Topic 3: Media Representations: age/ class/ ethnicity

Question 1

Representations of age

Answer 1

Media gaze is filtered through the eyes of young to middle-age adults and this influences the rep. of people.
Older people = under-represented
Young people = over-represented

Question 2

1. Children (up to 14yrs)

Answer 2

Study: Children’s Express: 7 stereotypes in media
1. Kids as victims
2. Cute kids
3. Little Devils
4. Kids are brilliant
5. Kids as accessories
6. Kids these days?
7. Little Angels

Question 3

Youth (15-20)

Answer 3

Negative stereotyping (troublemakers/ vandals/ fuelled by drugs and alcohol)

Question 4

Youth (15-20)
2005 MORI for Young People Now magazine

Answer 4

57% of stories about young people were negative, 12% positive
With 40% of articles about young people focused on crime, vandalism and antisocial behaviour

Question 5

Youth (15-20)
Women in Journalism 2009

Answer 5

teenage boys most frequently appeared in the media - stories about crime
(“thugs/ feral/ hoodie/ heartless”)

Question 6

Youth (15-20)
White et al:

Answer 6

40%+ of young people were dissatisfied with the way they were portrayed on television as ‘disrespectful’
Driven by news values - exaggerate occasional deviant behaviour

Question 7

Youth (15-20)
Cohen 2002

Answer 7

young people = powerless
Young people (particularly African-Carribean males) used as scapegoats

Question 8

Youth (15-20)
A03 Evaluations

Answer 8

• The young people being labelled are the main consumers of the media
• ‘New sociology of childhood’ - offer the idea that children are not passive puppets and are active agents who play a big part in society

Question 9

How media socially constructs the “youth”

Answer 9

• Popular music and representations of fashion
• ## Popular music is associated with a particular subculture

Question 10

3. Older People (50s Onwards)
   Cuddy & Fiske 2004

Answer 10

• In USA - TV portrayed just 1.5% of its characters as elderly

Question 11

3. Older People (50s Onwards)
   Biggs 1993

Answer 11

UK sitcoms presented older people in similarly negative ways
Eg. being forgetful/ ill health/ a burden

Question 12

3. Older People (50s Onwards)
   Szmigin & Carrigan

Answer 12

some are wary of using models in their advertisement that they consider to align with younger audiences

Question 13

3. Older People (50s Onwards)
   Gender and Age

Answer 13

different stereotypes for men and women
Older men are presented in a positive light
Few positive images of older women - rendered invisible
symbolically annihilated

Question 14

3. Older People (50s Onwards)
   Gender and Age
   White et al

Answer 14

older viewers though they tended to be stereotyped and that there was a lack of representation of middle aged older women on TV

Question 15

3. Older People (50s Onwards)
   A03 Evaluation

Answer 15

• Centre for Ageing better 2023: campaigns for better representation & hope that IPSO will add age to clause 12 of its Editors code of practice - focuses on avoiding discrimination
• Szmigin & Carrigan 2000: we can expect more positive representations of older generations in the media. However, they suggest this is because of the growing numbers of elderly in the population with money to spend
• Lee et al 2007: older adults in advertisements are generally represented positively

Question 16

Representations of class

Answer 16

• more favourable stereotypes of the upper and middle classes than the working class
• an over representation of the upper and middle classes and an under representation of the working class

Question 17

Class
Jones (2001)

Answer 17

media gives the impression we are all middle class - with the values and lifestyles of the mc - everyone should aspire
by celebrating the lifestyles of the upper and middle classes

Question 18

Class
Lawler 2005

Answer 18

Class is generally represented as a lifestyle choice rather than as an economic category in the media
‘taste’ is used as a symbol of class identity.

Question 19

Class
McKendrick et al 2008

Answer 19

content analysis of UK media - poverty was a marginal issue, comprising only a small proportion of media output

Question 20

Class
Weltman 2008

Answer 20

across a range of media entertainment formats, including sitcoms, wc people are devalued relative to the mc
Marxists and Neo-Marxists like the Glasgow Media Group emphasize that media representations reflect the interests of the powerful

Question 21

Representations of the WC
Curran and Seaton

Answer 21

newspapers targeting wc audiences, imply a lack of interest in public affairs, focussing on exaggerated human interest stories

Question 22

REP. WC
4 stereotypes

Answer 22

1. Dumb and Foolish
2. Troublemakers
3. Romanticized communities
4. chavs

Question 23

Dumb and Foolish
(Butsch 2003)

Answer 23

wc = immature/ irresponsible - reinforcing middle class dominance

Question 24

Troublemakers

Answer 24

wc is shown as problematic
Neo-Marxists like the GMG these portrayals discredit those who challenge dominant ideologies

Question 25

Representations of middle class Over-represented

Answer 25

Mc more represented than the very rich Eg. property programmes are exclusively aimed at the mc characters in dramas are overwhelmingly mc

Question 26

Rep. of mc Dominant

Answer 26

mc is very dominant in the media industry Particularly evident in terms of presents on tv programmes

Question 27

Rep. of mc Anxiety

Answer 27

mc are also often represented as being anxious about contemporary society and prone to moral panic

Question 28

Representations of the upper class

Answer 28

represented through monarchy coverage portrayed as cultured, refined

Question 29

Representations of class A03

Answer 29

- Growth of the New Media = people have more choice in which media they consume (Curran and Seaton:) new media positively transforms society by offering more choices. Therefore people are Not passive consumers - Meta Narratives provided by the media are being challenged- people no linger take the media at face value -

Question 30

Representations of Ethnicity

Answer 30

under represented in senior management of the media companies and in producing programmes

Question 31

Rep. of ethnicity Roles on Screen Cumberbatch et al

Answer 31

analysed popular TV shows: found EM filled 1/7 roles, slightly above their population share Black african caribbeans were over represented

Question 32

Rep. of ethnicity Roles on Screen Malik 2002

Answer 32

African caribbeans more likely to be found in programmes dealing with social issues rather than heavyweight roles

Question 33

Rep. of ethnicity Roles on Screen Beattie et al 1999

Answer 33

black and asian people were more likely to appear in supporting roles and as temporary guests rather than hosts

Question 34

Rep. of ethnicity Roles on Screen Hargrave 2002

Answer 34

Em were concerned about how they were portrayed

Question 35

Rep of Em Stereotyping

Answer 35

EM often depicted as deviants and law breakers They're frequently represented in the context of drug-dealing Hargrave 2002: black people were more than twice as likely as white people to be portrayed as criminals on Tv

Question 36

Stereotyping Hall et al 1978

Answer 36

Neo marxists analysis of media reporting of mugging showed how the media exaggerated the extent of black crime

Question 37

Islamophobia and Media stereotypes

Answer 37

2007 report: 91% of articles about muslims were negative - portrayed as fundamentalists who oppress women, enforce hijabs or aim to replace British law with Sharia law

Question 38

Islamophobia and Media stereotypes Baroness Warsi 2011

Answer 38

'Muslim' has become stigmatized - anti muslim views have become socially acceptable Phillips 2007: media representations often focus on terrorism

Question 39

Representations of countries Glasgow media group 2000

Answer 39

British Tv focused on disasters and terrorism without context, shaping a negative perception of the developing worls

Question 40

Rep. of countries Dowling 2007

Answer 40

people were falsely being blamed for issues like benefit fraud, job shortages and crime

Question 41

Rep of countries Pluralists (Cottle 2000)

Answer 41

suggests media representations encourage audiences to define their identity

Question 42

Rep of countries Neo-Marxists

Answer 42

negative portrayals are shaped by the white-dominated media, reinforcing racist stereotypes. This diverts attention from social inequality protecting the interests of the dominant class

Question 43

Representation of countries A03 Evalutation

Answer 43

- Media representations of black and EM groups are improving, more black and asian figures in art and music - More content aimed towards black and EM - Black and Asian actors are increasingly seen in mainstream roles, reflecting everyday lives rather than just ethnic identities. - Eastenders is watched by 43% of non-white viewers - showing growing acceptance of EM in British society