Stereotypes of Class

Stereotypes of Class and Status

Stereotypes of class and status from EmmaWaite

Representation of Age

Age is represent as old and young. In this clip there are three generations of people, the older, the middle and the younger generation. These are all shown in the clip using shot types, sound, editing and mise-en-scène. The angles and movement of the shots are help to show this too and the clothing.

Shot types- angles, movement and composition.

At first there is a master shot of an old looking man talking this quickly moves into a pan shot to show who the man is talking to.  The fact that the pan shot is showing who that man is looking at represents that the older man is the center of attention.  After this there is another pan shot starting with the older man and leading the viewer around the table.  There is a high angle establishing shot of where the people are and how they are seated around the table.

The conversation continuous and shot reverse shot is used to show that the older man is leading this conversation by there are medium shots of the younger people and close ups of the older man. Also the shot reverse shot goes from the older man to the younger people then back to the older man, he is always in the shot reverse shot.

There are some over the shoulder shots with the older man in the main view of the viewers and this represents older people to have more respect and that they have a lot more story’s to tell then the younger people. This shows that older people are represented to have more knowledge then the younger generations at the table.  Then they start talking about the riots there are pan shots focusing on the older man but as the younger girl starts to add to the conversation the movement of the camera moves towards her. This shows that the younger people still contribute to the conversation however they don’t hold the main center of attention for long because the older man comes back into the conversation and this is shown with a medium shot of the man. This shows the older generation to have more respect and that younger people listen to what they have to say.

The younger girl starts to be the center of the attention again but while she is still speaking the pan shot continuous to go past her so she is out of the shot and back on the older man. This represents the older generation to have more respect and can influence people more then the younger generation.

Editing

Most of the editing is done to have the older man start in the different shot types. This represents the older generation to have a higher authority and that he is more respected in this clip.  Most of the time either the older mans voice is being heard even though he is not in the shot or he is in the shot and someone is talking out of the shot. This also represents the older generation to have more influence to the conversation and the viewer. 

Sound

The first diegetic sound the reader hears in this clip is the older man, this represents the older generation to always leading the conversation and always having something to say.  The older man speaks for fifteen seconds and the fact that the younger people listen for that long, and don’t interrupt, show that they have respect for the older generation.

When the conversation turns to a carnival, one of the younger girls makes a comment that it “fattening Tuesday” this represents the younger age group to be worried about their appearance. The representation of the older generation is that they are very jolly, upbeat people and the diegetic sound shows this.  While the people around the table are talking there is some non-diegetic sound and this sounds like jazz music probably was picked by the older man.

One of the younger people around the table asks a question to the older man. This represent the younger generation as interested in their heritage and about someone else’s life. When the older woman questions the younger woman about her question she seems shocked and this represents the older generation not thinking that younger people are interested in them but they are.

The conversation turns towards the younger generation as she tries to show that she knows things about there history but then she asks the older man if what she said was write. This represents the younger generation to be in education and that they are educated however the older generation is represented to have the most knowledge because she asks if its write. The older generation is shown to have the most knowledge in this clip.There is a part in the conversation when the older man questions the younger man, the younger man is shown to be quit nervous about the question which represents the older you are the more authority you have over people who are younger then you.

When the conversation turns to a more serious topic the older man seems to not want to talk about it however the younger generation want to her about it, this represents the younger generation to be interested about there subject however the older generation more reserved about the serious things. 

Mise- en-scène

 The older man is wearing a waist coat and a shirt this represents the older generation to want to look smart however his top buttons are not done up which shows that he is in a comfortable situation probably with family or close friends.  The younger generation are all wearing more modern clothing which represent the younger people to want to look good to impress people.

On the table there are wine glasses and wine bottles this represents the older and the younger generation both can enjoy a drink, this also links to the fact that there probably all close friends or family. 

In conclusion this clip age is represented in two categories, old and young and this is shown in shot types, mise-en-scène, sound and editing. 

Notes

Producer: someone makes the media.

Consumer: the reader

Media text: poster, books, magazines, TV programs, films etc.

Semiotics: The study signs and sign systems (Roland Barths)


Denotation: What an image actually shows and is immediately apparent, as opposed to the assumption an individual reader may make about it. 

Connotation: The meaning of a sign that is arrived at through cultural experiences a reader brings to it. 

Mode of Address: The way the media puts their point across. 

Gatekeeper: They decide what can be shown on the media. The job of the gatekeeper changes for different types of media e.g. the new and a comedy new show. 

Semiology: The study of signs and symbols. 


The hypodermic model: This model ejects the audience with ideas and meanings. This model is outdated but is still used to influence the media and control it. This model has been inked to be able to influence general perception about public events and social trends, but has not been proven.


Uses and gratifications: A more recent model suggests that there is a higher active audience making use of the media for range of purposes designed to satisfy needs such as entertainment, information and identification. In this model the individual has the power and they select the media texts that best suit there needs. Main areas that are identified in this model are: news and drama, films and celebrities, soap lives and sitcoms and games shows and quizzes. Diversion, personal relationships, personal identity and surveillance. 

Two Step Flow: Opinion Leaders produce an opinion and the readers choose one to follow. The readers that follow the opinion leaders are passive. 


The active audience: this model shows the process of the producer having a message and they encode it. Then the receiver gets the message and decodes it. Stuart Hall is a cultural theorist and professor of sociology at the Open University and he came up with this theory.


Dominant reading: the reader fully accepts the preferred reading.


The negotiated reading: the reader partly believes preferred reading.


The oppositional reading: "the reader social position places them in an oppositional relation to the dominant code."


Mode of audience: This refers to the way that text speaks to us in a style that encourages us to identify with the text. Different types of media are aimed at different age groups or social groups but don’t exclude other groups reading that type of media.

How class is represented

Class is defined as a set or category of things having some property or attribute in common and differentiated from others by kind, type, or quality. For example upper, middle and working. Shot types, the sound, the editing and mise-en-scene can show these classes. 


My first impressions of this clip is that it is showing a working class family because some of the family are wearing old, dirty cloths, there seems to be a lot of empty bottles and can and they are all at home and not working. Also the fact that they swear a lot may mean that there not well educated. 


How shot types are used to represent class:

The first shot is a medium long shot of the man walking down the stairs (0.01) This goes into a establishing shot to show the viewer where to look and to show the location (0.04) This shot show shows the location and where and how the family lives. When they find out that the dad was lying there are medium, close ups and medium close ups to show the conversation and the reactions to the diegetic sound. 

The main man starts to repeat the same work and exaggerates the words with hand movements. This anger from the man links to there class and the close ups of his face shows his emotion. The different shot types shows what is in the shot and helps get points across to the viewer. A master shot at 0.04 show that the girl in the shot is holding a baby that shows that working class people have babies young. The fact that she is young will probably get her benefit money and this what most working class family get. 



How mise-en-scène is used to represent class:

In the first shot it shows a man wearing dirty, baggy clothing, this shows that the man probably doesn't have enough money for new cloths and doesn't own a washing machine (0.01).  Also the way he is wearing his jacket looks like he has just put it on and he doesn't care what he looks like because he hasn't dressed himself probably. The stair case looks old because parts are not painted which links to the fact that he probably doesn't have enough money to redecorate. Also looking at the setting there are a lot of empty cans and bottles which suggests to the viewer that the family drinks a lot and it looks like its mainly the cheap alcohol that they buy (0.06). This shows that they don't have the money to buy expensive drinks. 

The fact that the hole family are in during the day tells the viewer that they probably don't have a stable job and also there not out looking for a job also tells the viewer that there quit happy not having a job and not having a lot of money. Also the children are not in school uniform so its either a weekend or they don't go very often that also links to they fact that they probably are not well educated. This shows that the working class has no respect for education.

When the man in the suit comes into the scene and stands next to the main man, this highlights to the viewer that the man has a better paid job then the main man because of the clean suit the mans wearing and the way he speaks (2.59). 


How editing is used to represent class: 

As the man gets a bit angry and starts repeating the same word the editing helps to show the frustration by the quick short cuts (1.05). The fact that he goes a bit dramatic shows the working class as angry people and over the top in a rage. Before and after this they have conversation and the use of shot reverse shot shows this. Also within the shot reverse shot there is the use of eye-line match to correlate with what people are looking at. 


How sound is used to represent class:

First in the clip there is non-diegetic sound, and this music is very slow and relaxing music and to the viewer helps to show that the man probably has just woken up and is still a bit sleepy (0.00-0.05). Also the music correlates with the speed of his walking down the stairs. As he stops the non-diegetic sound stops to. After the music the family start to talk to each other, which is diegetic sound. The way they speak shows that they swear a lot and they have an accent. The fact that they swear a lot may mean there not well educated and that they don't care that people may take affiance. 

Using diegetic sound the viewer finds out that rather then moving to another, better house they would rather stay together as a family. As this happens non-diegetic sound is put in to show that this moment is sad and a nice moment in the conversation (1.24-1.48). The fact that they stick together as a family also links to their class because people of a lower class usually have good relationships with their family or people they love. As the nice moment ends the music stops and this shows that there relationship goes up and down. 

As the viewer finds out that the dad lied about the new house the music (non-diegetic) starts again but the music this time is upbeat and makes the viewer feel like something is going to happen and the music is building up to it. The fact that when they find out about the money they received from the caravan was only £40 they laugh and this shows that there not to worried about money and this links to the fact that there working class.

Stereotypes of Class: 

The definition of stereotype is a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing and the definition of class is a set or category of things having some property or attribute in common and differentiated from others by kind, type, or quality.

In this clip the working class is represented to be very family orientated, not worrying about money, they drink a lot, they don't have new clothes, there not well spoken but they do have knowledge of the world and words. However the stereotypes of working class are that there blue collar, factory workers, little savings, inner city, rented properties, work for people, state schooling and manual work. 

Stereotypes are not true but a way to group a certain societies. Stereotypes are different for different societies.

The working class people in this clip go against the stereotypes when the older man has quit an intellectual conversation with his son and uses a quote from Macbeth. However all of the other things in this clip matches with the stereotypes of the working class. The fact that the man knows Macbeth and that he uses intellectual words in his conversations shows that he is going against the stereotype of the working class.  In this clip they drink, they are family orientated and they have very little savings. When the family decided to stay in there home and stay with family stays with the stereotype that working class people are family orientated. 

 In conclusion this clip shows the working class as people that don't really respect eduction, they don't earn a lot of money and they stick together as a family. These are all shown by the shot types, editing, sound and mise-en-scène.   

Tv Drama

Tv drama powerpoint from EmmaWaite

Representation of Gender

Gender is represented in media as masculinity or femininity, both males and females can be represented as either. Masculinity can be described as: strong, tough and muscular whereas femininity is described as: gracious, delicate and beauty.

How camera shots are used to show gender:

About fourteen seconds in there is a woman asking how much a dress is and a man telling her the price, as this is happening the camera shoot is shown over the shoulder of man (over the shoulder shot) looking down at the woman. The way the camera angle is tilted down towards the woman suggests that the shot was placed there to show that the man has more authority then the woman. When continuing watching the viewer finds out that the woman can’t afford the dress which also shows that the man has a higher status then the woman because he is wealthier. This links to the fact that men usually earn more money than women. 

As the woman walks out the shop there is a close up of another woman’s hand to show a very expensive ring on her finger. This tells the viewer that she is married to a wealthy man and the fact that she is shopping in an expensive shop also shows this. After this there is a close up of her face to show her feminine beauty. When the man, who is the shop owner, see’s the woman his face shows that he knows that she has enough money to buy something in this shop so he walks to assist her.  When the woman is trying on the dress, a tilt shot is used to show her wearing the dress. This shot is used to show her beauty and for the masculine viewers.

After this there is an establishing shot of two men in a bar which shows there masculinity because there wealthy, are drinking and are smoking which are all seen as being masculine things to be doing.

Back in the shop the shop owner is looking for the woman lost ring on the floor two feet come in the close up shot of the man’s face. There is a tilt shot of the man as the shop owner looks up at him from the floor, this suggest that the man has a higher status then the shop owner. Also the tilt shot is used to show the clothing of the man, to show the viewers that he is wealthy because of the things he is wearing.  There is another shot (over the shoulder) over the shoulder of the man looking down at the man on the floor this also shows the man’s higher status in this situation.  

How editing is used to show gender:

When the woman and the shop owner are talking prices there is the use of the eye line match shows that the woman is looking up at the shop owner and the shop owner looking down at her. This correlates with the idea that the shop owner has a higher status then the woman because of her wealth and because of their gender.

When the woman is looking for her ring the different shots are quickly changed to another to show her panic about losing the ring. The quick changes in the editing correlate with her being in such distress.

How sound is used to show gender:

The use of diegetic sound is used when the shop owner is talking to the woman who wants to buy a dress. The shop owner is very dismissive to the woman because she is feminine and can’t afford the dress. The tone in his voice and the long sigh, tells the viewer that he is not interested in what the woman wants and wants to put the woman off the shop because he believer’s that she isn’t in the right class to be shopping there.

The woman wants to please people with the way she looks because she wants to buy a new dress for her daughters wedding, the is a feminine thing to want to do and the use of diegetic sound gets this across to the viewers. This also links to the other woman because she also wants to look nice and she wants to please her husband with not losing her ring and buying a new dress.

The woman, that loses the ring, has a very seductive voice that she uses to help her get what she wants. Her voice is very feminine and in this situation she has a higher status then the masculine man because of her wealth.

In the shop there is non-diegetic music playing throughout and its quit upbeat music, however when there’s the scene of the two men talking links to the fact that masculine people don’t listen to that type of music and its just them talking in the scene. However right at the end of then scene some Jazz sounding music starts to play to lead into the next scene and to add to the atmosphere that there in a masculine setting and there doing masculine things (drinking and smoking) in a men’s club.

As the woman losses her ring the music picks up the pace to correlate with her rushing around and to show he femininity that she is worried about what her husband will think and getting emotional about the situation. The non-diegetic sound also links to the quick cutting of the shots because they’re both fast and shows the panic. Also there’s a scene with a man doing some electrical work and when something goes wrong he seems calmer then the woman because the masculine thing to do is to keep calm.

When the two men drinking seem to have to much to drink the music is upbeat to fit with there moods and they don’t seem to care about what time of day it is and just seem calm which links to the masculine representation. As the man in the shop is walking to meet the woman there asynchronous sound of a man asserting his authority on the other man, telling him what to do. 

Mise-en-scène is used to show gender:

The arrangement of scenery shows that there is only feminine clothing in the shop and this suggest that shopping is a feminine thing to do. The fact that the shop owner is a man suggests that he could be a bit feminine to be working in a clothing shop. However the clothing that he is wearing suggest otherwise. The women in the shop is wearing very feminine clothing for example the red nail polish which suggest romance and the skirt suit is fitted to show her figure which links to the fact that feminine people care for what they are wearing. The dress that the woman tries on is feminine because it’s backless and fitted and stays with the idea that feminine people want to look nice for other people.

The props in the scene with the two men correlate with the fact that there masculine because they have cigarettes and glasses of alcohol. Also the arrangement of the scenery shows that the men are in a living room setting so there probably at a men’s club and it’s an expensive club to be in. The old-fashioned decor and the smart suits the men are wearing shows masculinity.

Everything in the scene, in the shop, shows that it’s expensive because of the lack of clothing, well presented and the fact that there’s not a lot of people in there shows that only wealthy people come in.

In conclusion The Hustle clip shows gender in: shot types, sound, mise-en-scène and editing. Some of the uses of these were more visible to find then others but there all there to create an entertaining clip that viewers don’t notice the shot types, sound, editing and the mise-en-scène.