, mannerisms and use of language or slang. Sub-cultures are perceived to be negative and represented unfavorably by the dominant class as they are seen to challenge dominant ideas in trying to be different.

Sub-cultures and youth subcultures are seen to be in opposition to the dominant class and so, as a collective group, characteristics of the collective group will be stereotyped in order to represent and communicate specific messages and values about that group, which makes them appear less favourable than the dominant ideology.

A2 MEDIA STUDIES G325 SECTION B CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES COLLECTIVE IDENTITY THE REPRESENTATION OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE MEDIA

Theorist
Cohen

Theory / Idea
"[a] condition, episode, person or group of persons emerges to become defined as a threat to societal values and interests. Moral panics are common throughout history and are a way in which the dominant group (adults) can maintain the social status quo of power.

Summary of what the theory means

At any given moment in history, an event, person or collective group are associated with threatening the moral way of life that we know. These are called moral panics as society, fuelled by the Media, works itself up into a panic about the decline of our society as a result of a specific group or type of people.

What does this tell us about the representation of collective Identity?

Some collective groups will be associated with deviant events and subsequently be represented in a negative way in order to reinforce the idea that they could be responsible for potential social decline. Through these negative representations, the group become known as deviant and the social status quo is maintained. The representation of young people at different times throughout history has often instigated moral panic about their role in social decline. The Mods and Rockers in Brighton and Hoodies during the London Riots are events that have reinforced groups of young people as folk devils responsible for decline.

Cohen

People who threaten the social order are described as folk devils. The folk devils become a scapegoat for social unrest or unease and take the focus away from government. Folk devils are common throughout history and are a way in which the dominant group (adults) can maintain the social status quo of power.

The people and groups of people who are associated with the events that trigger moral panic are known as folk devils. In carrying the blame for the negative events, they take the focus of blame away from politics or the domain class and simultaneously allows them to maintain their power.

A2 MEDIA STUDIES G325 SECTION B CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES COLLECTIVE IDENTITY THE REPRESENTATION OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE MEDIA

Theorist Althusser

Theory / Idea The mass media reinforces ideology & represses individuals through the representation of the imaginary relationship of individuals to real conditions of existence.

Summary of what the theory means Representations in the Media reinforce imagined ideas about power. They help audiences understand who they are, what they can do and how they should behave, depending on the amount of power they are told they have. These representations become part of our consciousness and we make choices about who we are within this imagined existence. This makes what we do and our behaviour feel normal.

What does this tell us about the representation of collective Identity? The representation of teenagers in the News is negative. Teenagers are represented in conflict to the dominant ideology but also as powerless. These mediated images reinforce ideas that all teenagers are anti-social. This idea then becomes normal and generalised by the wider society. It is imagined because only a tiny minority of teenagers are like this, but the representation makes it seem true. It also makes teenagers feel powerless and misunderstood. This is called MEDIATION the Media becomes a mediator between systems of power (the dominant ideology and ISAs) and individuals (the audience).

A2 MEDIA STUDIES G325 SECTION B CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES COLLECTIVE IDENTITY THE REPRESENTATION OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE MEDIA Theorist Althusser Theory / Idea Through the Mass Media, representations which seem to make up ideology havea material existence Summary of what the theory means Representations are not real, they are constructed using cameras, mise-enscene, edits, sound etc. They are given a material existence that symbolises their meaning so we can look at something and know what it means in terms of wider social messages and values established by dominant ideology. What does this tell us about the representation of collective Identity? Representations of teenagers in the News are constructed by editors to make us think a certain way about the role of teenagers in the riots. By selecting images of teenagers wearing hoodies & using specific words like thugs, the hoodie becomes a material object symbolising dominant ideology about teenagers as a threat. Media representations of teenagers have constructed them as rebellious, anti-social criminals the News reinforces this idea. This invites teenage audiences to interpellate with the subject of representation (teenagers) because they are part of that collective group. The teenage audience identify with the group, and may be judged by others to act and behave in the same way as the group represented.

Althusser

Through the Mass Media ideology interpellates individuals as subjects

The media text constructs a subject (represents a person) and positions them in a way that this is seen as normal. If the individual (audience) identifies with a Media representation (constructed ideology) they become a subject of the representation rather than remain an individual. Interpellation is like recruitment representation invites a person into accepting a a collective identity & also the ideology (beliefs and ideas) that go with that collective group.

A2 MEDIA STUDIES G325 SECTION B CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES COLLECTIVE IDENTITY THE REPRESENTATION OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE MEDIA Theorist Fiske Theory / Idea A structure of reporting that works to claw back potentially deviant or disruptive events to the dominant value system Summary of what the theory means Through the combined use of the news presenter, news reporter on location and news footage or eye witness accounts, the news is able to make sense of events that appear to threaten the social order and claw back power away from the deviant individual / group / country and back into the hands of the dominant class (as represented by the news presenter). What does this tell us about the representation of collective Identity? The combination of news presenter, reporter and live footage was important in the way the news represented the role of young people in the London Riots. Young people were focused on in favour of other groups of people involved in the rioting and often were seen in vox pops as unrelenting and enjoying the violence. This allowed the news to make sense of the riots as a consequence of young peoples criminality and lawlessness, rather than possibly the fault of the police or bigger political issues around education and social welfare.
Fiske claims that those without social power /of low social status are only seen in the news as disruptive, deviant or in violent conflict. As young people are not perceived to have the same power as adults, representing them in a deviant way ensures that they remain in subordinate position.

Fiske

those without social power are considered newsworthy only when their actions are considered disruptive or deviantthe threat posed is diffused by being located in a position in the social structure designed to accommodate it

Conflict is important in making a good news story and showing groups who are not part of the dominant class as violent whenever they are seen in the news reinforces that they are a threat to society and their position in the social structure is justified.

A2 MEDIA STUDIES G325 SECTION B CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES COLLECTIVE IDENTITY THE REPRESENTATION OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE MEDIA Theorist Fiske Theory / Idea in representing the subordinate as performing deviant or negative [actions] the News is engaging in the same ideological practices as fictional televisionheroes embody socially central values and villains embody deviant ones Summary of what the theory means Broadcast news borrows conventions from fictional Media in constructing characters, especially Dramas. We expect the News to inform us about real events and to hold the truth about what happens but it is constructed in the same way as fictional TV and uses the same oppositions that we see in Drama (good v evil / hero v villain etc) What does this tell us about the representation of collective Identity? The representation of young people in the news repeats the binary oppositions that we normally see in drama and that are used to entertain audiences. This suggests that the news editor is always looking for individuals or groups who fit into the villain role and it is through the idea of the evil threat they pose to the good dominant class that the audience are entertained.
Film takes elements from real life and constructs a plot, narrative and characters that are recognisable from everyday life but also are fictional and used to entertain the audience. The representation of young people in film tends to rely on certain stereotypes but because the representation appears like real life in the film (they look like, speak and wear what we might expect young people to), it is hard for us to distinguish the difference from fiction and real life and we subconsciously connect the two.

Adorno

the whole world is made to pass through the filter of the culture industrythe producers guideline is for the illusionthat the outside world is the straightforward continuation of that presented on screen real life is becoming indistinguishable from the moviesthe film forces [the audience] to equate it directly with reality

The role of the producer is to ensure that the audience believes that the characters and situations represented are the same as those in our everyday life their construction is invisible and so we believe that they are real

A2 MEDIA STUDIES G325 SECTION B CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES COLLECTIVE IDENTITY THE REPRESENTATION OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE MEDIA

Theorist
Adorno

Theory / Idea
the culture industry has moulded menreproduced in every productthe essential characteristic of the culture industry is repetition

Summary of what the theory means

All media forms have represented people in a certain way, this is then repeated across other products so the audience will be left with little alternative to the representations that they see, making them believe that the representations they do see are in fact the reality.

What does this tell us about the representation of collective Identity?

The representation of young people in films is likely to reinforce the collective stereotypes of the group and will also be seen across other media forms such as drama and the news. The collective identity of young people becomes standardised and is therefore unusual to see much variation in the way the young people are represented.