STUDENT NAME:

TEACHER:

In A2 MEST 3 you will study two distinct topics, ‘Representation’ and ‘The Impact of New & Digital Media’.  For each topic you will each be required to produce an individual case study of your own choice (the exam board does not permit groups of students to have the same focus).  Your representation case study must examine the representation of a group of people or a place on one or more platforms.  This case study will be in addition to the teacher led case studies you will do in class regarding ‘Representation of Gender’ & ‘The Impact of New & Digital Media on News’. Your own choice of case study topics must not duplicate what you have learned in class and gender/ representation of women in any genre of text and/or platform and the study of News and Digital Media are therefore not permissible as topics for an individual case study.  You will be able to (and should) refer to both the teacher led and your own study in the MEST 3 exam (Section B) to demonstrate a range of examples and application of a range of theories, issues and debates as applicable to the question set.  This will be worth 60% of your A2 exam grade.

MEST 4 NOTE OF CAUTION: Please also be aware that as you are studying ‘Representation’  and ‘The Impact of New & Digital Media on News’ in this unit you are not permitted to use representation or digital media and news as a main focus for your MEST 4 Critical Investigation (2,000 word study with linked production).  There is scope however to cover the concept of representation but from a different angle e.g. the investigation title ‘Magazines are a site of contention regarding ideologies of body image’ covers the contentious representations of women and body image but these are explored in  this study through the key concept of ideology, exploring what ideologies are constructed by the media representations, how they are constructed and why the ideologies which are formed from these representations are an issue in contemporary society.  The word representation must not therefore appear in your investigation title.

Through your case study you will be expected to examine media texts in detail in terms of their meanings and their functions.  The aim of this is to allow you to examine and explore media issues and debates, theory and wider contexts (the how and the why) while also consolidating your understanding and use of media concepts and other aspects of the specification covered at AS level (i.e. you must show progression and development from your AS course of study).

In this case study you must be able to clearly demonstrate that you have detailed knowledge of the impact of new and digital media across a range of texts and platforms and that you:

• Consider a variety of current media issues and debates such as media effects, ownership and control and news values.

• Consider the role of the media in shaping our beliefs and attitudes and the reasons why certain representations exist by examining wider contexts in which media products are manufactured and sold.

• Examine a variety of media theories to:

• Consider how the representations of groups and places are constructed (media analysis)
• Consider the political issues surrounding representations (politics and the media)
• Consider the effects of such representations on audiences and the reasons why such representations exist (consumption and production)
• Consider cross-cultural factors in the representation of groups and places as appropriate.

EXAMPLE: A CASE STUDY OF REFUGEES IN BRITISH NEWSPAPERS

A case study of refugees in British newspapers for example, would involve research into, and documentation of, the treatment of refugees in a variety of British newspapers (or possibly just one) to pinpoint the political and social reasons for the construction of such media representations and the possible effects on the audience of newspaper readers. The case study could be widened to study such representations across different media platforms e.g. the representation of refugees in TV drama. The case study should involve an exploration of the wider contexts (historical, social, political and economic) of production and, importantly, provide an opportunity to consider the question ‘why’ such representations exist, including cross-cultural factors and the effect of globalisation.

How will I use this case study in an exam?

Here are some examples of typical exam questions on the topic of representation:

• Critics have accused the mainstream media of tokenism and stereotyping by creating extreme and exaggerated representations.  To what extent is this true for the group or place you have studied?

• Media representations rarely challenge the dominant values of society nor do they give a voice to those with little power.  To what extent is this true for the group or place you have studied?  Why?

• It has been said that media representations often reflect the social and political concerns of the age in which they are created. Discuss.

• Media representations favour those with power at the expense of those without. To what extent do you think this statement is true?                

• 1Xtra, MTV Base and Zee TV are all hugely popular. But whenever I watch these channels, all I see is a ghetto… Nobody wants to be in the ghetto, OK?  We all want to live in the mainstream.” (Lenny Henry in a speech to the Royal Television Society, Guardian News and Media Ltd, 2008)

Why would the group or place you have studied want to be represented in the mainstream media?

• A dominant representation is one which is repeated across the media over time and so are the values that it carries.  Discuss.        

In the exam you will be given a choice of two questions on ‘Representation’ and two on’ The Impact of New & Digital Media’.  You will select just 1 question to answer, on either of these topics, dependent upon which you feel most comfortable with in the exam and use examples from these, applying relevant theories and issues and debates from both the teacher led and your own case study. This section of the exam will last for one hour and will be worth 60% of your A2 exam grade (30% of your overall Media Studies grade).                  

Step One - Generating Topic Ideas for Individual Case Studies:

A study of the representation of………

• teenagers in news/ soap operas/ magazines/ advertising/ computer games

• rural vs. urban Britain in British TV and Film/ News

• celebrities in magazines/ newspapers/ advertising

• Muslims in TV news and crime dramas

• homosexuals in TV soap operas/ TV drama

• young Black Men in news (print and TV)/ computer games/ crime dramas

• white working classes in TV dramas/ soap operas/ British film

• disabled people in sit-coms / children’s TV / comedy sketches/ news

• senior-citizens in soaps/ sit-coms/dramas/ news/ adverts

• America vs. Arab countries etc in Hollywood films/US TV programmes/computer games.

• families in sitcoms/ TV soaps/ Film/ Adverts

• police in news/TV soaps/ TV dramas/computer games

• doctors & nurses in news/ TV soaps/ TV dramas

• teachers in news/ TV soaps/ TV dramas

• sports personalities in magazines and newspapers/ TV dramas/ Adverts

• asylum seekers/refugees in news (print and TV) and TV dramas/ Films

Now try brainstorming a few of your own……..

Step Two: Identifying relevant theorists

Some well known theorists on the topic of representation include:

• Gaye Tuchman
• David Gauntlett
• Laura Mulvey
• Judith Butler
• Stuart Hall
• Antonio Gramsci
• Anthony Giddens
• Manuel Alvarado
• Nick Lacey
• Richard Dyer
• Marshall McLuhan
• Theodor Adorno

Not all of these theorists will be appropriate for your own individual study but a good starting point is to identify the key areas that each of the above theorists covers e.g. representation of gender/ race/ class etc.

Use the table below to help you gather information and sources on each of the theorists above and identify relevant theories and theorists for your study.  You may find additional theorists of your own who you wish to refer to and should also include these below:

Step Three: Choosing individual topic area and relevant theorists

Write here what group of people or place you will be studying the representation of, and on which platform(s):

Explain why you have chosen this topic and why you think this will be a rich area for study.

Identify at least three media texts that you will use as your primary sources (e.g. a specific newspaper(s), TV programme(s), film(s), magazine(s) etc), website(s).  These texts MUST BE from within the last 3 years.

List here the theorists you have identified in your research table above that you will need to refer to for your study:

Approval by teacher and comments:

Signed:

Next steps:

1. How is your group of people / place represented typically in the media?  Use detailed examples from your primary sources.  Explore specifically how the representations are constructed.

2. What institution(s) is/are responsible for the production of your media texts?  Consider both the Production Company (and channel of broadcast if on TV) and explore how this may affect the representations in your texts. E.G. ‘Spooks’ Kudos Productions, broadcast on BBC One (2002-present).  Why might a PSB represent groups differently to a commercial channel?  Does it?

3. What other reasons might there be for why your group of people / place is represented the way it is?  Consider the role of politics and the media e.g. hegemonic structures and why it might be in the interests of the media/ hegemonic society to represent them/ it in this way.

4. Is there evidence of any alternative representations of this group of people/ place in the media, perhaps in different genres?  If not, why do you think this is the case?

Now consider women’s changing role and how and why women have been represented in the media over time as follows.  In the 1930’s she was the doting partner, whose main purpose and objective in life was to find a man, get married and have children, this changed to the femme fatale of the 1940’s through to the housewife of the 1950’s, the sexually objectified women vs. the bra-burning feminist of the 1970’s, the ball-breaking power suited woman of the 1980’s, the ladette of the 1990’s and the celeb hungry, lad’s mag favourites of the 2000’s.

5. Using the above as an example consider if your group of people/ place have always been represented the same way or has it changed over time?  Give a full detail, including a timeline and accounting for why it may have changed over time (use S.H.E.P.)

6. Who are the primary target audience for each of your three media texts and how do you know?  

7. How might the target audience respond to and/ or be affected by the representation of your group/ place in your chosen texts?  Consider intended, negotiated and oppositional readings.  E.g. the repeated poor representation of young black men as gun/knife wielding ‘gangsta’ types may result in them accepting this negative representation over time and conforming to type as everyone has stereotyped them this way.

8. Now consider the issues of consumption by an audience and production (e.g. supply and demand). Other than political reasons why might it be that such representations exist?

9. Does the representation of your group/place vary in texts from different cultures and from different institutions in different countries (do they perhaps offer an alternative or oppositional representation)?  If so why might this be the case?  If not, why not?  (You must find examples from other cultures to compare)

10. Do the institutions promote these representations globally and why might this be important? E.G. Consider the representation of the family in ‘The Simpsons’ and how the distribution of this text and its ideologies may present an issue for other countries/ ethnic groups outside of the U.S.

11. What values and ideologies lie behind the representation of your chosen group/place?  Explore issues of hegemonic power structures and dominance including Marxist/ pluralist theories.  How might each of these approaches be used to comment on the representations of your group/place?

12. Apply the relevant theory to the areas that you have explored.  How might each of the theorist’s approaches/ comments be used to comment on the representations of your group/place?

13.  Using all of the above information prepare a detailed presentation of the representation of your group/place.  This presentation should be at least 10 minutes long. 

1. Within this you must cover each of the points in this booklet in detail and this must include at least 3 actual textual examples (clips from TV programmes/ films, newspaper/magazine articles/ computer game clips etc).

2.  You will be using your presentation to ‘teach’ the rest of the class about how your group/place has been represented and you will be assessed by your peers and their ability to understand your topic area following your presentation.  

Please note here feedback from your teacher/peers on your presentation:

WWW:

EBI:

ACTION POINTS/ NEXT STEPS:

14.  Exam Practice – Here are a selection of past exam questions.  You will be set some of these for homework/ class assessments.   Please consider each of these questions and how you would use your case study to address them.  Complete an essay plan for each question of key theories, issues and debates and examples you would use to answer each.

1. It has been said that media representations often reflect the social and political concerns of the age in which they are created. Discuss.

Issues and Debates

Key Theories & Quotes

Examples

2. Media representations favour those with power at the expense of those without. To what extent do you think this statement is true?  (48 marks)

Issues and Debates

Key Theories & Quotes

Examples

3. “1Xtra, MTV Base and ZeeTV are all hugely popular. But whenever I watch these channels, all I see is a ghetto... Nobody wants to be in the ghetto, OK? We all want to live in the mainstream.” (Lenny Henry in a speech to the Royal Television Society, Guardian News and Media Ltd, 2008)

Why would the group or place you have studied want to be represented in the mainstream media?

Issues and Debates

Key Theories & Quotes

Examples

4. A dominant representation is one which is repeated across the media over time and so are the values that it carries. Discuss.

Issues and Debates

Key Theories & Quotes

Examples