The programme 'This Sceptred Isle', is very different compared to modern day programmes on television today. It is aparant that a lot has changed within the last 50 years based on roles played by men and women, views about sexuality and the way different ages are portrayed within the media. The entertainment in Britain today has changed compared to the entertainment shown in this programme. For example, Morris dancing was very popular as well as going to the circus. However, Morris dancing is only common in some parts of Britain today such as Cornwall. The lifestyle in Britain has changed and the society is much more multicultural. Programmes such as Eastenders on BBC 1 has a range of different characters; ranging from; Black people, White people, Asians and Homosexuals. Whereas, in this programme the majority of the characters were white, therefore a lot has changed in terms of the different ethnicity's living in Britain today and the different ethnicity's portrayed in the media.
Within the media today a lot of programmes focus on sex, this shows that the topic is more openly spoken about now and is more common. Sexuality is also more positively portrayed in the media than it was in the 1960's. For example, programmes such as 'Sun, sex and suspicious parents' focuses on what people aged 18+ get up to on their holidays which normally includes sex, drinking a large amounts of alcohol and nudity. Therefore, society today seems like it does not have boundaries.
In the era that this film was made, being homosexual was frowned upon, not widely spoken about or even shown in the media. However, more programmes now include homosexuals as well as television hosts such as the host of Big Brother and the host of the show 'The Graham Norton Show'. Therefore the attitude towards Homosexuality has changed drastically within the last 50 years. It is now accepted in Britain and there are now campaigns for marriage equality.
In 'The Sceptred Isle' it showed mainly white middle class people going to University in Britain. It also showed only a small fraction of people choosing to go onto higher education this was because getting a job was more important to. However, different classes now go on to University in Britain today and larger proportions of people do from a number of different backgrounds.
Wednesday 30 January 2013
Monday 28 January 2013
Research on Britishness
How and why has the British collective identity changed over the last 50 years and how is this reflected thhrough the media?
- 2001: just over 87% said that they were White British. 1.2% Irish.
- 2011: just over 80% said that they were White British. 0.9% Irish.
- Mixed and multi ethnic groups: proportions in all of the groups increased between 2001 and 2011.
- England and Wales has become more ethnically diverse with rising numbers of people identifying with minority ethnic groups in 2011.
- White ethnic group is decreasing in size, however, it is still the majority ethnic group that people identify with.
- During the Middle Ages, the few black faces in Britain appeared to be entertainers linked to royal entourages. 1500-1700
- There was an increase in the number of African men, women and children resident in Britain. Approximately 14,000 black people lived in England by 1770.
- In Wales, Scotland and for Catholic participants in Northern Ireland they see the English as arrogant, superior and aggressive.
- However, young white people in England find it hard to distinguish between being English and British: the two appear interchangeable.
- British themes: old, Traditional, Hierarchical, Distant from everyday life, Political discourse and Parent to child.
- Britain is proud of welcoming new migrants who will add to the diversity and dynamism.
- Thanks to immigration Britain's demographic trends are healthier than in many neighbouring countries.
- The Guardian's beautiful maps still show vast swaths of the country which are over 90% white Briton – Cornwall is 98%, where foreign-looking faces are rare.
- In the Mail melancholy writer Douglas Murray argues that the scale of immigration in the noughties has been too fast to absorb.
- Associations with Britishness amongst young people include the Queen, tea and crumpets, and Big Ben etc, which are rather “old world” versions and do not reflect a contemporary Britain or social reality.
- For many young people Britain represents an old, hierarchical, traditional, political discourse that does not fit with the fresh, inventive, messy and often chaotic world of a teenager.
Tuesday 22 January 2013
Collective Identity 2
Love Actually:
This film is written and directed by Richard Curtis so we expect it to have a similar mood and representation style to Notting Hill and Bridget Jones. The audience could be Americans because London is represented in a way that we know is not fully true. However, it does match some of the stereotypes that Americans have of English life. The film is is represented as a multicultural community.
The mise en scene at the beginning of this film shows all the characters smartly dressed in suits. This connotes that they are from an upper class background. The type of language they use and how they speak also illustrate the background in which they are from. In the background Royalist music is heard, this implies Britishness and Nationalism.
This is England:
This film was set around 30 years ago and the characters at the beginning of the film seem to be from a working class background. This is shown through how they speak, their behaviour and the costume that they wear. At the beginning of the film, a group of men are spray painting a wall. This is referred to as graffiti and is classed anti-social behaviour. It suggests that they do not work as it is set during the day and that they have nothing better to do. As they are adults they should also know better than this and should be setting an example to children.
The characters in the film are very racist towards Indians. This is shown through the language used towards the Indian shopkeeper such as swearing and foul language. An example is when they call him a "Paki cunt". This indicates that they are rude, spiteful and crude. The men also speak with a Cockney accent which connotes their social class; working class.
Racism is also shown towards the Indian shopkeeper when the group of men become very aggressive and violent towards him. One of the men use a sword type of weapon to scare the shopkeeper. This is so that the White man feels in charge and has a dominant position over the Indian man. All of the characters threaten the shopkeeper to make him feel intimidated. The group shows another sign of anti-social behaviour when they steal a large number of things from the shop before leaving.
Taste of Honey:
This film is set in a dark and depressing location; a graveyard. At the time when the film was set/made, white women were not allowed to get pregnant and mix with other races. This was not common and accepted by society aswell as families as it was frowned upon. However, the woman in this film finds herself in this position as she is pregnant with a coloured baby.
It is clear that she is poor, and not confident with herself. Her Dad is Irish and refers to him as being "daft" which means stupid and therefore is putting him down and does not think much of him.
This film is written and directed by Richard Curtis so we expect it to have a similar mood and representation style to Notting Hill and Bridget Jones. The audience could be Americans because London is represented in a way that we know is not fully true. However, it does match some of the stereotypes that Americans have of English life. The film is is represented as a multicultural community.
The mise en scene at the beginning of this film shows all the characters smartly dressed in suits. This connotes that they are from an upper class background. The type of language they use and how they speak also illustrate the background in which they are from. In the background Royalist music is heard, this implies Britishness and Nationalism.
This is England:
This film was set around 30 years ago and the characters at the beginning of the film seem to be from a working class background. This is shown through how they speak, their behaviour and the costume that they wear. At the beginning of the film, a group of men are spray painting a wall. This is referred to as graffiti and is classed anti-social behaviour. It suggests that they do not work as it is set during the day and that they have nothing better to do. As they are adults they should also know better than this and should be setting an example to children.
The characters in the film are very racist towards Indians. This is shown through the language used towards the Indian shopkeeper such as swearing and foul language. An example is when they call him a "Paki cunt". This indicates that they are rude, spiteful and crude. The men also speak with a Cockney accent which connotes their social class; working class.
Racism is also shown towards the Indian shopkeeper when the group of men become very aggressive and violent towards him. One of the men use a sword type of weapon to scare the shopkeeper. This is so that the White man feels in charge and has a dominant position over the Indian man. All of the characters threaten the shopkeeper to make him feel intimidated. The group shows another sign of anti-social behaviour when they steal a large number of things from the shop before leaving.
Taste of Honey:
This film is set in a dark and depressing location; a graveyard. At the time when the film was set/made, white women were not allowed to get pregnant and mix with other races. This was not common and accepted by society aswell as families as it was frowned upon. However, the woman in this film finds herself in this position as she is pregnant with a coloured baby.
It is clear that she is poor, and not confident with herself. Her Dad is Irish and refers to him as being "daft" which means stupid and therefore is putting him down and does not think much of him.
Monday 21 January 2013
Collective Identity
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEF68384428FF5474
Fish Tank:
The characters used in this film are from a working class background. This is shown through the language used, the costume they wear and the location in which the film is set. All of the characters use informal language consisting of; slang and swearing/foul language. The foul language, such as the word "cunt" is used towards one another in the film which shows the class background that they are from. It also connotes that the characters are uneducated, bad mannered and disrespectful.
The main female character in the film is introduced at the beginning, she is teenager. Her costume includes; a grey tracksuit, a vest top and a pair of trainers. This suggests that she has played some type of sport, exercised or that she is a tomboy. The fact that her hair is tied up also indicates that she may be a tomboy. However, she is also wearing big hooped earrings which is a stereotypical image of a teenager from a working class background. Girls who have a similar image to this in Britain today are reffered to as "chav's". The stereotype was popularised in the British mass media to refer to working-class youth subculture in England.
The outside view from the main character's window at the beginning of the film immediately makes the audience think that she lives on a council estate. This is shown by the blocks of flats and the outside surroundings of a surburban area. The fact that the film is set during the day and her Mum and neighbour are at home suggests that they do not work. Therefore, this may make the audience think that they are both on benefits.
A hand held camera is used in this film which makes it more realistic. The audience becomes connected with the main character as many point of view shots are used. This enables the viewers to put themselves in her shoes and see things from the way she does. Everyone in the film is isolated from one another and no one seems to help eachother out. This shows that they do not have strong relationships and bonds with anyone as they continue to argue and show aggressive behaviour towards one another.
As the film continues we see the stereotypical behaviour associated with a teenager from this environment. For example, violence as she throws a stone at her neighbours door and headbutt's another girl. This implies that she is quite aggressive and troublesome. Her aggression and attitude is also shown towards her Mum which connotes that they have a bad relationship with each other.
The use of language spoken by the main character and the way that she speaks shows that she trying to act black. Her environment, social class or friends could influence the way that she communicates with people and the way that she speaks. The type of music played in her house which is reggae, also implies that her Mum likes this culture and background.
Aswell as showing the negative side and behaviour of the teenage girl, a caring side is also shown. This is seen when she tries to let the horse break free by trying to break the chain that it has attached to it. This could be seen as a metaphor as she may want to break free from the society that she lives in. This is because she may feel trapped and her trying to let the horse free illustrates that she wants to escape and have some sort of freedom.
Fish Tank:
The characters used in this film are from a working class background. This is shown through the language used, the costume they wear and the location in which the film is set. All of the characters use informal language consisting of; slang and swearing/foul language. The foul language, such as the word "cunt" is used towards one another in the film which shows the class background that they are from. It also connotes that the characters are uneducated, bad mannered and disrespectful.
The main female character in the film is introduced at the beginning, she is teenager. Her costume includes; a grey tracksuit, a vest top and a pair of trainers. This suggests that she has played some type of sport, exercised or that she is a tomboy. The fact that her hair is tied up also indicates that she may be a tomboy. However, she is also wearing big hooped earrings which is a stereotypical image of a teenager from a working class background. Girls who have a similar image to this in Britain today are reffered to as "chav's". The stereotype was popularised in the British mass media to refer to working-class youth subculture in England.
The outside view from the main character's window at the beginning of the film immediately makes the audience think that she lives on a council estate. This is shown by the blocks of flats and the outside surroundings of a surburban area. The fact that the film is set during the day and her Mum and neighbour are at home suggests that they do not work. Therefore, this may make the audience think that they are both on benefits.
A hand held camera is used in this film which makes it more realistic. The audience becomes connected with the main character as many point of view shots are used. This enables the viewers to put themselves in her shoes and see things from the way she does. Everyone in the film is isolated from one another and no one seems to help eachother out. This shows that they do not have strong relationships and bonds with anyone as they continue to argue and show aggressive behaviour towards one another.
As the film continues we see the stereotypical behaviour associated with a teenager from this environment. For example, violence as she throws a stone at her neighbours door and headbutt's another girl. This implies that she is quite aggressive and troublesome. Her aggression and attitude is also shown towards her Mum which connotes that they have a bad relationship with each other.
The use of language spoken by the main character and the way that she speaks shows that she trying to act black. Her environment, social class or friends could influence the way that she communicates with people and the way that she speaks. The type of music played in her house which is reggae, also implies that her Mum likes this culture and background.
Aswell as showing the negative side and behaviour of the teenage girl, a caring side is also shown. This is seen when she tries to let the horse break free by trying to break the chain that it has attached to it. This could be seen as a metaphor as she may want to break free from the society that she lives in. This is because she may feel trapped and her trying to let the horse free illustrates that she wants to escape and have some sort of freedom.
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