Attack The Block

Youth
Gangs
Vulgarisms
Violence/Assault
Crime
Weapons
Clothing
Location
Class
Clothing
Respect
Drugs
Music
Youth presumed in the wrong

1. Deviancy Amplification Spiral - Cohen, Acland - "Media representations of youth maintain social order/hegemony" (the ones in control have the most influence), "Youth becomes an empty category in media representation" - Giroux

2. "The media do not just offer us a transparent window on the world, but a mediated version of the world" This relates to Attack the block as it uses stereotypes and assumptions of youth to create a narrative conforming to common views of the group. This shows that the youth's representation is mediated.

3. "Identity is now consciously constructed, and the media provides some of the tools to help us construct our identities." - Guantlett. This relates to Attack the Block because the producers have attempted to create an identity for the youth category by the way in which they have presented it. From here, spectatorial viewers can make their own judgements and viewpoints in order to construct an identity of their own.

4. Structuration is the process in which human agency and social structure and in constant relationship, the social structure is reproduced by the repetition of acts by individuals (and can therefore change). In relation to Attack the Block, a societal, hegemonist structure is maintained as the youth category is represented as being low in the social hierarchy (this is shown through the location, props, characters etc.). This contrasts significantly from historic texts such as The Young Ones. In more dated texts such as this, the youth category are structurally higher in society, as they are presented as being active citizens rather than anti-social criminals as in Attack the Block, reflecting their high social class.