Independent Studies - FINISHED!

Congratulations to all Year 13s who did so very well in the Independent Study coursework. On average, you achieved the highest grades ever (especially when compared to your Minimum Target Grades) and this means that you should go into the exams in June feeling pretty confident. Already you have quite a few UMS points in the bag and, most importantly, your success in Module 5 means that you should be able to apply a lot of the learning to Modules 4 and 6.

Well done especially to the following who all got A grades...Aanchal, Manjoth, Charanpal, Iena, Steven, Danny, Anita, Mariam, Jugtar, Atter, Sonia, Nadia, Hari, Kimberley & Sofia. Most of them carried out a lot of their research online, posting it up on their blogs so check out the links in the sidebar to see what they found out.

And, crucially, a great deal of what was produced is directly relevant for Module 4 (Representation) so all Year 13s need to read and make notes on the following essays as revision for the exam...

Representation: Women

"I’m the deadliest women in the world – but right now, I’m scared shitless about my baby!" With particular reference to Kill Bill, how and why have women’s roles in action films changed?

“Maybe the past is like an anchor holding us back. Maybe you have to let go of who you were, to become who you will be.” Does Sex and the City announce a definitive break from historical representations of women?

“Maybe the past is like an anchor holding us back. Maybe you have to let go of what you are, to become who you will be?" How does Sex and the City provide representations of women that challenge what they once were, and what does it suggest that they are becoming?

“She is my warrior woman. Always, and never.” The battle of the sexes has typically featured heavily in film noir, with patriarchy ultimately achieving the upper hand. With reference to Sin City, has the genre changed as a result of feminism?

"I’m sorry people are jealous of me. I can’t help it that I’m popular." How are teenagers represented in Mean Girls?

“Stop calling each other sluts, it makes it okay for boys to call you that.” How are teenage girls represented in Mean Girls?

Representation: Asians & Black People

“You have to be twice as good as the English to get anywhere.” How are Asians represented in the film Anita and Me?

“Praise to Allah – dancing with joy the warrior race of fanatics born to detest the West.” How is Islam represented in the media?

"I told you to hire a black pilot not a black baggage handler." Have representations of black men changed and if so how and why have they changed, with reference to Soul Plane?

"If he's gonna kill me why shouldn't I kill him? If he's gonna do me, why shouldn't I do him?" Explore the ways black males are represented in the media, with paticular reference to Bullet Boy.

Representation: General

“The concept of representation embodies the theme that the media construct meanings about the world - they re-present it”. How does Little Britain provide humour using stereotypes and why in this way? Does it offend?