MEST3 Section B: Representation opening paragraph

Remember, writing a good introduction can make or break your essay response for Section B. Treat it like a mini Critical Investigation and clearly answer the question and lay out your hypothesis or argument. Explain what your case study is (representation of young people) and briefly mention what examples (and theories if relevant) you will be discussing in the essay.

My exemplar from the lesson:


04 (b) A dominant representation is one which is repeated across the media over time and so are the values that it carries. Discuss.

(48 marks)

There are many dominant representations repeated across the media and accepted as ‘normal’ by the vast majority of audiences. The mainstream media is complicit in creating these dominant ideologies or cultural hegemony and there is a strong argument that the values these ideologies carry are hugely influential on our day-to-day life. My case study, the representation of young people in London, is a very good example of a group demonised by repeatedly negative representations, culminating in the riots of Summer 2011. But while the press coverage of the riots gives us plenty of ammunition for how such white, middle-class and middle-England values are reinforced by the media, there are plenty of other examples we can explore - some created by young people themselves. Television and film created for (and sometimes by) young people so often reinforces these negative representations which is one of the paradoxes of the debate. Why are young audiences attracted by such negative representations of themselves? Examples such as Kidulthood, Ill Manors, Misfits, SBTV and social networking will allow us to explore this question of why the dominant representation of young people is so negative.