Example Texts for Collective Identity

Representation of Youth (Historical)

http://beckya2examwork.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/how-are-british-youths-represented-in.html - good essay



The Young Ones, Musical (1961), Director: Disney J Furie


- Simpkin's Youth Club
- Youths represented as: active in community - actively trying to save their club from the takeover of a property owner by the members decide to put on a show to raise the money needed to buy a lease renewal, inclusive/inspirational to younger generations - beach scene where children surround Nicky (Cliff Richard) as he sings, Polite and caring/helpful asset to community - Nicky, played by Cliff Richard helps young child into boat at harbour area. Social but responsible, socialising in a dedicated space.

Quadrophenia (1979), Director: Franc Roddam - Contrasting view 




The film stars Phil Daniels as Jimmy, a young 1960s London-based Mod who escapes from his dead-end job as a mailroom boy by dancing, partying, taking amphetamines, riding his scooter and brawling with the motorcycle-riding Rockers.

After he and his friends participate in a huge brawl with the Rockers at the seaside town of Brighton, he is arrested and his life starts to spiral out of control; he loses his girlfriend (Leslie Ash) and discovers that his idol, the popular mod nicknamed "Ace Face" (Sting) is actually a bell boy at a hotel.

Hebdidge - "A subculture is a group of like-minded individuals who feel neglected by societal standards and who develop a sense of identity, which differs to the dominant on to which they belong."

- Drug taking

- Violent 

- Sex orientated

Dissimilar to Attack the Block, youths in the 1970s tended to group themselves based on music, fashion and sex, however, in the present day, certain youths group themselves into gangs based on what someone has the power to do; whether it’s to smoke drugs, handle a gun or kill someone

Even though the type of violence used by youths in modern films such as Attack the Block or Ill Manors seems much more extreme, the youth in Quadrophenia are still portrayed as having the same aims and destructive behaviour which at the time, created a massive moral panic in society.

Attack the Block (2011) - Director: Joe Cornish



A teen gang, mostly black, in South London defend their block from an alien invasion.

Although a Sci-Fi film, there are themes of: drugs, murder, theft and general deviance throughout.

'The gang and Sam decide to go to Ron's safe room on the top floor and hide out there, but are shot at by Hi-Hatz and his two goons.'

Deviancy Amplification Spiral - a cycle of increasing numbers of reports on a category of antisocial behaviour or some other 'undesirable' event, leading to a moral panic. Wilkins (1964)

Moral Panic - a feeling of fear spread among a large number of people that some evil threatens the well-being of society - Stan Cohen (1972)

Folk devil - a person or group of people who are portrayed in folklore or the media as outsiders and deviant (1972)

Gerbner - Cultivation Theory - People who watch TV lots tend to overestimate the amount of crime

Giroux (1997) - Youth represents an empty category in representation and reflects adult concern.


Gender

Diet Coke Advert (2013)

Female Gaze - Miriam Hanson 1984

2013


- The song says “I know you want it, i know you want it, you’re a good girl”, this is suggesting that women cannot resist the men even if they try. The fact that the men are fully clothed and the women are not, shows how sexualised women are in music videos today. 

- Advocating non-consensual sex?