Representation of regional identity

Representation of regional identity

Regional Identity refers to the part of the United Kingdom someone is from. It could refer to a general area such a “North” or “South”, a country such as “English” or “Scottish” or specific towns such as “London” or “Manchester.” Regional identity is identifying a persons identity which is rooted not only in the setting of the film but also in speech, costumes etc. and in the region they live in. 

Hegemony

Hegemony is a way to describe people or ideas that become—and seek to remain—dominant in society. The development of the term “hegemony” in media studies follows the work of Antonio Gramsci and Stuart Hall.

Essex people
People from Essex are portrayed as being very stupid, constantly talking slang, party obsessed, and want to look glam all the time but actually look completely opposite and very cheap.

North England
People from North England are often portrayed as being heavy smokers, heavy alcoholics, and obsessed with drugs. They are stereotyped as having lots of kids, being unemployed, unskilled and and generally angry, and as a result, very aggressive. If they have jobs, they are portrayed as working in a labour based job such as builder.

South England
People from South England are portrayed as wearing suits, being in important job roles such as managers. They are also stereotyped as enjoying the finer things in life.

Upper class 

• Mainly represented through the coverage of the monarchy, 

• Seen as well bred and cultured, 

• Represented through their accents, estates, and a taste for shooting and hunting, 

• Usually represented in costume and period drama.

Nairn (1988) – Monarchy

• “Royal Family” concept = niceness, decency, ordinariness,

• Royal family can be deemed to be “like us” but “not like us” – the queen seen as ordinary working mother doing extraordinary things,

Middle class (stereotypes)

•Presented as educated and successful as well as able to cope with problems,
•Over represented in the media due to their lifestyle
•Representation fits in with the hegemonic ideology of the dominant class in society,
•Representation justifies the existing class structure and inequalities by suggesting people need to become more competent and successful in order to cope with life.

Representations of poverty and underclass

• Portrayal usually negative and stereotypical,

• Portrayed in the form of statistics in news bulletin such as figures of unemployment,

• Recent media interest in the labelling of the poor such as “chavs” which according to Shildrick and MacDonald (2007) suggest that the poor are undeserving of sympathy.

• Hayward and Yar (2006) – the term "chav" is used as an amusing term of abuse for young poor people.

The man in this newspaper cover is portrayed in a strongly negative light as the title of the piece calls him "vile", and singles out those who get help from the welfare state. The title alone creates a negative image of those who use the welfare system for help, which is completely untrue, as it puts a photo of a man with 17 children (not all present in the photo) as the face of the working class. This photo that the media selected feeds into the stereotype of all working class/unemployed people being breeding machines that steal from the state for their own personal gain, and not because they need help. The cover uses anchorage so that the reader immediately sees the title before the photo, and sees those who use the welfare system as almost like the "scroungers" of the state. The title overshadows the photo so that the audience do not in any feel sorry for those in the photo, and instead feel disgusted by it, and are unsympathetic towards him. He has however been used as an example of the working class, and all of the problems the media see with the working class. This newspaper is a right wing newspaper, so commonly be viewed by conservatives who are associated to the upper class. As a result, the reader, and upper class person, will feel sick to the stomach by the fact that those who use the "welfare system" are benefit cheats. The cover demonises those who are unemployed and in the working class. The attire of those in the photo yet again feeds into the stereotype, as they are all wearing tracksuits or sports gear, which is portrayed to be a typical lower class style of dress, as it is not smart, it is very casual and comfortable.

Working class

•Presented in the stereotypical context of traditional working class communities such Eastenders and Corrie, Shameless
•Community values often praised but do not reflect reality,
•Working class communities have declined with the collapse of traditional industries such as coal mining,
•Often presented in the context of trouble, undesirable welfare scroungers, unable to cope with their delinquent children.

Representations of the working class

•Newman (2006) argues that there are very few situation comedies, television or drama which focuses on the everyday lives of working class who constitute a significant section of society, Newman argues that when in the media working class are often depicted in a very non positive light dumb buffoons (Homer Simpson) and immature machos (Phil Mitchell),
•Butsch (1992) – working class portrayed as flawed individuals (benefit cheats, etc.)

Stereotyping – theoretical perspective Dyer (1979) suggested that stereotypes are always about power – those with power stereotype those with less power. Hence he argued there were more recognisable stereotypes of gay men, non-white racial groups, the working class and women in society , and alternatively it was perhaps not so easy to point to media stereotypes of white, middle class, heterosexual men.

Shameless TV Series representation of class

Mise en scene
In the series Shameless, we are first introduced to all of the main characters in a montage of each character. The main character Frank, is displayed as being an unemployed, lazy, alcoholic who is also aggressive, which feeds into the stereotype of northern men who are unemployed typically being displayed as being unnecessarily violent, shown in the clip in the bathroom where one man is told to beat up a random stranger. The other stereotype that is fed into is that those in the benefit system only go to the pub and constantly smoke, which the audience is unsympathetic of, as described in Shildrick and MacDonald's theory (2007), as they are taking for the state and feeding their addictions rather than taking care of themselves, making them undeserving of help, such as being sick all over themselves, as shown with Frank Gallagher, and described by Butsch (1992) .
 The children's montages show them people being involved in criminal matter as they are approached by police which is a strong stereotype of lower class youths, as they are also portrayed as being heavily involved in violence and criminal activity, which is also shown when the youth has a bloody knife near his face, and this enables the stereotypical name of "chav" to spring into the viewers mind (as referred to by Hayward and Yar 2006). Overall they are portrayed as the most violent people in society, as shown in the clip where people are running around with their faces covered and a burning car in the background. This appears to be normal as the people are not phased by it, which reinforce the stereotypical idea that those from the lower class go out of their way to take part in criminal activities. The high rise buildings and council estate are the typical style of housing that lower class, unemployed, unskilled people are portrayed to live in.

Camera work
The fast zooming in and out on people has been done to reflect the chaos and face pace of the scene. The closeness of the camera on people's faces shows the tense atmosphere, such as the bloody knife right next to the young man's face. There are many shots of the camera moving alongside the characters while the action is going on, to make it seem like the audience is involved in the scene, as well as make it look like lots of action is going on. This is shown when the camera moves around the home with the Gallagher family as they are all running around. The camera also follows the family round while there is a riot going on, showing the stereotypical violent behaviour the working class. it follows them around like an action sequence, an shows the erratic behaviour of the main characters, as well as the stereotypical representation of those from the working/underclass.

Sound 

There is a constant dialogue going on in the series, whether it be conversation, arguing, music, or narration. The characters are introduced to the audience by the main character who is not well spoken, can be hard to understand, and uses a large amount of bad language. This representation is shown in the theory of Newman (2006), that the working class are portrayed as dumb buffoons, which is shown in the way he talks and holds a conversation with people. There is the frequent use of playful music to make the scene seem as almost humorous, and childish. There is also of the use of sound effects such as when Frank Gallagher bangs his head, the exaggerated sound of him hitting his head feeds into the theory of Newman (2006) and the stereotype of the working class being buffoons who cannot take care of themselves.

Editing
The series has been edited so that it runs at a very fast pace, such as the fast movements of the cameras from one angle to another, and one perspective to another. It makes the lives of the working class look chaotic as it moves very fast. The way it has been edited is so that the audience feels like they are in the fast motion scenes with the characters and feel involved. The scenes are very short, with each scene not lasting more than a minute long, which can make everything seem very overwhelming.

Ethnicity vs. Race

Alvarado’s Race Theory (1978)    

Four key themes in racial representation:

–exotic

–dangerous

–humorous

–pitied

•Representation of race in the media can consist of the same sort of rigid stereotypes that constitute gender portrayal.

•Stereotyping of race is seen as more harmful than stereotyping of gender, as media representation may be the only experience of contact with a particular ethnic group that an audience may have (especially children and young people)

•Racial stereotypes are often based on social myth perpetuated down the ages.

Black racial stereotypes

Stereotypes :Positive and negative stereotypes are often seen in contemporary British media.

–Musicians – jazz, hip-hop and soul

–Sportsmen and women 

–Comedians

-Criminals

–Socially dysfunctional

–Prostitute/sexually promiscuous

–The stud/pimp

Representation

Representation:

How UK migration is represented.

UK migration is presented in a negative light, as shown in this image. In this image it shows how the UKIP leader, Nigel Farage believes the UK has lost control of it's borders due to the EU, which is only one of the reasons why he campaigned to leave the EU. Immigrants are portrayed under the stereotype of being uneducated, poor, Non-English speaking, job stealing, money grabbing people. They are also portrayed as coming over just for the free-health care and benefit system.They are portrayed as being like a threat that come in large groups to move to the UK. There is also a stereotypical view being made in the press that these immigrants are terrorists as they may be migrating from countries that are at war, and are therefore portrayed as a threat to British society.
The UKIP Party are pro-authority, and are eurosceptics and want independent control of the UK, like how it was before we joined the EU. They want a strict border on who can or cannot enter the country.
The stereotype created in this image is that all immigrants come in large groups, and that it is just the men that come over before the men to get jobs, in order to send money back home to their families, or to bring them over to the UK at a later date. They are also portrayed as poor, dirty, and almost like animals in how they look like they are being herded like sheep as they are overcrowding the UK.
Migration has influence the vote for Brexit in how the majority of people were fed up with the poor-healthcare, low benefits, low amount of job etc, and how immigrants were blamed for it, and by voting to leave the EU would end it all, or at least cap it.

Stereotypes in Media:

Black people:

• Loud
• Rude
• Aggressive
• Strong black women
• Like Chicken
• Can't swim
• Good at dancing and singing
• Gang related

Females:

• House wives
• Have babies
• Lower than men
• Constantly care about appearance
• Usually attractive
• Unemployed

Males:

• Constantly think about sex
• Physical workers
• Unorganised
• Cannot cook, clean, look after children
• Can't be nurses, only doctors
• Active
• Gym obsessed, and obsessed with being healthy

Youths:

• Wear hoodies
• Have life easy
• Insecure
• Criminals
• Violent
• Drugs and alcohol obsessed
• No interest in Politics
• Brain dead
• Technology obsessed
• Knife crime
• Can't drive
• Moody
• Over dramatic makeup

Essex people:

• Spray tan
• Loud
• Dumb
• Short/tight clothes
• Short tempered
• Slang

Scottish people:

• Alcoholic
• Argumentatives
• Rugby
• Ginger
• Pessimistic
• Hate English
• Tough as nails
• Strong accent
• Love haggis
• Always wear kilts
• Bagpipe obsessed

Age:

• Buffoon 
• Slow
• Cautious of everyone
• Rude
• Call everyone "dear"
• Hunched back
• Walking stick or frame

The Inbetweeners representation - S3 Ep 5 

In the Inbetweeners, the youths are portrayed as trouble, such as when they vandalise someone's garden, and again when they deface a public welcoming flower display saying "welcome to our village", and turning it into a rude display. The other stereotype of youths portrayed in this video was the idea that all youths are alcohol obsessed, shown when they constantly talk about having parties and drinking heavily. An additional stereotype was portrayed in their attire, that all youths wear hoodies, are aggressive and loud. They used bad language frequently, one of the characters, Jay, was the embodiment of the youth stereotype, and used the worst language, with almost every third word being "f*** "or "s***". There was however one character, Will, who was the complete opposite of the stereotype, as he did not care for the rebellious activities, the aggressive behaviour, the parties and alcohol, and he cared about his education deeply. Jay is the stereotype, whereas Will is the opposite of the stereotype. Thirdly, there was the stereotype of youths being sex obsessed which was conveyed in the clip.

Sound
In this clip, the sound was cheerful, cheesy music which was done to make the scene funny, as the music is humorous because it is cheesy, almost like elevator music. One of the four boys, Will, was narrating over the scene from his perspective.

Mise en scene
In this clip, if the group is having a discussion, they are sat on a sofa (living room scene), with a table in front of the. In the gaming scene, there is are game controllers in the teenagers hands. In the scene in Jay's bedroom, there is a dirt/mess everywhere and the room is very dark with limited lighting. Whereas in Will's living room it is organised, elegant and bright. In the sixth form, yet again it is dark, the furniture is basic and depressing, and the men are sat at cheap chairs with a cheap table in front of them.

Camera work
In this clip, the camera mostly focused on close up shots of the youths faces, flicking between them to show their reactions when insults were made. There were over the shoulder shots only behind the character of Will, done almost like it was from his perspective. There were few wide shots of all of the men, mostly because it focused on their reactions to each other. The insults just bounce off of each other which is why there is heavy focus on their faces rather than their whole body. There is one shot with the camera doing a full body shot of the whole group which is used in the introduction of a new scene, which shows all of the boys sitting around a table in a sixth from common room. The head teacher is always shown from a low angle/worms eye view to make him look more frightening and domineering over the students. It makes the students look even more smaller than the tall gentlemen.

Editing
In the editing of this episode, you can see that it has been done so that it is an easy watch fort he audience, as a character's face is always centre of the screen, and that it is constantly moving from one person talking, to another person responding to them. It isn't fast paced but the shots are constantly changing from one person to another. It was edited so that when a new scene is being introduced, there is a shot of all of the men and a clear view of the background, alongside the cheerful/cheesy music or narration in between scenes or during.

Representations of women across all media tend to highlight the following:

•beauty (within narrow conventions)

•size/physique (again, within narrow conventions)

•sexuality (as expressed by the above)

•emotional (as opposed to intellectual) dealings

•relationships (as opposed to independence/

  freedom)

They are often linked to the domestic situation

– Women as housewives or mothers.

–OR
as sex objects (sexualised and objectified) represented to entertain and titillate the male.





In Advertising and Magazines

They are shown as…

•Young

•Slim

•Overwhelmingly white

•Conforming to our image of ideal beauty (perfect skin, hair and alluring gaze).

Laura Mulvey:

She was a theorist and a feminist

Mulvey, came up with the concept on male gaze in 1975.

Here Mulvey wrote a very influential essay ‘Visual pleasure and Narrative Cinema’. Stating that women are used for visual pleasure- women are made to seem like sexual objects through voyeurism. She argued that women took the passive part of a film and that all men played an active part, in her eye the women were objects.

Van Zoonen:

– feminism and patriarchy.

Van Zoonen believes the media portray images of stereotypical women and this behaviour reinforces societal views.

The media does this because they believe it reflects dominant social values (what people believe in) and male producers are influenced by this. This is a patriarchy (a society ran by men for men) which dominates and oppresses women.

Representation of men across all media

'Masculinity' is a concept that is made up of more rigid stereotypes than femininity. 

Representations of men across all media tend to focus on the following:

• •Strength - physical and intellectual
  •Power
  •Sexual attractiveness (which may be based on the above)
  •Physique
  •Independence (of thought, action, finances)

Male characters are often represented as isolated, as not needing to rely on others (the lone hero). If they submit to being part of a family, it is often part of the resolution of a narrative, rather than an integral factor in the initial balance.
It is interesting to note that the male physique is becoming more important a part of representations of masculinity.

Masculinity and Violence

One area that has been the focus of much study is the relationship between males and violence in the media.

Earp and Katz (1999) studies male representations in the media and found “a widespread and disturbing equation of masculinity and pathological control and violence.”

They claim that the media is responsible for a steady stream of images that define ‘manhood’ as connected with violence, dominance and control - and create it as a normal and accepted part of masculinity.

The Metrosexual

•One recent development in the representations of masculinity is the Metrosexual ( mid 1990’s)•The young single man with a high disposable income, living in the city - as it is near to the best shops. Metrosexual man is not gay but is often confused with being homosexual.•He is objectified and sexualised (turned into a sex object) which goes against traditional representations of masculinity.

The Fool/ Buffoon

•The fool stereotype is a tried and tested formula  e.g. the bungling father in TV ads and Sitcoms. Usually well intentioned and light hearted, these characters range from slightly inept to completely hopeless in work or parenting and domestic situations.
•On the surface it may seem a very pejorative representation of men However they still always come out on top!

Media representations of male and females:    

In the photo of the man, his strength and intellect is shown in the suit, the bow tie, and glasses, almost like how a rich, important person would dress. His posture of being upright, back straight, glaring back at the camera with an expressionless face could make him look intimidating to some people, and consequently making him look strong. Yet again, his power is shown in his posture and appearance, looking smart and intelligent, which can be threatening to people. His sexual attractiveness is shown in his shape in the photo, with him looking sharply dressed, which may be aesthetically pleasing to some. It also comes down to his power and strength which is shown, yet again in his posture, stance, and facial expression. He has a slim, sharp, physique which people may see as something that is attractive or appealing to the eyes. He is standing strong, tall, and independent, and he doesn't look like he minds being alone. He has the appearance of a strong social standing, so looks good independent.

In the photo of the woman, she has limited/natural makeup, but the red lipstick and nail varnish make her look very sexy, as red is usually portray as a sexual colour and so it makes her look seductive. She has a slim figure, with pale white skin which you can see a lot of, as she has no clothing on. Her skin is clear which may be viewed as attractive, as she has no blemishes or scarring on her body. There is a question on whether some of this photo has been edited to make her body slimmer, or shinier, or her skin clearer, but it does not appear to have been photoshopped. Her sexuality is expressed in the naked pose, the glamorous hair that is flowing and shiny, the seductive lipstick, natural makeup, long red nails, blue jewellery, and her seductive pose. She looks emotional in how she is hunched over and her body is almost closed up, which has been done to make her look shy, or vulnerable.

Constructed Media (Print)

Constructed Media (Print)

Jeremy Corbyn

This constructed newspaper cover (left photo) of Labour Party leader, Jeremy Corbyn, has been titled "Don't chuck Britain in the ... Cor-bin" which is a play on his name by making a pun out of it, as well as saying that Jeremy Corbyn is/will drag Britain down a bad path. The other caption on the front cover of The Sun newspaper, a Right-Wing Conservative paper, is the caption "we've had enough of Jezza's rubbish... VOTE TORY" which is using this bad image of Jeremy Corbyn, as well as his qualities, to gain the "tory" vote. It lists his links to the IRA terrorist group, his favouring of massive tax rises, his control of unions, his believe in removal of nuclear defence, reckless spending plans, left-wing extremism, etc. All of these negative bullet points displayed, as well as his dirty appearance while being in a bin gives a completely negative perspective of Jeremy Corbyn, and this being in a Right_wing newspaper, it works in their favour in making the reader see Corbyn in the way he is displayed in this photo; a mess. A supporter of Jeremy Corbyn would not appreciate the way that he has been portrayed as a fool and as "trash", however someone who dislikes Corbyn would find the photo entertaining.
In the GQ Magazine cover (right image), Jeremy Corbyn is portrayed as a domineering character, through his smart attire, neutral expression, his straight posture, and crossed arm. The photo comes from a low angle, which has been intentionally done to make Jeremy Corbyn look almost God-like. The title "Jeremy Corbyn's hostile takeover" reflects his appearance in the photo as he looks very hostile as he is looking down at the camera. There are no silly captions about Corbyn as seen in the Sun newspaper, as GQ Magazine is a Left-Wing Magazine and consequently will portray him in a positive light. A supporter of Corbyn would find this piece suitable to his character, and would favour this portrayal of him.


Theresa May

This constructed newspaper cover (left photo) is about Conservative Party leader, Theresa May and Nicola Sturgeon, the Party leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP). The title of the piece is "Never mind Brexit, who won Legs-it!" which is completely irrelevant to the real story in the photo, which is the SNP leader and Prime Minister being in talks about a Brexit deal. It is placing the focus on both the women's legs, which is yet again, irrelevant to the real story. The Daily Mail is making a mockery of politics, as well as the role of the Leader of the Conservative Party, as well as the SNP Party Leader. The photo shines a lot of light on the women's legs rather than them, which would not have not taken place if it were two men sitting there, which makes it a rather sexist cover. It is from a Right-Wing newspaper which is very confusing, as they are usually supportive of the Conservatives, but in this cover they are almost making a mockery of the Conservative Party Leader. It is possibly aimed at men due to its focus on the women's legs, as well as being aimed at Left-Wing non-supporters of the Conservative Party. A supporter of Theresa May would not appreciate the image and title on display in this cover as it completely makes a fool out of her, and a member of the SNP would feel the same way towards the portrayal for Nicola Sturgeon.

 In the Sun newspaper cover (right photo), similar to the other cover, it focuses on something completely irrelevant to the real story: her shoes. The title at the top says "Heel, boys" with is a cross between the heels she is wearing in the photo, as well as a possible reference tot he way that dog owners call their dogs by saying "heel boy". it is making a joke that Theresa May has the Cabinet members on a lead or at her beck and call, and the fact that her heel is on top of the men in the photo is almost saying that she is walking over them. The caption on the top of the photo "Maggie May in at No.10" restates what the title is saying: that Theresa May is trying to take control over the men of the cabinet, and to do so she is returning to the ruthless style of leadership that Margaret Thatcher used to use. The photo has a similar meaning to the one on the left, which is of something completely irrelevant to the topic of discussion, which if a man, would not be focusing on his shoes. Similarly, this newspaper is a Right-Wing newspaper, and should therefore support Theresa May, but in this cover makes a mockery of her, and Conservative members that favour the Party Leader  would not agree with the way that Mrs May has been made a fool out of.

Halls Theory of encoding and decoding

The theory states that media texts are encoded by the producer meaning that whoever produces the text fills the product with values and messages. The text is then decoded by the audience.

Different spectators will decode the text in different ways, not always in the way the producer intended. A text can be received in one of three ways;

•Dominant or Preferred Reading

–This is when the text is read in the way the producer intended the text to be read.

–The audience agree with the messages and ideology that the producer has placed behind the text.

•Negotiated Reading

–This is a compromise between the dominant reading and the oppositional reading of the text.

–The audience accepts the views of the producer but also has their own input and understanding of the text.

•Oppositional Reading

–The audience rejects the producers preferred reading and creates their own reading of the text, usually this is the opposite of what the producer intended.

– The reader rejects the meaning completely as they do not agree with the message that is being presented to the audience.

Constructed Media Advertising

Pro-Smoking 
In this advert, the preferred reading is that smoking is good for your health and your body to prevent weight gain, as shown in the picture in the silhouette of the large lady with baggy skin and double chin. The negotiated reading is that there may be dangers to smoking, yet you continue to smoke as it is an enjoyable habit that you are not willing to stop. The oppositional reading of the text is that smoking is completely unhealthy for you, and that the dangers to health outweigh the positives of a smoking habit.

 Anti-Smoking
The preferred reading of this advert that the photo is extremely frightening, and dangerous to your health, and consequently will put people off of smoking. The negotiated reading of this advert is that smoking is a dangerous, addictive habit, but people enjoy doing it so will carry on but with caution. The oppositional reading of the ad is that the information is false or an exaggeration, and will do nothing in the way of stopping them from smoking.

Lauren Goodger Social Media

There are certain aspects to the social media page for The Only Way Is Essex Star, Lauren Goodger, that have clearly been made to promote a makeup or beauty brand by advertising for "20% off everything" in the cover photo for her page.

_{^{In the photo section of her account, the majority of photos, with the exception of two, are promoting the eyelash and beauty brand with discounted prices.}}

In the area where Lauren Goodger can post comments, images, videos, discussions, etc. on anything of her choosing, yet again she posts about cyber Monday deals, places to buy her beauty brand, and sales.

This has all been constructed to promote this selection of beauty products, meaning this is possibly constructed to get her fans to buy the product she has endorsed.