THE EXAM

G325exam



Section B: Media and Collective identity

There are four areas you need to understand in preparing for the exam:
1. How do the contemporary media represent nations, regions and ethnic / social / collective groups of people in different ways?
a. How are young people/ males/ females/ gay people/ Northerners/ any social group represented? Discuss how the representations use stereotypes; are the representations hegemonic/ reinforcing dominant ideologies; do they challenge hegemony; are they represented as heterogenous/ homogenous; how could terms and phrases like Female solidarity/ teen solidarity/ male solidarity, Constructed certitude, Consciously cultivated (fe)male bond/ teen bond, Socialisation, Binary, Plurality, Femininities/ masculinities be useful in discussing the representations?; Who are these representations aimed at, and how does this affect the way the group are represented?; Who is creating these representations?; How are different social groups represented in the media industry, as well as by the media?; What is the purpose of these representations?; How does the media construct representations of groups of people?; How is collective identity constructed?

2. How does contemporary representation compare to previous time periods?
a. Compare recent texts (last 4 years) to past texts in terms of the ideas in question 1. What differences/ similarities are there?;

3. What are the social implications of different media representations of groups of people?
a. What impact does the media have on audiences’ sense of identity?; How do audiences respond to/ use media representations?; To what extent are audiences active in constructing their own sense of identity?; How useful are Uses and Gratification theory/ Hypodermic Needle Theory/ Cultivation theory in understanding audiences’ responses to media representations?; Does the media reflect or shape our sense of who we are?

4. To what extent is human identity increasingly ‘mediated’?
a. Does the media reflect or shape our sense of who we are?; Is the media increasingly important in how we shape our identity?; How powerful is the media in shaping/ helping us to shape who we are?


In the exam you:
b. have a choice of two questions
c. have 60 minutes to answer the ‘Collective identity’ question
d. MUST write about two media (e.g. film and magazines. It doesn’t need to be even between the two media, so could be 90% on one and 10% on the other)
e. Must include theory or theorists and apply them to your case studies
f. Should be able to discuss past, present and future


We have looked at collective identity in terms of British teen/ youth and class. Other schools will have looked at all sorts (e.g. Africans; Muslims; Northerners; the upper class…). The exam question will be broad enough so that you can write about whatever area you have studied.
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These are the kind of questions you will be asked.
1. Discuss the contemporary representation of a nation, region or social group in the media, using specific textual examples from at least two media to support your answer. (Exam Board Sample)
2. How far does the representation of a particular social group change over time? Refer to at least two media in your answer. (Exam Board Sample)
3. Looking at two media, describe the ways in which a particular group of people are collectively represented or provided for, using specific examples to support your response. (Textbook)
4. Analyse the ways in which the media represent one group of people that you have studied. (Jan 2010)
5. “The media do not construct collective identity; they merely reflect it”. Discuss. (Jan 2010)
A couple of bonus ideas:
6. To what extent do audiences use media to construct their own sense of collective identity?
7. “The media has replaced family, society and religion as the main source of collective identity.” Discuss.