Consider links with other case studies we have studied and also link understanding of Sket with any relevant theory.

Overall, does the film fuel or challenge negative representation of identity?

Discuss the themes within the film and consider how these contribute to the collective identity of young people.

How are the girls represented in the film? Complete a brief character analysis for Kayla, Danielle and Shanks.

Use specific examples from the text. Pick key scenes and focus on how camera/mise en scene/sound create meaning.

Kayla's representation changes throughout the film. At the beginning, she is portrayed as being very timid and almost scared by her new surroundings. For example, when she is being harassed on the bus, she makes little attempt to defend herself, possibly in fear of what could happen to her. Her reluctance to be living in London is also emphasised through an argument she has with her sister.

When she begins to become involved in the girl gang, we see a drastic change in her representation. She begins to

Analyse the poster for Sket
What does the image suggest about the film, in terms of the:

- Characters - their identity as individuals and as a group

- Setting

- Story

How does it suggest these things?
How does this poster image fit with the ways girls tend to be shown in film posters, or on magazines, or on TV? Explain your answer, using examples where you can

Future representation of youth identity

The future of youth identity, in my opinion, will remain negative. Society is too heavily controlled by the mass media to allow a conflicting source to interfere with their beliefs. Antonio Gramsci’s theory of ‘Hegemony’ emphasises the way in which the mass media only publish ideas that will conform to their interests and ideals. This means that society is fed information, which has been manipulated to contain a specific focus (i.e the negative portrayal of youths)

The stereotypical portrayal of youth identity can be challenged but youths are rarely given the chance to voice their opinions openly. David Gauntless suggests, “Identites are not ‘given’ but are constructed and negotiated”. Even when youths are given the opportunity it isn’t guaranteed that they will be taken seriously because of the negative stereotype that is attached to them.

After watching the video and listening to the Plan B interview on BBC 1 Extra, consider the following:

Does the video fuel negative representations of youth collective identity? Or does the video and lyrics together attempt to challenge these negative views?
The images used in the video fuel the negative representation of youths; this is through the portrayal of gang culture and riots. However, the lyrics take a more satirical approach to these issues by identifying the stereotypical portrayal of youths within the mass media. The song addresses youth’s feelings of repression by the government and how their collective identity isn’t given a platform on which it can develop – this therefore leads to the stereotypical representation becoming an accurate representation as youths feel they must live up to expectations. The comedic approach to youth representation that Plan B takes combats the negative portrayal of youths and attempts to change people’s views.

Can you offer textual examples of how young people are represented in the video?
Images within the video focus on the negative portrayal of youths;
- Masked hoodies looting shops
- Gangs of youths surrounding a burning building

- A youth filming someone being beaten up on their phone

- Youths jumping on a car.
- CHAV – "Council Housed and Violent"

- Are there any instances in the video which show authority abusing their power?

The video does depict some instances of authority figures abusing their power, for example;
- A police officer punches a youth for seemingly no reason
- Riot police swarm the streets

- What was Plan B trying to challenge through his lyrics and video for iLL Manors?

"The world, and this country especially, is fill of contradictions. I’m just highlighting them, I’m not condoning anything. I aired my feelings about the riots very publicly when they happened and I still feel the same way. What happened in Tottenham in some ways I can understand but what happened everywhere else in the country was opportunism. I wont justify it because I dont agree with it. In fact it upset me so much I want to change it, so I wrote this song to bring the issue back to the forefront of public conversation. I feel it has been swept under the carpet and forgotten about, and it still needs to be properly addressed."

-What does Plan B hope to achieve through his music and film?

Plan B - Making a stand about the representation of young people

Let's all go on an urban safari
we might see some illegal migrants
Oi look there's a chav,
that means council housed and violent
He's got a hoodie on give him a hug,
on second thoughts don't you don't wanna get mugged
Oh shit too late that was kinda dumb
whose idea was that...stupid...
He's got some front, ain't we all,
be the joker, play the fool
What's politics, ain't it all
smoke and mirrors, April fools
All year round, all in all
just another brick in the wall
Get away with murder in the schools
use four letter swear words coz we're cool
We're all drinkers, drug takers
every single one of us buns the herb
Keep on believing what you read in the papers
council estate kids, scum of the earth
Think you know how life on a council estate is,
from everything you've ever read about it or heard,
Well it's all true, so stay where you're safest
there's no need to step foot out the burbs
Truth is here, we're all disturbed
we cheat and lie its so absurd
Feed the fear that's what we've learned
Fuel the fire,
Let it burn.

CHORUS

Oi! I said Oi!

What you looking at you little rich boy!
We're poor round here, run home and lock your door
don't come round here no more, you could get robbed for
Real (yeah) because my manors ill

My manors ill

For real

Yeah you know my manors ill, my manors ill!

VERSE 2

You could get lost in this concrete jungle
new builds keep springing up outta nowhere
Take the wrong turn down a one way junction
find yourself in the hood nobody goes there
We got an eco friendly government,
they preserve our natural habitat
Built an entire Olympic village
around where we live without pulling down any flats
Give us free money and we don't pay any tax
NHS healthcare, yes please many thanks
People get stabbed round here there's many shanks
nice knowing someone's got our backs when we get attacked
Don't bloody give me that
I'll lose my temper
Who closed down the community centre?
I kill time there used to be a member,
what will I do now until September?
Schools out, rules out, get your bloody tools out
London's burning, I predict a riot
Fall in fall out
who knows what it's all about
What did that chief say? Something bout the kaisers
Kids on the street no they never miss a beat, never miss a cheap
thrill when it comes their way
Lets go looting
no not Luton,
the high street's closer cover your face
And if we see any rich kids on the way we'll make 'em wish they stayed inside
here's a charge for congestion, everybody's gotta pay
do what Boris does... rob them blind

CHROUS x2

Oi! I said Oi!
What you looking at you little rich boy?
We're poor round here, run home and lock your door!
Don't come round here no more, you could get robbed for
real (yeah) because my manors ill

My manors ill

for real

yeah you know my manors ill , my manors ill!

Social media during London riots

How far were the responses of the rioters themselves given space in the media?

The majority of the coverage documented within the media did not allow rioters to communicate their opinions or reasons for rioting. When interviews were carried out with rioters they always seem to contain a comedic value, possibly attempting to portray rioters as harmless and stupid. There is only one broadcast from my research which gives the rioters a fair platform to voice their opinions; "Police don't think we're rioting for a reason. They believe we're rioting because Mark Duggan died and we have no other reason. Like, we're rioting cos they're not giving us nothing to do, they're taking away EMA (educational maintenance allowance), taking away free travel and taking away certain allowances that teenagers have and they're not replacing it with anything good."

This is a very small space within the entirety of the mass media this is due to the fact, the majority of mass media take a 'top down' view - They decide what news is broadcast and give it directly to us with no negotiation. In this case, they decide to portray youths in a negative light by associating them with rioters and not giving them a chance to defend themselves. This portrayal comes primarily from the languages used, referring to the rioters as "Feral youths", "Yob" and "hoody".

Given the general framing of young people as the key participants in the events, how much space was given to young peoples' voices - and what sorts of young people were given space to respond in the media debates?
Youths were not given a fair platform to voice their opinions within the mass media. My research shows very little positive coverage of youth representation, this is mainly due to youths not having a platform on which to defend their image.
The majority of the youths that were chosen to voice their opinions were a part of the riots and often form incoherent arguments for rioting. They were often portrayed wearing masks which immediately associates them with the rioting, showing that they do not want their identity to be revealed.
In some cases however, youths are portrayed in a positive way such as the broadcast

To what extent did social media challenge or confirm representations of youth identity in the mass media during the time of London riots?

During the London riots, social media was used by youths in ways, which both challenges and confirms the mass media’s representation.
The negative side of social media was the way in which rioters were able to coordinate their destruction. They were able to talk amongst themselves, setting their next target for looting or vandalism. The nature of social media also allowed them to promote these events to the rest of their friends and encourage them to join in. BBM (Blackberry messenger) played a key part in the organisation; rioters tend to favour it because it is private and free. Statistics show that 37% of teens own a blackberry and therefore a large group of people could easily be reached.
Looking at this in terms of David Buckingham’s theory:
“A focus on social identity requires us to pay close attention to the diverse ways in which media and technologies are used in everyday life, and their consequences for both individuals and for social groups”
We can see that both the mass media and social media are portraying a very similar stereotype. However, there is another side of social media, which helps to negate this stereotype. A positive use of social media comes in the form of facebook and twitter feeds from youths, organising a clean up. Groups like @riotcleanup and ‘Not in my name’.
Henry Jenkins says “Participatory culture is one in which members believe their contributions matter and feel some degree of social connections which one another”
This theory can be evidenced through the schemes such as the riot clean up as it shows that some youths do feel a sense of community involvement.
Social media was also used in a positive way by providing a place for youths to air their opinions, as they were not always accurately represented in the mass media. This helps to aid David Gauntlett’s theory that “Identities are not ‘given’ but are constructed and negotiated.” – Youths are helping to ‘negotiate’ this identity by attempting to combat the demonization of youths that is often present in the mass media.

Overview of contemporary case study

1) What were the context of the riots?

The rioting began on 6th August 2011, two days after police shot Mark Duggen. The riots began as nothing more than a small, peaceful demonstration which spiraled into chaos. The riots continued for 5 days, escalating beyond the initial cause to incorporate a number of different resentments towards the government and the police force.

2) What were the reasons given as to why youths were involved in the riots?
When youths were given the opportunity to express their opinions to the media, they gave a number of reasons for their involvement in the riots

3) Were youths given a fair and unbiased representation in the press coverage of the riots?

While some press coverage did portray an unbiased representation, for the most part, the media portrayed youths in a very negative way. The majority of images shown, depicted crimes - primarily looting - being carried out by hooded youths. As the rioting escalated, we also began to see the voilent nature of the rioters within the media.
When the riots first began, the press were very reluctant to refer to them as 'riots', instead favouring words such as 'disturbance'. However, when youths began to join for their own reasons, the press became a lot more harsh. The began to use sensationalised language, grouping all youths together in a depiction of social deviance.

Applying Theory:

1) How can the coverage of the london riots be understood in relation to the ideas of Stan Cohen?

Stanley Cohen's theory can be applied to the London riots in the way that youths were portrayed by the media as social deviants. This portrayal leads to the media becoming 'Moral Entrepreneurs' as they utilise Deviant amplification to create a moral panic. For example, referring to the rioters as "Feral kids with no jobs" will begin to create an association between all youths and rioters.

2) David Gauntlett stated that "identities are not 'given' but are constructed and negotiated."

The way in which youths were portrayed throughout the London riots constructed their identity within society. Unfortunately, this is a very negative identity which was negotiated through more positive portrayals, such as the youths who organised the clean up.

3) From the research which you have conducted into the coverage of the london riots, to what extent is the representation of the collective identity of youths constructed by the press? Consider for and against argument.

I think that a large majority of the youth identity is constructed by the press. This is mostly because of the fact they aren't always given a fair platform to voice their opinions. My research shows that a lot of the articles and broadcasts are biased, against youths and often in favour of the police force. This is very evident when they refer to youths as 'hooded' and 'feral'. However, the press also allows for negotiation of this identity as some broadcasts interview youths, allowing them to voice their reasons and opinions.

Law and public disorder: Inside the secret bunker where the Met's top men work to keep rioters under control. The Daily Mail.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/moslive/article-2108745/Law-public-disorder-Inside-secret-bunker-Mets-men-work-rioters-control.html

What are the reasons given for the police using such methods?

What are the arguments against this?

Is the report biased or unbiased?

What are the key messages and values given by the report?

Do you think the article would start any social or moral panics?

Look at the images:

Do the images of rioters refer to any particular social group?

Is this a fair representation of the content of the article?

What impression do you get of the police from the images selected?

As a young person in British society, how do you feel about this article?

If you were a reporter, would you do anything differently? Explain.

Who do you think is the target audience for this article?

Is it a fair representation of the social groups discussed?

London riots: the underclass lashes out. The Telegraph. Monday 8th August 2011

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/8630533/Riots-the-underclass-lashes-out.html

Analyse the images and sensationalist/emotive language used.

The image used in this article shows the inside of a shop after it had been a target of looting. It shows the extent of vandalism as display shelves had fallen over and things were spread all over the floor.
The caption "A looted store in Tottenham: the community lies in ruins"
This is very sensationalist language as the reporter exaggerates the extent of the riots to create a 'moral panic', it is also used to increase the shocked reaction from readers.

How does the article construct representation of youth identity?
The representation of youths within the article is very negative. This negative portrayal comes from the use of language such as; 'hooded teenagers' and 'feral kids with no jobs'

This suggests a link between the all youths wearing a hooded jacket and the stereotypical 'hoodies'

Is the broadcast biassed?

The broadcast is very biased against youths as it puts them all into one category.
"Feral kids with no jobs ran amok" - This suggests that all unemployed youths were the cause or took part in the rioting.

Are youths given a fair voice?

Youths are not given a fair voice in the article as they are all portrayed in a very negative light without any way to defend their portrayal