1. How does your media product
represent particular social groups?
By Josh Manley
2. What is a social group?
• Definition - A social group is a collection of
people who interact with each other and
share similar characteristics and a sense
of unity.
• Social groups pervade society. They
define roles provide people a sense of
belonging. Some social groups are easily
recognised and clearly defined, whereas
others are more subtle and difficult to
recognise.
3. Social groups presented in my product
• Young Male • Teenage Female
In our film opening we decided to represent two main social groups. Despite
only these two groups being included, we have presented them in different
ways.
Stereotypical clothing indicates the age and class of
the protagonist as to be youthful (20years of age)
and middle class.
The young teenage antagonist challenges the
stereotypical teenage girl in many fashions.
4. Young Male
• The social group of young males is represented in a
significantly negative perspective in our film opening. We
included a 20 year old male protagonist to represent this
demographic in several ways.
• Firstly, our protagonist is demonstrated to be
tresspassing which is displayed by him noticing a "You
Are Tresspassing" sign, yet still carrying on with his
activites despite the sign also stating "Leave
Immadiately, You Will Be Prosecuted If Found On The
Premises". This represents this specific social group as
being mischeivous and vexatious as he dissmisses the
sign, showing a clear attitude towards rules and laws.
5. Young Male
• Additionally, this social
group is also portrayed
negatively through the
protagonist's use of
obscene language.
During the opening, the
characters exclaims
"where the fuck am I?",
projecting it at the
CCTV. This use of
profanity is
stereotypical of the
youth and specifically
males, illustrating them
to be profane and
crude.
• However, this attitude
could perhaps be
condoned due to the
situation he is in.
Regardless of the age,
gender, class of a person,
most would react in
similar manners.
6. Setting
• The setting is very significant in
representing both of the characters
included in the opening. The derelict
locations is evidently heavily
vandalised through the recognition
of graffiti and broken objects. These
types of locations clearly attract the
young male through his rebelious
and adrenaline seeking nature. The
graffiti symbolises that the people
attracted to the location, typically
teenagers, aim to take ownership of
the property. Once again presenting
the social group of young males to
show interest in criminal activity and
also vandalism.
• This setting is also very influential in
representing the teenage female
antagonist, illustrating her to oppose
the stereotypical teenage girl. It will
be controversial to the audience to
discover her in this type of location,
specifically behind railings and
acting obscure, as teenage girls are
usually seen as innocent and
vulnerable.
7. Teenage Female
• The female antagonist was acquired
the use of very strange and obscure
body language in order to illustrate her
to challenge typical paradigms of
teenage girls. This perhaps results in
the audience feeling uncomfortable as
they would not usally associate the
antagonist to be at the location, or to
behave in this manner.
• Also the costume used is once again
rather controversial as it presents her
to be abnormal. She is wearing a pure
white gown with brown boots, which is
unusual for a teenage girl. The colour
of her hair also furthers the mysterious
view surrounding her.
8. Teenage Female
• Further controversial
decisions were made in terms
of displaying the girl as
unusual and strange. An
example of this is the use of
the prop of the wooden plank,
which she drops in the CCTV
sequence, in order to imply
her violent nature which
symbolises her power. This
opposes stereotypes applied
to female teenagers.
• Opposingly, the antagonist is
shown to conform to some
stereotypes given to young
teenage girls. This is
demonstrated through her
attachment to the prop of the
doll, illustrating he innocence
and youth. This impression
can also be furthered through
the colour of her gown being
white, which implies a sense
of purity and innocence.
9. Summary
• Overall, our product represents two different social
groups in various fashions. The young male conforms to
negative stereotypes given to the social group,
surrounding their vulgarisms and rebelious behaviour.
• Contrastingly, the antagonist female teenage opposes
the majority of stereotypes applied to members of this
specific social group. She is seemingly dominant and
aggressive through interest in violence, shown through
the wooden plank. However, she also is illustrated to
conform to the positive stereotypes given to female
teenages. This is recognised through her attachment to
the doll and the colour of her dress which implies her
innocence
10. Summary
• Overall, our product represents two different social
groups in various fashions. The young male conforms to
negative stereotypes given to the social group,
surrounding their vulgarisms and rebelious behaviour.
• Contrastingly, the antagonist female teenage opposes
the majority of stereotypes applied to members of this
specific social group. She is seemingly dominant and
aggressive through interest in violence, shown through
the wooden plank. However, she also is illustrated to
conform to the positive stereotypes given to female
teenages. This is recognised through her attachment to
the doll and the colour of her dress which implies her
innocence