Critical Context
Critical Context
ESSAY TITLE:
The Representation of Lower Class With a Focus on This is England and Kidulthood
The title in bold is the question I ended up choosing for my essay. This is the question that I felt would be the most interesting and beneficial for me as it includes two media products that I have really enjoyed - it allows me to look into things I like more as well as it still being educational for me. It is also the most academic style question of them all and contains the critical context that is the most compelling for me as representation is something I have looked into previously. The Lower class and how they are shown on screen has always been something I have been interested in as I feel they tend to be represented unfairly and there are may stereotypes of them which I believe should be broken. By looking into this and reasons behind why, it will encourage me to write this essay to my best ability. Representation is a topic that I have been interested in throughout my time on this Media course and to be honest i'm not entirely sure as to why - it has just always drawn me in and I have always been passionate about it. I think its because I believe that so many people are represented unfairly and it makes me upset and I was to know why and how they are represented wrongly. Hence why I have chosen the topic I have for my title as it lets me discuss social class and how they have been shown in two very different style productions but that have similar themes.Within this title I can see opportunity for me to speak about audience and the theories within, I could also touch on the Auteur theory as I believe that Shane Meadows could quite possibly fall under the category as all of his productions are very similar in many ways. Researching into the critical contexts influenced me massively with my essay title as it gave me an insight into how much I could talk about and how many theorists there are. Prior to completing my audience presentation I knew very little about it and my knowledge of all of the theories that come along with it was very brief. It informed me massively and therefore I feel has helped me expand my writing and definitely expand my research as I am looking out for more thing now then I would have before. In the research below I came across
Critical perspectives
Audience
Audience was the critical context that I was chosen to present to the class, the presentation contains all elements of audience that I researched into. It also includes a theory that I looked into a lot whilst researching audience - the cultivation theory. The cultivation theory is basically when the audience watches something so much that it effects their beliefs and influences on the real world over a period of time. My presentation is below :
Audience was the critical context that I was chosen to present to the class, the presentation contains all elements of audience that I researched into. It also includes a theory that I looked into a lot whilst researching audience - the cultivation theory. The cultivation theory is basically when the audience watches something so much that it effects their beliefs and influences on the real world over a period of time. My presentation is below :
Desensitisation - this is a theory that has caught my attention and interest as I believe it relates to my topic chosen to write about in the essay very well. Kidulthood is the main movie that I believe it would work with best as there is lots of violence in it compared to this is England. I have looked into a few books that have helped me to understand it more:
Violence in the media
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=MJkGiCsCkcIC&pg=PA43&dq=desensitization+media&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj9kZfjvp_pAhVqUhUIHUpGCzsQ6AEIMTAB#v=onepage&q=desensitization%20media&f=false
Signorielli, N., 2005. Violence In The Media. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO.
Signorielli, N., 2005. Violence In The Media. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO.
Media violence and its effect on aggression
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=nXG1AAAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=desensitization+in+media&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiNtrbdnZ_pAhW0oFwKHShrAWIQ6AEIMDAB#v=onepage&q=desensitization%20in%20media&f=false
Freedman, J., 2002. Media Violence And Its Effect On Aggression. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
On media violence
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=HOcwVJG02dsC&printsec=frontcover&dq=on+media+violence&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi-tta1uaHpAhUkQkEAHbVFBGEQ6AEILTAA#v=onepage&q=on%20media%20violence&f=false
→page 42 in this book is where it touches on desensitization the most.
A dictionary of media and communication
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=OrXRDwAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=active+and+passive+audience&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjYiI3Ul6rpAhW-QEEAHXyzBRAQ6AEIKjAA#v=onepage&q=active%20and%20passive%20audience&f=false
Chandler, D. and Munday, R., 2011. A Dictionary Of Media And Communication. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
This dictionary also holds a lot of information about passive and active audiences and the definitions along with the parts they play in the media.
A dictionary of media and communication
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=OrXRDwAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=active+and+passive+audience&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjYiI3Ul6rpAhW-QEEAHXyzBRAQ6AEIKjAA#v=onepage&q=active%20and%20passive%20audience&f=false
Chandler, D. and Munday, R., 2011. A Dictionary Of Media And Communication. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
This dictionary also holds a lot of information about passive and active audiences and the definitions along with the parts they play in the media.
AUDIENCE BOOKS
Audience - passive and active audiences come into play in everything. Someone is either one or the other. In my essay I will touch on the two types by explaining what they both are and using what I have said as an example. Here are some books that I looked into when studying audience:
Harm and offence in media content
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=CV3rh8wchfQC&printsec=frontcover&dq=harm+and+offence+in+media+content+audience&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiBt-mdwZ_pAhVEZcAKHQ3MDmMQ6AEILTAA#v=onepage&q=harm%20and%20offence%20in%20media%20content%20audience&f=false
Narrative
Narrative theory is a theory that we as humans use the concept of storytelling to comprehend how a story is processing. The concept is that everything happens in a certain way - usually arcs. Arcs are the way in which stories are told, for example there is always a beginning, rise, peak and the end.
Narrative theory is a theory that we as humans use the concept of storytelling to comprehend how a story is processing. The concept is that everything happens in a certain way - usually arcs. Arcs are the way in which stories are told, for example there is always a beginning, rise, peak and the end.
Equilibrium
A theory created by Todorov. That in a film or story, the power is in a state of equilibrium (balance). He believes that as the story progresses the state of equilibrium can change, giving one person more power or authority over others. However, the equilibrium is changed after a disruption, resulting in a disequilibrium. The old equilibrium is broken, and therefore a new one must begin. This will repeat during the narrative until we reach a final equilibrium.
Vladimir Propp
Propp is a theorist whoo believes there are 8 character roles, such as; hero, villain, helper, victim, love interest, dispatcher, father and a donor.
Above is an example of Propp's character role theory in relation to Harry Potter.
Above is an example of Propp's character role theory in relation to Harry Potter.
Auteur
An auteur is a filmmaker whos individual style and complete control over all elements of production give a film its personal unique stamp.
Auteur theory
the concept of an auteur was developed in 1954. The contributes to being an auteur is lighting, camerawork, staging, editing, mies-en-scene and so on. There are three requirements for someone to be classed as an auteur;
1. Basic technical compentency
2. A signature style through reoccurring aesthetics
3. Interior meaning
Wes Anderson is classed as an auteur due to his styles of films being all similar in a way. Characters in his films will often dress anachronistically, or wear costumes which appear out of place. They will often dress as groups, and have common, almost uniform characteristics. Anderson will often place a character in a scene which is set up symmetrically, long and mid-shots are often used to emphasise this. Below is a screenshot from a presentation on Auteurs including Wes Anderson and his running themes.
Although this is not an academic source and I will not be using it in my final essay, this applies to my topic of choice so decided to give it a read.
https://www.scribd.com/doc/253400335/darren-harkin-shane-meadows-an-autuer
This is a blog or investigation by a student into whether Shane Meadows is worthy of having the title as an auteur. It was an interesting read as it went into the elements of what could class him as one - from the styles of his films/shows to common themes to colour ways. It really was a bit of food for though and has influenced the way I see Meadows as a director and producer now.
(Nelmes, 2011) This is a book I have looked into to help me understand the auteur theory fully, it goes into depth on what makes someone an auteur and all the elements that go with it.
An auteur is a filmmaker whos individual style and complete control over all elements of production give a film its personal unique stamp.
Auteur theory
the concept of an auteur was developed in 1954. The contributes to being an auteur is lighting, camerawork, staging, editing, mies-en-scene and so on. There are three requirements for someone to be classed as an auteur;
1. Basic technical compentency
2. A signature style through reoccurring aesthetics
3. Interior meaning
Wes Anderson is classed as an auteur due to his styles of films being all similar in a way. Characters in his films will often dress anachronistically, or wear costumes which appear out of place. They will often dress as groups, and have common, almost uniform characteristics. Anderson will often place a character in a scene which is set up symmetrically, long and mid-shots are often used to emphasise this. Below is a screenshot from a presentation on Auteurs including Wes Anderson and his running themes.
Although this is not an academic source and I will not be using it in my final essay, this applies to my topic of choice so decided to give it a read.
https://www.scribd.com/doc/253400335/darren-harkin-shane-meadows-an-autuer
This is a blog or investigation by a student into whether Shane Meadows is worthy of having the title as an auteur. It was an interesting read as it went into the elements of what could class him as one - from the styles of his films/shows to common themes to colour ways. It really was a bit of food for though and has influenced the way I see Meadows as a director and producer now.
(Nelmes, 2011) This is a book I have looked into to help me understand the auteur theory fully, it goes into depth on what makes someone an auteur and all the elements that go with it.
Genre
Genre is defined as a 'style or category of art' which is a way to group things together and define them easily. A film is put into a genre if it conforms to the codes and conventions of it. It comes from the French word for 'type' and it is very important for both consumers and media producers. If a media producer wants to gain an audience for a particular genre, they then have to include them in the media text they are creating. Eg, a producer of a TV crime drama will likely feature police characters, crime scenes, suspects, victims and violence. Audiences will also expect certain audio codes such as tense or dramatic music.
Steve Neale
Neale is the creator of the theory of repetition and difference. In this theory he states that genres all contain instances and difference, difference is essential to the economy of the genre. Neale says that the film and it's genre is defined by two things; how much it conforms to its genres individual conventions and stereotypes. He basically says that genres are made and used because of expectations of the audience, they expect to be able to find a film they like by following a certain genre.
This image is taken from a peers powerpoint about genre and includes an example
Genre is defined as a 'style or category of art' which is a way to group things together and define them easily. A film is put into a genre if it conforms to the codes and conventions of it. It comes from the French word for 'type' and it is very important for both consumers and media producers. If a media producer wants to gain an audience for a particular genre, they then have to include them in the media text they are creating. Eg, a producer of a TV crime drama will likely feature police characters, crime scenes, suspects, victims and violence. Audiences will also expect certain audio codes such as tense or dramatic music.
Steve Neale
Neale is the creator of the theory of repetition and difference. In this theory he states that genres all contain instances and difference, difference is essential to the economy of the genre. Neale says that the film and it's genre is defined by two things; how much it conforms to its genres individual conventions and stereotypes. He basically says that genres are made and used because of expectations of the audience, they expect to be able to find a film they like by following a certain genre.
This image is taken from a peers powerpoint about genre and includes an example
Gender and representation
Media and gender refers to the relationship between media and gender, and how gender is represented within media platforms. These platforms include but are not limited to film, radio, television, advertisement, social media and video games. Initiatives and resources exist to promote gender equality and reinforce women empowerment in the media industry and representations.
Stuart Hall
Start Hall's most famous theory is the reception theory. This theory encodes messages and values into their media which are then decoded by the audience. However different audience members will decode the media in different ways and possibly not in the way the producer originally intended. He states that audience members adopt one of the following 3 positions when they decode the text;
1. Preferred reading - this is how the filmmaker wants you to understand the idea
2. Oppositional reading - this is the opposite to what the filmmaker wants you to understand the idea
3. Negotiated reading - this is when the audience understand a mix of preferred reading and oppositional reading and also add their views into the mix. Ultimately its a mix of all different views.
Male/Female gaze
A gaze is a term used to depict the way in which a viewer engages in visual media - be it television, cinema or online content. Male gaze is where women in the media are viewed from the eyes of a heterosexual man, these women are represented as passive objects for the male desire. Audiences see the women from a heterosexual mans view. Female gaze is a new concept as the film industry has largely been dominated by men for many years. It isn't about asserting female dominance on screen bur rather puts an emphasis on presence. Presence in the emotion, story and characters.
Media and gender refers to the relationship between media and gender, and how gender is represented within media platforms. These platforms include but are not limited to film, radio, television, advertisement, social media and video games. Initiatives and resources exist to promote gender equality and reinforce women empowerment in the media industry and representations.
Stuart Hall
Start Hall's most famous theory is the reception theory. This theory encodes messages and values into their media which are then decoded by the audience. However different audience members will decode the media in different ways and possibly not in the way the producer originally intended. He states that audience members adopt one of the following 3 positions when they decode the text;
1. Preferred reading - this is how the filmmaker wants you to understand the idea
2. Oppositional reading - this is the opposite to what the filmmaker wants you to understand the idea
3. Negotiated reading - this is when the audience understand a mix of preferred reading and oppositional reading and also add their views into the mix. Ultimately its a mix of all different views.
Male/Female gaze
A gaze is a term used to depict the way in which a viewer engages in visual media - be it television, cinema or online content. Male gaze is where women in the media are viewed from the eyes of a heterosexual man, these women are represented as passive objects for the male desire. Audiences see the women from a heterosexual mans view. Female gaze is a new concept as the film industry has largely been dominated by men for many years. It isn't about asserting female dominance on screen bur rather puts an emphasis on presence. Presence in the emotion, story and characters.
Harvard referencing system
Harvard referencing is an umbrella term for any referencing style that uses the author name and year of publication within the text to indicate the writer has inserted a source of some kind. The author date system appeals to both authors and readers of academic work.
This is an example of how to Harvard reference. When embedding a quote in a bulk of text all you need to add is (Authors initial and surname, year of publication). This is so the whole bibliography element of it doesn't ruin the flow of writing. However, this is why at the bottom of the essay you insert your bibliography with all of the information about the source so people can look into the source if needs be.
Academic sources
Academic sources can include books, academic journal articles, and published expert reports. The content in academic sources have usually been peer-reviewed, which means that experts in its topic have reviewed it for accuracy and quality before it has been published.
identifying a source
authors credentials (e.g expert in their field like a professor at uni), list of references/bibliography (a god source will have a list of works the author has used) publisher
types
books, academic journals, magazines, websites
BOOKS
ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
easily available to everyone - the Internet isn't time consuming to find and extract information
huge range of books on many different topics can be expensive unlike website which are free
they have to be quality checked before published can be very biased
so facts are usually correct written a long time ago - info out of date?
very credible as author cold specialised in a field
ACADEMIC JOURNALS
ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
written by experts in the field e.g. professors costs a lot of money to find them
well researched and lots of detail very hard to find - uni's keep physical copies
most up to date research as out monthly in their own libary's for others to find
written in academic language - very difficult , to understand
MAGAZINES
ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
up to date information as published weekly very brief
could include lots of facts and statistics entertainment purposes not knowledge
easily available. costly e.g. for monthly subscriptions
WEBSITES
ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
accessible to all too accessible - too much information given
can be kept up to date easily not quality checked - anyone can create one
large number of hits, can be hard to identify best result
Books - public or college library, google books, amazon, www.archive.org
Journals - google scholar, OU library, EBSCO - via learn, https://academic.oup.com/screen
Magazines - sight and sound, American cinematographer, cahiers du cinema, total film, empire
Websites - https://www.bfi.org.uk , https://ascmag.com , https://www.screendaily.com
internet movie database
Magazines - sight and sound, American cinematographer, cahiers du cinema, total film, empire
Websites - https://www.bfi.org.uk , https://ascmag.com , https://www.screendaily.com
internet movie database
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