Exam Plan

Exam question

'The media do not construct identity; they merely reflect it' discuss

Include at least two other texts - film and tv, news

Past, present and future definitions

For

Against

Inbetweeners everyday issues/ problems - talking to girls, getting ok grades, drinking, family  etc However unlike the constructed image the overall representation is good and realistic as everyone has these problems Still quite mean for no reason – shout at Will in the corridor "brief case wanker" But not as violent Donavan – “she’s sweet and fragile” and is kind to parents – respects authority – sensitive side – not like in Harry Brown. He’s similar to Moses Popular and unpopular – stereotypical popular hierarchy Class hierarchy Will = upper middle class – came from a private school Neil = “your house smells of being poor” small middle class Jay = in the middle – goes on caravan holidays – w/c and has w/c attitudes – this is seen as vulgar Simon = in the middle The Family:Teen stories - documentary will reflect everyday life  Cultural hegemony - reinforcing working hard Utopia - peace is restored - somewhere over the rainbow playing while mum and Charlotte are dancing - close-up shot is used Ideology of protection - Acland - asks to be monitored by her dad everyday through looking at Charlotte's diary everyday - needs this to succeed Deviant youth theory - needs normal people to counter balance the Deviant Youth = Charlotte is stressed but wants to do well Quadrophenia Did reflect their identity as the riot in Brighton 1964 between the mods and rockers did happen and it created a moral panic by the media (can be seen as constructing but as they were reporting what happened then it's reflecting British youth)  Reflected their values and their fashion choices Mods - park/ anorak jackets, with suits and long swishy hair Rockers - leather jackets, long un-kept hair and harleys

Constantly mediate - riots - a sinister yob was created - moral panic + creating an empty category In the Sun, the use of the word 'savagery' - makes them sound primitive and like animals and the use of the word 'orgy' as well suggests that they enjoy the chaos and being savages In most newspaper images there are images of fires and hooded youths - constructing this identity and moral panic of hoodies who create anarchy and destruction - empty category reflect adults concerns, anxieties, and needs As a result of this media representations of young people do not necessarily reflect the reality of youth identity because they have been constructed Medias view = adults = dominant ideology/ cultural hegemony  People can create their own identity YouTube, WOW etc Catfish Vlogs construct as you only have one camera angle and they tend to be one take + no editing - Vlogbrothers -  John Green and Hank Green Acland 1995 Media representations of delinquent youths actually reinforce hegemony They do this by constructing an idea of 'normal adult and youth behaviour  and contrasting it with deviant youth behaviour which is shown to be unacceptable Media representations of young people out of control allows the state to have more control of them (e. media reports about delinquent youths led to ASBOs) 'Ideology of protection' - the idea that young people need constant surveillance and monitoring. This happens because youth is the time when young people learn about social roles and values, and allows the state to make sure they conform to hegemonic values Harry Brown Attacking/ vandalising the car and then the people who try to stop it Steal women handbag in tunnel killing Lenard  Quadrophenia - house party - m/c parents weren't there and the mods pushed their way through and were fairly viscous - protagonist rode his motorbike through their garden - when the parents came back everyone run - responsibility came back - they need to be watched. Critical Identity Theory Katherine Hamley Media Use in identity construction (2003) ·     The construction of a personal identity can be somewhat difficult/ problematic ·     Young people are surrounded by influential imagery ·     It is no longer possible for an identity to just be constructed in a small community and influenced by a family ·     Everything concerning our lives is ‘media saturated’ – everything we do is surrounded by the media and we’re constantly effected by it o   Politics o   News itself – global link – only way we get the news now ·     When constructing an identity, young people make use of imagery derived from popular media, she states that: o   “It is becoming increasingly common for young children to have their own tv and music systems in their bedrooms whilst also having easy and frequent access to magazines especially aimed at the ‘developing’ child and or teenager” o   “Such young people would also have a way of accessing the Internet, be it at school or sometimes at home. However, it is fair to say that in some instances the freedom of exploring the web could be limited depending on the choice of parents or teachers” o   “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 belief will be influenced to some degree by what they see, read, hear or discover for themselves” ·     This can affect the way they behave, dress or the kind of music they may listen to ·     These are aspects which go together to construct a person’s own personal identity o   Eg – fashion constantly changes – hipsters, emo, goths etc §  More socially acceptable to be gay §  “Cut for Bieber” – acting on their obsession o   Changes that have affected ‘young peoples’ access to the media since then §  Smart phones §  Constant access to TV/ laptops and new media §  Not as valid/ representative today