6.4.3: Media representations of class and age

media representations of class

• social class

  • system of stratification associated with industrial capitalism

  • social categories or groups of people sharing a similar economic position

• stratification required legitimation

  • means of justifying inequalities they represent

  • class systems legitimated by being open or meritocratic

  • people move up and down class hierarchy based on how hard they work and sacrifice

  • i.e. american dream

  • deservant positions

• classism

  • belief that people from certain social or economic classes are superior to others

• media - rare focuses on social tensions or class conflict underpinning society

media representations of class in the UK

• neo-marxists

  • argue media representation of social class celebrates hierarchy and wealth

    • those who benefit from it generally recieve positive press and are seen as deserving

  • mass media hardly ever portrays upper classes in a critical light

    • never draw serious attention to wealth inequality

• found that popular films and dramas portrayed members of the upper class in an eccentric or nostalgic way

  • idealized picture of a ruling elite characterised by honour, culture, good breeding

• reiner

  • marxists claim this is ideological

  • evidence suggests wealth is more important than ability in opening up access

• young

• Newman

representations of the working class

• newman

• GUMG

• jones

• mckendrick et al.

media representations of age

• most focus on young and people

• negatively stereotyped by media

• youth and old people suffer from ageism - belief that certain age groups are inherently inferior to others

media representation of youth in the UK

• 2 broad ways in which young are targeted and portrayed:

  1. media industry aimed at socially constructing youth lifestyle and identity

     • magazines

     • record companies

     • internet music download siites

     • mobile phone companies

     • radio stations

     • networking sites

  2. as a social problem - immoral, anti-authority, folk devils

• Wayne

• UK NCB

media representations of old people

• age concern UK

• milner et al.

• cosmetic industry has endless ads for products claiming to reverse ageing

• intersection of age with class

  • wealthy old = positive representation

  • poor old = negative

• feminist view

  • focuses on how older men are highly visible in the media

    • 82% of those above 50 are men

  • women over 50 Mae up 5% of on-screen presenters and 7% of workforce off-screen

cross-cultural variations and recent developments

• idris and sudbury-riley

• prieler, ivanov and hagiwara

• west

  • media producers may be reinventing how they deal with elderly

  • realize this group may have extra disposable income

• Lee et al.