Representation of social class

Question 1

Traditional views of middleclass

Answer 1

Saunders
Mertens and D’Haennes
Leech

Question 2

Saunders

Answer 2

Traditional views of middleclass

suggests that because the middle class are those with the highest disposable income, they use products to define them and show off their social class backgrounds through consumerism - ‘conspicuous consumption’.

Question 3

Mertens and D’Haenens

Answer 3

Traditional views of middleclass

Digital divide in Brussels - Middle class used the social media for career development and knowledge, whereas the working class used it for entertainment.

Question 4

traditional of the working class

Answer 4

Newman
devereux
Jones

Question 5

Newman

Answer 5

Traditional working class

Very few films, sitcoms or dramas which give a realistic image of the everyday life of the working class - Working class people are stereotyped and labelled in an unflattering and pitying light.

Question 6

Devereux

Answer 6

Working class tadtional

working class portrayals in the media are divided into two categories:

1. positive portrayals, whereby working class individuals are seen to be happy and deserving poor.
2. is the negative image of those who are on welfare benefits.

Question 7

Jones

Answer 7

Traditional working class

Developed the concept of ‘chavtainment’ when discussing the development of TV broadcasts that portray a negative view of working class people as “bigoted, slothful and aggressive” - Working class gone from being portrayed, historically, as the “salt to the earth” to “scum of the earth”.

Question 8

Traditional upper class

Answer 8

Nairn

Question 9

Nairn

Answer 9

Traditional upper class

Media representation of the monarchy - After WW11 the monarchy developed close ties with the media industry

represented in the media as a family that are ‘like us but not like us’

representations of royalty also reinforce a sense of national identity.

Question 10

Traditional representations of the underclass

Answer 10

Baumberg et al

Golding and Middleton (1982)

Question 11

Baumberg et al

Answer 11

trational underclass

Researched ‘Benefits Stigma in Britain’.

Disproportionate amount focus on benefit fraud: 29% of news stories referenced fraud; in comparison the government’s own estimate is that a mere 0.7% of all benefits claims are fraudulent. Common language used to describe benefits as ‘undeserving’ included: Fraud and dishonesty (including those such as ‘faking illness’), Dependency (including ‘underclass’ and ‘unemployable’), Non-reciprocity/lack of effort (e.g. ‘handouts’, ‘something for nothing’, ‘lazy’, ‘scrounger’), Outsider status (e.g. ‘immigrant’, ‘obese’)

Question 12

Golding and Middleton (1982)

Answer 12

Moral panics surrounding the underclass – “Welfare issues” were not discussed unless they were connected to other social issues such as crime, fraud or sex. Demonization of the underclass.

Question 13

changing upper class

Answer 13

Reiners

Gidden

Question 14

Reiners

Answer 14

changing upperclass

Recent media representations of wealthy people are being used to show examples of hard work, success and meritocracy - When people are portrayed as having huge amounts of wealth their success is celebrated by the media – Audiences are encouraged to identify with the culture of consumption and materialism that is portrayed in the lifestyle of the wealthy.

Question 15

Gidden

Answer 15

channging upperclass

States that there are now 3 types of upper class: Traditional upper class, Entrepreneurial super rich, Jet-set pop aristocracy

Question 16

changing middle class

Answer 16

Leech

Question 17

Leech

Answer 17

changing middle class

States that the middle class is now presented as the ‘ideal’ in advertising, Middle class lifestyles are presented as ideal and are known as ‘cereal packet families’.

Question 18

changing wokring class

Answer 18

dodd and dodd

Question 19

dodd and dodd

Answer 19

changing working class

Eastenders - Presents the nostalgic view of the traditional notion of working class communities, but state that this does not accurately reflect a modern day working class culture.

show has introduced realism when bravely broaching issues such as drug and alcohol abuse, crime, attempted suicide, abortion, homosexuality and relationship issues – Whilst doing this portray the outdated view of a communal supportive network.

Question 20

changing underclass

Answer 20

Price

Question 21

Price

Answer 21

chaning underclass

poverty porn’ - Describes programmes such as Channel 4s Benefit Street - This refers to the media exploiting the participants and their lifestyle in order to shock and entertain the audiences.