ESSAY TEMPLATE (can be applied to any question!

)
ESSAY STRUCTURE = 1 Intro: History, 2 Present, 3
Conclusion: Future
PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE = 1 Question, 2 Theory, 3 Text, 4
Institution, 5 Link
PARA 1: Introduction and History
1 State what Collective Identity you are looking at - youth
2 State what 2 media formats you are looking at texts from fictional media, both
film AND tv
3 Combine the question with historical texts mentioning genre and social realism
4 Compare Rebel without a Cause and Boyz In the Hood, with Brighton Rock and
The Young Americans
5 THEORY - Introduce the notion of youth being an empty category by Henry Giroux
all adult created representations, not by youth (return to this for your conclusion) and
how this is an issue for you as a teenager writing about other teenagers via adult
created texts. "Adolescence is primarily a state of transition, a matter of becoming
rather than being." Buckingham

6 Write a linking sentence to media texts of the present day, be bold and give a
general opinion of the representation of youth in contemporary film and television.
Decide what your thread/spine of the essay will be. It has to provide an answer to the
question while also linking your texts. (Genre vs Social Realism, US vs UK,
Positive/Sympathetic vs Negative/Unsympathetic, Nature vs Nurture/Product of
environment)

PARA 2: FILM Option 1 Stephen Chboskys Perks of Being

a Wallflower (2012)
1 QUESTION - Introduce notion of differing representations of youth and social effects
depending on genre and country of origin link it to the question
2 THEORY Hegemonic struggle middle class america, Shary Progress with queer
youth
3 TEXT Describe a key scene using the MECS and narrative suicide scene, game,
tunnel scene, ending

4 INSTITUTION Stephen Chbosky a teen romance/drama film, not a social

document genre film, made by Mr. Mudd film company critically acclaimed teen
films but for entertainment business Cinema = 2 hours. Emma Watson. What is the
agenda of the production? To represent youth in a positive or negative light?
5 LINK Enforce or subvert stereotypes? This genre based representation of youth is
treated differently in other media fictions. Sentence linking to another modern text to
back up or contrast your points/themes discussed. i.e. British films how they present
teen life/drama differently

PARA 2: FILM Option 2 Rick Famuyiwa Dope (2015)

1 QUESTION - rephrase but dont change too much, what you said above for
QUESTION
2 THEORY Hebdige Challenge of Hegemony/Representations as fun or trouble.
Challenge though style. Or Giroux and the theory of representations being adult
perceptions not reflecting reality.
3 TEXT Describe a key scene of youth representation Malcolm interview with
guidance councillor, malcolm closing monologue, - Use of music, mise-en-scene
throughout
4 INSTITUTION The director or studio ideological aim/ethos entertainment, social
change?
5 LINK Enforce or subvert stereotypes? What is the overall representation of youth?
Are they sympathetic? Is this conventional for films produced in the US? Is Sentence
linking the next text thinking about representations/themes/techniques to
British/Social Realism

PARA 3: FILM Option 3 Sally El Hosainis My Brother The

Devil? (2012)
1 QUESTION alternative representation, more positive, or more understanding?
2 THEORY Gramscis theory about hegemonic struggle can be used here, Achland,
Giroux also
3 TEXT Key scene e.g. Murder scene, Mo joining gang mise-en-scene,
cinematography, editing, sound

4 INSTITUTION Directors intentions of showing people on the margins of society

and the importance of masculinity in gang culture.
5 LINK - This more positive/sympathetic viewpoint/ideology can be seen in some TV
too. Sentence linking texts.

PARA 3: FILM Option 4 Clio Barnards The Selfish Giant

(2013)
1 QUESTION alternative representation, more positive, or more understanding. Does
film offer a more realistic portrayal of youth or simply a portrayal of youth in Britain
2 THEORY Hebdiges hegemonic struggle could be used here, in response to
Arbors attempt to challenge social norms in terms of education and employment.
Contradicting Giroux?
3 TEXT Key Scene e.g. Dispute with Arbour and Kitten, final scenes MECS
4 INSTITUTION Independent, funded by BFI, casting, sympathetic view of youth from
deprived backgrounds?, historical value? Clio Barnard second film, what is her
agenda? Casting?
5 LINK - This more positive/sympathetic viewpoint/ideology can be seen in some TV
too. Sentence linking texts.

PARA 4: TV Top Boy (2011)

1 QUESTION rephrase QUESTION above discussing the differences between film and
TV
2 THEORY Introduce theorist Stanley Cohens folk devils and moral panic theory,
linking back to historic examples. Binary opposition of the opposing representations of
Youth in Top Boy. The positive/sympathetic and negative view of young people and
their choices. Gerbners cultivation theory. Cohen, Acland. McRobbie.
3 TEXT e.g. Ranell in school/Final scenes after father figure death (i.e. police
questioning, mother & Dushane argument, shots of Ranell overlooking city)
Themes, MECS
4 INSTITUTION Channel 4s ethos and agenda. Target audience. Reception from
Audience.
5 LINK Enforce or subvert stereotypes? Sentence linking to another TV show that you
can compare and contrast with it.

PARA 4: TV (The 100, Some Girls, Youngers, Skins)

1 QUESTION rephrase QUESTION above adding TVs ability to develop
characters/representations over time

2 THEORY An appropriate theory One that you possibly have not already
mentioned. Possibly Gerbner and how the representation of a group on TV can
influence how they are perceived in society.
3 TEXT A key scene that demonstrates a particular representation of youth.
4 INSTITUTION Discuss the ethos & agenda of the chosen show/showrunner.
Audience.
5 LINK - Enforce or subvert stereotypes? Link to your concluding remarks and the
future

PARA 5: Conclusion and future prediction

1 QUESTION give your final answer to the essay question
2 THEORY raise Girouxs theory again. Hebdige? Gerbner again for how media
representations may change future social perceptions. Gauntlett 2.0
3 TEXT Digital technology Youtube/Facebook etc youths own subculture the
ability to create their own media representations through independent productions i.e.
short films/music videos/webseries. What role will webseries have in the constructions
of future representations?
4 COUNTRY OF ORIGIN/GENRE How relevant is the country of origin in the
representations made of young people? Or does it vary simply because of a difference
of genre?
5 INSTITUTION the internet and digital technology do you think they can really
offer youth the ability to represent themselves in the media, or is this just
technological determinism (wishful thinking)? Do you think media institutions are
changing their representation of young people? Use examples of changing
representations Webseries - ability to change established representations through
independent productions and younger producers/prosumers
6 CONCLUDE How you see the representation of youth being presented in the media
in future.
Media and Collective Identity Theorists Bible

Giroux (1997)
Giroux argues that in media representations youth becomes an empty
category. This is because media representations of young people are
constructed by adults. Because of this they reflect adults concerns,
anxieties, and needs. As a result of this media representations of young
people do not necessarily reflect the reality of youth identity. When
applying Giroux to media texts you need to think about who constructed the
representation, who it is aimed at, and does the representation reflect adult
anxieties or serve the purposes of adult society (e.g. by reinforcing
hegemonic values).

Acland (1995)
Acland argues that media representations of delinquent youths actually reinforce
hegemony. They do this by constructing an idea of normal adult and youth
behaviour, and contrasting it with deviant youth behaviour which is shown to be
unacceptable.
Acland also claims that media representations of young people out of control allows
the state to have more control of them (e.g. media reports about delinquent youths
led to ASBOs). This is something Acland calls the ideology of protection the idea
that young people need constant surveillance and monitoring. This happens because
youth is the time when young people learn about social roles and values, and allows
the state to make sure they conform to hegemonic values.
When applying Acland think about the extent to which media representations show
young people as in need of control. Do the representations show young people as
behaving in an unacceptable way? If so does this identify what behaviour society
thinks is acceptable (i.e. hegemonic)? You may want to focus particularly on how the
representations we looked at show working class youths to be deviant, thus
reinforcing middle class hegemony.

Hebdige (1979)
Hebidge studied British youth subcultures in the late 1970s. His work is
more focused on the reality of youth culture, than Giroux or Acland who are
concerned with media representations of youth. Hebdige argues that youth
subcultures are a way for young people to express their opposition to
society, and to challenge hegemony. This is primarily expressed through
style. In this context you may consider how the working class youths
behaviour is a response to their position in society and aspirations (e.g. the
significance of fashion in Top Boy & MBTD reflecting their desire for a higher
status or Malcolm in Dope)
Hebidge also argues that representations of young people are quite limited
showing them as either fun or trouble. Again this suggests media
representations of young people do not really relate to reality.

Gramsci
Gramsi developed the concept of cultural hegemony. This is the idea that one social
class (usually the middle class) is able to dominate a society by making their way of
life and values appear normal, natural, and common sense. As a result other social
classes accept these values as the normal way of life. Gramsci does see hegemony as
a site of constant struggle societies are constantly debating what is and isnt
acceptable. You could relate this to the more sympathetic representations of working
class youth in The
Selfish Giant and Top Boy' as representations which challenge the perception of
working class as thugs and give reasons for the actions the characters. Though in the
latter both challenge and conform across the characters.

Cohen (1972)

Cohen studied the media response to the mods and rockers riots in the
1960s. He argued that from time to time folk devils emerge in a society
which reflect the anxieties of society at that time (e.g. mods and rockers
reflect social anxiety about the emergence of youth culture, rock and roll,
etc.). A moral panic occurs when the media reports on these folk devils in
a sensationalised way which leads to intervention by politicians, and the
police. The effect of a moral panic is to reassert hegemony by allowing a
society to make clear what values it does not accept. The representation of
working class youths suggest they have become a contemporary folk devil,
perhaps tapping into economic anxieties, concern about a benefits culture,
and long term unemployment.

Althusser
Althusser argues that one of the ways in which the state maintains control is through
ideological state apparatus. This includes the media, education, religion, family.
Ideological state apparatus are a range of different groups who transmit dominant
ideology to the people, again maintaining hegemony. You could consider the extent to
which the media representations we have looked at are reinforcing dominant values.

Gerbner (1986)
Gerbner studied the effect of television on peoples perception of crime. He
found that people who watched a lot of television tended to overestimate
the levels of crime. He called this mean world syndrome. Because news
reports, TV dramas, films, contain lots of representations of crime over time
this influenced peoples perceptions of the world. This is called cultivation
theory. You could apply this to media representations of young people.
The large numbers of representations of young people as delinquents could,
over time, influence how they are perceived by society.

Greg Philo argues that contemporary hoodie cinema reflects middle class anxiety
about the threat to their dominance posed by the working class.

Angela McRobbie suggests that contemporary British TV often contains

symbolic violence against the working class, i.e. representations which
emphasise middle class dominance and depict the working class in very
negative ways (e.g. Top Boy)

Timothy Shary - "The progress that has been made in depicting queer youth in
diverse and realistic ways is perhaps the most promising development in youth
cinema since the turn of the century. Dominant cinema has been coming to terms with
non-heterosexual people.

The most visible shift in the delinquent subgenre has been in its moral addresses
towards its characters: many early to mid-80s deliquency films made deviance look
fun and harmless, but by the early 90s the dominant image of delinquency was the
dangerous african american hold, and in the later 90s delinquent roles incorporated
both moral poles to neutralise the potency of youth rebellion accordingly, until the

columbine killings in 1999 made the industry abandon blatant images of delinquency
altogether.
Perks exemplifies wholesome means by which heterosexual youth have integrated
with and come to appreciate peers with other gender identities, a model of
understanding and tolerance for youth in terms of all differences."
An argument can be made that adult filmmakers are only producing such images of
youth to appeal to young audiences who patronise films and that these images are
based on the social realities and fantasies of most youth, or else the films would not
find an audience.
The access youth have to technology will not only change their senses of identity, but
it should provide them with the means to take greater control over the production of
their images, which will be a radical development indeed.

Tessa Perkins - RETHINKING STEREOTYPES

Tessa Perkins (1979) argues that stereotypes, although simple in form, are
in fact
compressed and shorthand ways of referring to quite complex social
relationships. She states
that:
1. Stereotypes are always erroneous in content;
2. They are about groups with whom we have little or no social contact; by
implication,
therefore, they are not held about one's own group;
3. They are about minority (or oppressed) groups;
4. They are simple;
5. They are ridged and do not change;
6. They are often based on a degree of historical and social truth.

Maffesoli = Urban tribes

In 1985, French sociologist Michel Maffesoli coined the term urban tribe. It gained
widespread use after the publication of his book The Time of the Tribes: The Decline of
Individualism in Mass Society.
According to Maffesoli, urban tribes are microgroup of people who share common
interests in urban areas. The members of these relatively small groups tend to have
similar views, dress styles and behavioral patterns. Their social interactions are
largely informal and filled with emotional baggage. Maffesoli claims that punks are a
typical example of an "urban tribe"

Media Texts
Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
Reflected anxieties in American society about teenage delinquency in the post-war
era related to the birth of youth culture (Giroux empty category). Whilst the
representation of youth is quite negative and can clearly be linked to contemporary
representations (young people are shown to be violent, engage in criminal activity,

knife fight, car theft, youth subcultures signified through style leather jackets) the
representations are not as extreme. This can partly be explained in relation to what
was acceptable to 1950s audiences, and much stricter censorship. The representation
is also more sympathetic to young people, who are shown to be troubled. The film
ends with the main character entering adulthood/accepting hegemonic values
signified by him putting on his fathers grey jacket. The film shows young people to
be in need of care and attention (or surveillance Acland), and reinforces hegemonic
values.
Boyz n the Hood (1991)
"Director John Singleton deals with a lot of issues here: the permeance of
psychological damage on children living with unchecked violence; the
degrading attitude of many black males towards women; the economic
opportunism of people from outside the neighbourhood; and the frustration
of many blacks towards black cops in the community. But the point he drives
home hardest is the need for more African American men to take
responsibility for raising their sons, to give them more direction and make
them accountable for their lives. - Jack Matthews

Perks of Being a Wallflower 2012

Chbosky: One of the things about Perks that I wanted to do as a novelist and as a
filmmaker [was to describe] all the highs and all the lows and all the secrets that
young people have and they keep. When I think about that moment when Charlie's
sister gets hit and the instant forgiveness. And one of the things that was important to
me as a storyteller was to talk about how when problems exist in families and you
don't root them out and you don't sift through them they repeat themselves. And if
little kids like Charlie and Candace . . . saw their Aunt Helen go through abuse if it's
something that doesn't become tragic it's something that becomes normal. And how
we do ourselves a great service and do our families a great service if we bring these
things out into the light and talk about them and try to be the last person in our family
to go through it.

The Selfish Giant (2013)

"It's essentially a film about love, deep friendship and loyalty between the
two boys, but it is played out in an adult world where something has gone
fundamentally wrong, and children are often at the cutting edge of that.
When I was making The Arbor, what I saw was excluded children whom we
criminalise and demonise and who I think are victims of the widening gap of
inequality. They get pushed out and that makes me upset and really, really
angry. With The Selfish Giant, hopefully you see what gets lost when that
ideology of greed is adopted wholesale." Clio Barnard
A world where community and family has lost meaning and has
disintegrated. The protagonist is in an environment where there are few
ways ahead in life. Either he gets an education in a school that clearly
cannot accommodate him or he enters the world of scrapping and crime in
an attempt to make money to support his family. Arbor is not unique to this
struggle and we see the same despair in other characters.
Selfish Giant presents a bleak message. As such, it is pushed aside and
intended for a 'niche' audience. This is not England presenting itself to the
world as a green and pleasant land. This film is exposing elements of our

society that most people would prefer were not a version of England. The
Selfish Giant presents something which feels much more real, it looks at
what happens when community, jobs and purpose go away.

Dope (2015)
I wanted to put a mirror to our perception versus reality. It was really important for
me to get some of those ideas out there. I do feel like we all bring our points of view
and prejudices and whatever to the cinema when we watch people on screen. So I was
very aware of what some of those would be, and I wanted to turn some of those on
their head.
"These three kids have ambition, its what drives the movie. That optimism, Malcolms
ambition, is the lense by which the audience connects. Whatever success the film has
had, its because people relate to the honesty of this kid even if theyre not from that
environment."
Look, I want the film to stand on its own feet as what it is, a sort of comedyadventure story about these three kids from this very specific part of Los Angeles who
go on a journey that takes them to a lot of different, crazy places. I just want to be
real with it. I think so many times when we see films, especially comedies, you want
to walk away thinking, those kids are so cool , and we had such a good time, and you
forget about the problems that exist and the reality of the world that they come from.
I was thinking about Malcolm and what black masculinity means and how that would
be. How if you were a kid from this part of the world, you could be looked upon as a
menace and a geek at the same time. [I wanted to explore] what that means.

My Brother The Devil

When I first started writing the script for My Brother the Devil, it was just
after the 7/7 tube bombings in London. The way British Arabsand British
Arab youth in particularwere being portrayed in the media as some kind of
terror threat bothered me. It didnt represent the boys I saw around me
every day, so I decided to make a film that revealed their lives honestly, and
conveyed their real struggles. Ive always been interested in people on the
margins of society: outsiders and outcasts. Im also drawn to intimate
studies of character, so I wanted to make complex heroes out of people that
dont already have that kind of iconic representation in cinema. Sally El
Hosaini

Top Boy
Obviously Top Boy is about race 90% of our cast are black but its also about
class. The thing that struck me immediately in my research was that these people
dont have enough money. My first responsibility is always to the story, which is about
parents, kids and people trying to make a life in a poor area, rather than just guns and
drugs. In my research, I asked people about their relationships; about their parents,
music and school. One cop said to me: Just because they buy and sell drugs, it
doesnt make them bad people.

The 100
As Clarke (Eliza Taylor) is the protagonist of the show, we first consider
violence from her perspective. Clarke is initially seen as a more idealistic
character, hesitant to use violence and more likely to resist the use of force.
This is shown through her immediate disagreements with Bellamy when he
becomes a leader of the delinquents in a very Lord of the Flies-esque way.
However, when one of the delinquents is critically injured in episode 3
Earth Kills and begs Bellamy to kill him, Clarke is the one to do it. This act
of mercy killing is the first of many moments when Clarke is forced to be
violent for the good of others. It not only prompts an important change
within herself she loses her idealistic ways but it prompts a change in the
group dynamics. After this moment, Clarke begins to pull away from the coleadership she and Bellamy had operated in and moves toward becoming
the sole leader of the delinquents.
As
a
sharp
juxtaposition
to
Clarke,
we
have
Octavia
(Marie
Avgeropoulos). An outsider from day one, Octavia is the first to adapt to the
harsh way of life on the ground and is the first to transition into the
Grounder clan. This is mainly because of her early acceptance of violence.
While Clarke is a master of the calculated and strategic violence; Octavia is
a front line kind of fighter. Yet even when Octavia finds her way into the
Grounder clan we still see her as an outsider. The 100 plays with the idea
that this type of violence isnt appropriate for femaleness. It makes us
challenge our own perceptions. If women are unable to be so powerfully
violent, then why does Octavia thrive this way? Its a very typical male role,
and thus The 100 subverts expectations of traditional gender roles.