How far does the representation of a particular social group change overtime?

From An Education, which is about a family in the 1960's.  This family was portrayed in a different way to the family unit in Fish-tank. In An education the family was very close they spent time with each other and obeyed one another, an example of this is when Jenny's father made her study Latin despite her decision of not wanting to, she carried on with it to please her father. However in Fish-tank, which is about a family in present days, the teenager  Mia rebelled against her mother in every situation, they did not speak to one another and when they did it was in a spiteful manner. They had a very dysfunctional family, an example of Mia's rebellion is when her mother wanted her to go a behavior school and she never listened to her mother and completely disagreed with this idea. Styker's theory of a collective identity corresponds with the themes present in both films as Jenny is appealing to the wishes of her father, she reinforces her academic position in order to better herself from the standard that woman of the 60's were forced into at the time. Meanwhile, Mia has documented her mother's behavior and imitates it as a form of self defense. This social of a family changed dramatically overtime, as in the past it shows family in a positive aspect and in present days it shows family in a negative way.


GOOD INTRO:) & ENDING:)


T= Theory
E= Key Scenes, 2 Films, Mentioned character names.
A= explained Strykers theory well, used the past times well (dates etc)


- Improve by comparing film social groups to TV programme social groups. 

How far does the representation of a particular social group change overtime?

From An Education, which is about a family in the 1960's.  This family was portrayed in a different way to the family unit in Fish-tank. In An education the family was very close they spent time with each other and obeyed one another, an example of this is when Jenny's father made her study Latin despite her decision of not wanting to, she carried on with it to please her father. However in Fish-tank, which is about a family in present days, the teenager  Mia rebelled against her mother in every situation, they did not speak to one another and when they did it was in a spiteful manner. They had a very dysfunctional family, an example of Mia's rebellion is when her mother wanted her to go a behavior school and she never listened to her mother and completely disagreed with this idea. Styker's theory of a collective identity corresponds with the themes present in both films as Jenny is appealing to the wishes of her father, she reinforces her academic position in order to better herself from the standard that woman of the 60's were forced into at the time. Meanwhile, Mia has documented her mother's behavior and imitates it as a form of self defense. This social of a family changed dramatically overtime, as in the past it shows family in a positive aspect and in present days it shows family in a negative way.

Review of a past exam answer

Positive points :

- explains their points clearly
- has lots of relevant examples
- well structured

improvements:

- include more theories (3 theories)
- more analysis
- to include more of their personal opinions

After looking at this answer we decided to give it a Level 3.
Terminology = 6
Example = 14
Analysis = 12

The Effects Debate - Bronson

1. should images in your case study be censored - if so why?

There is alot of graphic violence, nudity and language throughout the film. But since the film is based on a true story, it's vital showing the brutality of Michael Peterson's existence

2. If you think your case study can have a negative effect on collective groups. Could it have a positive effect?

It could have a negative effect on people's ideas of the working class as they are seen as being very violent and unapologetic, it could also have a negative effect on the prison system as a criminal is depicted as a charismatic rebel in a stylistic film. It could have a positive effect on Michael Peterson himself, as he is now immortalised in this film and his story will reach wider audience

3. Do you agree that your case study could influence/change someone's behavior?

I think it could deter someone who is considering robbing somewhere by seeing how brutal prison can be, but then Peterson is so likable that in turn someone might want to be just like him. So I agree that it could influence someone's behaviour because it's designed in a way to get a response out of you

Semiology of our key texts

In Fish Tank, the signifier is a heart shaped balloon flying over the council flats, the signified is that there is a silver lining, the sign is that after all the difficulties she has experienced, there is still a shred of hope for her, she now has got freedom and the fact it is heart shaped represents the love she has for her family.





In An Education, the scene where David pulls out the banana is the signifier, the signified is displaying how much of a fraud David is being to Jenny. The sign is that he would rather hide behind stories he has made up than show Jenny who he really is, in this, the banana is meant to compensate for his manhood.


In Alfie, at the very beginning and at the very end of the film there is a signifier of an abandoned dog running round the streets. The signified is that no one wants to look after the dog and it has to fend for itself. The sign is this represents the life Alfie has chosen at the beginning of the film is ultimately not the life he wants at the end but he is stuck with it. He ends up like the dog: lonely and forgotten

semiology of the apple logo

the sign (signifier) is a silhouette of an apple with a bite taken out of it

the meaning (signified) is a software company which is the only one that could rival Microsoft

examples: when you see it, you know it's links to computer software
they have now expanded to MP3 players, laptops, phones, applications
they're constantly updating their products to appeal to the market
they also have stock and donate software to Pixar, an animated movie company

questions on Upstairs, Downstairs

1. I wouldn't say Spargo, the Chauffeur, was portrayed in a biased way. It was evident that his commitment to the Black Shirts was one that grew from deep seeded opinions about the state of politics. He listened to Osewald Moseley because he expressed some of the views he shared. He wasn't portrayed as the stereotypical fascist, not being evil, spiteful or narcissistic, he was just mislead.

2. The upstairs family and downstairs family seem to be happy with the two social classes having rigid boundaries, but these boundaries are blurred, things become uncomfortable. The two main examples being when Lady Persie goes down to Spago's quarters and Spargo keeps telling her she could go to bed, and when Mr. Amanjit joins the staff in listening to the radio. As he is an Abyssinian emperor who was overthrown by Mussolini, he is still part of an entirely different social class to him and stands out like a hooker in a nunnery

3 + 4. Lady Persephone is frustrated with her family trying to control her so tries to lash out, she doesn't necessarily believe in the ideals of the black shirts, but because it makes her family very angry, she finds joy in being one of them. In many ways she is like Jenny in An Education as they both want to do more than their elders will allow them and so try to break out with destructive consequences. They also both go for older gentlemen from different social circles, as an additional taboo for their respected guardians to deal with

5. The strongest British collective identity is probably the downstairs staff, as they share a group of people from different backgrounds who have come together despite their differences. However, they are also passive aggressive as they reluctantly sit with Spargo to eat when he wears his black shirt uniform, despite Rachel obvious displeasure to it.

How does contemporary media represent nations, regions and collective groups of people?

Overall, Misfits represents the whole of Britain in a negative way. It is set in the London area and is about 5 youths that are doing community service. To start with, as they are doing community service, it shows youths negatively and they all do not seem bothered about it. This shows that this is a regularity and is normal for the youth of today in Britain. This goes against what the theorist Stryker believes, as he states that people would change themselves to fit in with others. However, in Misfits the characters are all clearly individuals and proud to be different. For example, at the opening of the first episode of Misfits, each character customizes their orange jumpsuits to suit their style.

Fish Tank represents pretty much the same points that were raised in Misfits, but expands it to looking more at the family unit. They also look at the family as lower class, and they live in a big block of run down council flats. As it is located here it would suggest that the majority of the people in the area were rough and didn't have much money or class. This film shows that the collective group of british teenagers is that they are badly behaved and drink and smoke at a young age. It also shows the parents accepting the behavior and also shows them not caring or having any control. This represents Marcuse because he says that the mass media carry with them prescribed attitudes and habits, and we already have an idea of what the lower class is like and this emphasizes our opinions.

In Kidulthood it represents teenage youth of London as violent and abusive. An outsider looking in would assume that this behaviour is normal to people in this area because it is so accepted in the film. Most of the characters in the film who are violent and abusive seem to profit from being violent and abusive, making the behaviour seem accepted. A main example of this is with Trevor's Uncle who as a drug dealer manages to force people into situations that normally they would never enter. For instance he gets the gun from Trevor which he didn't have to pay for and when he cuts someone that didn't want to pay for his drugs.

Hipster Trend

The hipster trend is a vapidly growing trend of "young, recently settled urban middle class adults and older teenagers with interests in non-mainstream fashion and culture, particularly indie rock, independent film, magazines such as Vice and Clash, and websites like Pitchfork Media. In some contexts, hipsters are also referred to as scenesters." This was a style first found in the 40's that has been recently revived. 


While it is in America, it mostly resides in California in areas like San Francisco and Los Angeles, it has a bigger dominance in the UK as the class divide gets bigger and bigger. A prime example of this trend is in The Mighty Boosh, a TV show with no actual point to it, which throws the most random styles, stories and characters on the show, yet is loved among hipsters despite actually being a satire of it in many ways.



This video spoofs the culture yet pretty much sums it up. Hipsters generally give off the vibe of not caring and in being abstract in their fashion sense, borrowing or some would say 'stealing' from different cultures to create their own. Other good examples of the hipster trend are Scott Pilgrim vs the world and Nathan Barely

This opening scene from the first scene of "Nathan Barely" perfectly captures the hipster trend

Fish tank - questions

This film has won many awards and has been viewed abroad.

1) How might a non british audience view this representation of british collective identity?
Their view would most likely drastically changed of their previous perception of british identity, as they believe that most british citizens are highly educated and successful with a strong etiquette. After viewing this film however, they will be convinced that this is just a complimentary stereotype, and the reality is different. They'll think in Britain, there is non-working class segment which dominates a large part of Britian.

Mia's family

From your Point Of View, is this film realistic?

2) This film takes realistic elements of our society and then exaggerates them a lot. This film plays with the idea of a hollywood narrative, it doesn't have a basic structure or a clear idea of where the film is going, it swerves off the path with unexpected parts to the story. The ending is realistic as she runs away, with many plot points remain unfinished, representing the continuation of life and how it never ends. If this was a hollywood film, her dancing would have vastly improved, she would have been successful, it would reveal she was pregnant, she would tie up relationship with her mum and they would have a happy family unit.

Mia dancing

fish tank questions bing biong

Mia with Conner

Is Conner a parental figure?
1. Conner was a father figure to Tyler but not to Mia. To Mia, he was more a friend, not even when putting her to bed due to the taking off of the trousers. The only moments he seemed like a father to Mia was when  he put the plaster on her foot and when he gives her money. Other times, it was obvious Mia felt like he was trying to fill the void her real dad created when he left.

Poster promoting film

Do your decisions change after watching the film?
2. Not as such. Most of the expectations we made about the film from the article came to fruition. The absent father figure made that particular family dysfunctional; they weren't a nuclear family unit and because of that they were abusive and spiteful to each other, which is a stereotype for such families in which a father or mother is absent. They're also heavy drinkers, there were minors smoking and engaging in underage sex. This is a fairly exaggerated view of young working class families.

What does the film say about the state of British family?
3. Normal stereotypical british family is a nuclear family unit, law-abiding and cooperative. This film implies that what was once considered normal is now the abnormal. More and more families are becoming disbanded, but, the change has been so gradual that they have not noticed it. However, most families that have been through a divorce or separation still keep connected and try their best to give children a normal childhood.  At the moment, Fish Tank portrays british families in a negative way, as a unit which can be so easily broken.

Mia and Tyler

Mia's mum

review of fish tank

from Empire Film Magazine

it’s a well-worn path of tormented lives in tower blocks and dysfunctional families pulled to pieces by the departure of a father figure, but the central performances make the whole thing fly. At its heart is Mia (a searing debut from Katie Jarvis, who was spotted by Arnold arguing with her boyfriend at a train station), a disconsolate 15 year-old only happy when she’s chugging cider and dancing alone in an abandoned flat in her block. Her angst is matched by her mum’s (Kierston Wareing) scorn and younger sibling Tyler’s (Rebecca Griffiths) droll rebuttals. All three share the philosophy that the best form of defence is attack, and spend the first half of the film going off in each other’s faces like cheap fireworks.

When a half-naked Connor (Michael Fassbender) ambles into their kitchen one morning and pays Mia a compliment on her dance moves, she reacts like a startled animal that has never known love — bared teeth and disbelief. She’s even more confused by his generosity, especially when he makes time for them all as a family, though just below the surface is a brimming sexual tension between daughter and would-be dad that floods the lens: Connor slowly dresses a cut on Mia’s ankle and you’re surprised he doesn’t lick the rest of her leg. Mia is a jumble of longing and need; Connor, playing the man of the house one moment and protracted tease the next, is a knotty enigma that she can’t fathom.

It’s the duo that are central to the film’s success, their final protracted meltdown an unnerving exercise in the sickening feeling that betrayal brings and the unformed yet overwhelming desire for revenge at any cost. The final shot of a heart-shaped balloon rising up over the estate allows one last brief feint at hope.




This review shows them in a stereotypical way as it portrays how dysfunctional a family can become without a father figure which isn't always the case. It shows how young teenagers who do not get enough attention can become rebellious. It describes the whole family as the same saying that they argue and go against each other like"cheap fireworks" this shows that there is a stereotype of a non nuclear family. However, it promises that the central performances add humane nuances to the piece which could make up for the stereotypes on display. 

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1. How is Jenny typical of a british teenager?

She feels trapped, stressed, with ambitions of going to university but not sure why she should go. She eventually rebels against her parents and teachers which many british teens do at present day. At the beginning, she is very passive aggressive in expressing how she feels. She smokes and drinks which shows  that despite being underage she still rebels.

2. Draw similarities and differences between the representation of the 60's in An Education and Alfie

One similarity of the films is how the style is represented. The middle/working class are shown in mundane clothing, with men in suits and women in bland dresses or skirts, no woman ever wears trousers. One difference is the accents. In Alfie, most of the characters speak in a regional accent with strong ellipsis on words such as T, which in this case was cockney. In An Education, the characters are well spoken, even lower class characters, which didn't add to the authenticity of the film. Relationships, which was a key part opf both films, were portrayed differently, with a stronger emphasis in marriage or education. In Alfie, the prospect of a higher education is almost void. One big similarity however in terms of relationship is the male lead. Alfie and David were both in a way, players and both were fathers.