2. Osgerby (1998) suggests that the representation of teenagers in many television and film texts tends to operate round two main ideas: teenager as fun and teenager as consumer . This can be seen in adverts or youth magazines, such as Nuts or More . Other, more complex representations have emerged in texts where teenagers are involved in, or in control of, the production process. For example the script of the film Thirteen (2003) was written jointly with a teenage girl. Also, many teenagers construct their own websites, blogs or put their own images and text entries on their spaces on social network sites. Osgerby (1998)
3. The representation of youth is a complex area to investigate in terms of representations, as the image of this particular social group has changed throughout the decades. You will need to investigate the different representations of young people, both in contemporary and historical media texts, offering explanations as to why the representation is the way it is. Osgerby (1998)
4. Task 1 : You have 3 minutes to note down as many media images or representations of young people as you can think of. Task 2 : Swop your list with a partner. Are there similarities and differences? In what kinds of media texts do you tend to find these representations? Analysing Representations
5. Task 3 : Can you give reasons for the types of representations of young people you have identified? What is the context surrounding them? Why are the representations the way they are? Task 4 : Can you apply Osgerby’s theory to these representations? In what way? Analysing Representations
6. Analysis Task : Carry out a detailed analysis of the following range of texts, using your knowledge of Key Concepts, Ideology and Representation Theory. Make sure you think about the various contexts surrounding the images constructed – social or cultural influences, economic or historical factors? Analysing Representations
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10. Target audience – ‘middle england’, middle class, right wing Tendency to have underlying bias/ moral panics Compartmentalising – perceived lawlessness of social networking sites / internet Clothing signifiers – sportswear / hoodies – connotes sense of problem being urban, council estate, working class arrogance, aggressive, threatening youth as ‘the other’ Mediation – use of images to create impact Binary opposites – good vs evil, Campaigner vs teen yobs
11. Anonymity – could be any teenager Stereotypical discourses – teen as homogenous, vulnerable, impressionable group who if not controlled by the dominant majority, poses a threat to national ‘cohesion’.
