A2 Media Studies

G325 Critical Perspectives in Media

Examination Preparation
Section B:
Media and Collective Identity
Past Papers
Specimen Paper Provided by the Board

1. Discuss the contemporary representation of a
nation, region or social group in the media,
using specific textual examples from at least two
media to support your answer.

2. How far does the representation of a specific
social group change over time? Refer to at least
two media in your answer.
Past Papers
June 2010

3. With reference to any one group of people that
you have studied, discuss how their identity has
been mediated.

4. Media representations are complex, not simple
and straightforward. How far do you agree with
this statement in relation to the collective group
that you have studied?
Past Papers
January 2010

5. Analyse the ways in which the media
represent one group of people that you have
studied.

6. The media do not construct collective
identity; they merely reflect it. Discuss.
HOW TO SECURE A LEVEL 4 ANSWER
There are no hard and fast rules, but the examiners' report
on the June 2010 exam gives some tips:

Collective Identity stronger answers were able to explain
two or three different theoretical ideas about the
relationship between identity and media and to apply these
ideas to a range of examples. The high level 4 answers
offered a critical response to the theoretical ideas, informed
by what the examples offer by way of confirmation or
rebuttal. There were different ways in to this question, all
of which were equally appropriate. Some Candidates spent
more time on theories of representation, others on debates
around identity and media, and some dealt with both.
Writers referenced ranged broadly a good thing with
common application of Marx, Althusser, Hall, Gramsci,
Butler, Gauntlett, Winship, Mulvey, Geraghty.
HOW TO SECURE A LEVEL 4 ANSWER
Therefore you MUST include references or quotations
on:
representation (in our case representation of youth)
apply key theories such as Snow, Gramsci, Cohen or
Gauntlett
ideology
hegemony
You must also make your connections between
examples and theoretical context explicit and
sustained. You must be able to set at least two
different approaches against each other, for example
theories about passive and active audiences.
Very importantly your examples from both media
should be dominated by contemporary examples with
at least one past and one future reference.
SO WHAT DO THESE KEY TERMS
ACTUALLY MEAN?
Representation
is the construction in any medium
(especially mass media) of aspects of
reality, such as people, places, objects,
events, cultural identities and other
abstracts concepts.

For more detail, see the Media Knowall
website.
SO WHAT DO THESE KEY TERMS
ACTUALLY MEAN?
Ideology
for the purposes of Media Studies is, put
simply, the ideas behind a media text.

In any society, there is an agreed set of beliefs
that underpins that society. For example, the
moral values of Christianity that underpin much
of the British society even today. For Marxists
there is the belief that these ideologies are a
control mechanism.
SO WHAT DO THESE KEY TERMS
ACTUALLY MEAN?
Hegemony
the accepted and agreed beliefs in any
particular society.

For example, you could say that football has
hegemonic status in the UK: you won't see
coverage of any other sport in the same
depth; everyone is expected to understand
and accept its national importance.
There are two separate but related
issues in this exam:
1. How are groups of people (young people)
represented? How are these representations
contructed?

2. How do these representations impact upon
our sense of identity? How do audiences use
these representations to create/ understand
their identity?
Therefore:
Is identity something we construct or
something we discover?
Is identity something we share with others?
How do media texts impact on our sense of
identity?
Is identity fixed or does it change?
Is identity something we are or something we
do?
Our case study
You need to include past, contemporary
(present) and future discussions.
You need to include at least two types of media
(e.g. Newspapers and film)

Past youth subcultures and moral panic
1. the Mods and Quadrophenia (could also look at other
sub-cultures, e.g. Punks, skinheads, and other films
such as This is England)
2. Early depictions of hoodies in newspapers, up to
2009 (e.g. Eden Lake, Harry Brown)
Our case study
Contemporary hoodies and moral panic
1. Depictions of young people in the newspapers prior
to the August riots of 2011 (e.g. Reporting on
Cameron and hug a hoodie; Attack the Block
[2011])
2. Depictions of young people during the August riots
and in the aftermath (newspaper headlines, use of
images, discussions of issues) leading to creation of
Ill Manors (2012) in reaction to these
representations.
3. The riots, nearly two years on: any changes or
positive representations (e.g. the Olympics)
Our case study
Future how do you see the representation
of young people developing in the media?
Future debates
Has the representation of youth changed from past to
present?
Or are we going to have the same representations as
we had before? (i.e. demonisation of youth)
The norm, both in the past and currently, is for older
creators to construct representation of youth. So is this
the future - younger writers/directors getting involved
to create more truthful, relevant representations?
Do you really think representations of youth will
change?
Will truthful, relevant representations be found on the
internet where UK youth are already in control (to a
certain degree) of how they are represented through
Youtube and Facebook?