Collective identity and representing ourselves

Collective identity and representing ourselves

Task 1: Media Magazine article

Read the Media Magazine article on collective identity: Self-image and the Media (MM41 - page 6). Our Media Magazine archive is here.

Complete the following tasks on your blog:

1) Read the article and summarise each section in one sentence, starting with the section 'Who are you?'

• Who are you-- The way we present ourselves physically constructs an image to communicate our identity.
• I think, therefore I am-- how we perceived ourselves and how we presented ourselves was based on the social constructs that defined the interpersonal relationships within the groups we found  ourselves in.
• From citizen to consumer: The notion that a person's identity can be formed through adoption dates back to the early 1900s. The starting point of this consumer boom was persuading individuals that purchasing needs alone was no longer necessary for survival. Advertising educated individuals about what they could and should want, while consumer products were about generating and then fulfilling desires.
  
• The rise of the individual-- People started to define themselves as individuals in the second half of the 20th century, and as a result, they sought to show their "difference" and "uniqueness." Being encouraged to "be themselves" gave them this ability.
  
• Branding and lifestyle-- The emergence of lifestyle marketing and the significance of brands occurred in the 1970s and 1980s. Associating a "personality" with a product is known as branding. Instead of selling the goods, advertisers market the personality so that consumers will select goods that are consistent with their own sense of self. The item is perceived as aiding in the creation and become a part of that representation. The basis of lifestyle marketing is connotational.

2) List three brands you are happy to be associated with and explain how they reflect your sense of identity.

Nike: it's a popular brand and I like wearing it. It reflects my sense of identity as the brand gives a sense of inspiration, innovation and empowerment.

Primark/H&M: they have comfortable and aesthetic clothing which I like.

Adidas: this is another popular brand, and it has nice clothing.

3) Do you agree with the view that modern media is all about 'style over substance'? What does this expression mean?

The expression means that even if someone presents themselves in the best possible way, there is nothing real or meaningful underneath the surface. In some cases, people try to show off how they look instead of spreading an important message around however others don't. For example, some influencers presents themselves as very presentable and at the same time they want to convey a message to the audience.

4) Explain Baudrillard's theory of 'media saturation' in one paragraph. You may need to research it online to find out more.

Baudrillard claims that audiences can no longer experience the natural or real world because society today is so over-saturated with media. Rather, the media creates an imaginary environment that values fame and popularity. Baudrillard states that our media saturated society continues to form the basis of our reality, to the extent the media creates wishes, desires and desire to consume as means of constructing our identity. We’re more concerned about the whether products conform to media-induced labels (representations) than the quality of the product. This causes us to live lives which are media led virtual lives rather than real ones.

5) Is your presence on social media an accurate reflection of who you are? Have you ever added or removed a picture from a social media site purely because of what it says about the type of person you are?

My presence on social media isn't an accurate reflection of who I am. After a while of having a profile picture, I removed it as I wasn't as active on social media.

6) What is your opinion on 'data mining'? Are you happy for companies to sell you products based on your social media presence and online search terms? Is this an invasion of privacy?

Data mining is a way to capture what and how people talk about the Internet.

Task 2: Media Magazine cartoon

Now read the cartoon in MM62 (p36) that summarises David Gauntlett’s theories of identity. Write five simple bullet points summarising what you have learned from the cartoon about Gauntlett's theories of identity.

• Audiences use the media to help construct their own identity.
• Gauntlett argues that mass media texts offers us a more diverse range of representations enabling modern audiences to "Pick And Mix".
• Audiences actively processes the messages put across by media texts.
• 
  

Task 3: Representation & Identity: Factsheet blog task

Finally, use our brilliant Media Factsheet archive on the M: drive Media Shared (M:\Resources\A Level\Media Factsheets) to find Media Factsheet #72 on Collective Identity. The Factsheet archive is available online here - you'll need your Greenford Google login to access. Read the whole of Factsheet and answer the following questions to complete our introductory work on collective identity:

1) What is collective identity? Write your own definition in as close to 50 words as possible.

An identity that is essentially centred around a group of people who have common beliefs, customs, and perspectives on the world are referred to as "collective identities."

2) Complete the task on the factsheet (page 1) - write a list of as many things as you can think of that represent Britain. What do they have in common? Have you represented the whole of Britain or just one aspect/viewpoint?

Fish and chips, the royal family, tea, harry potter, the beatles, the church of england, the queen, the king.

3) How does James May's Top Toys offer a nostalgic representation of Britain?

The presenter is 48 year old James May and, as such, the programme attracts an older demographic of people. This is reflected in the choice of toys which James May examines. Airfix, Meccano, Plasticine, Lego, Scalextric and Hornby are all toys of his youth and that of the targeted demographic of 30+ males. Being targeted at a slightly older audience means that the toys also become metaphors for the sense of Britishness that May explores, that of ‘nostalgia’ or a feeling / longing for the past where life was perceived to be simpler.

4) How has new technology changed collective identity?

Technology has enabled people to actively engage with the content of the culture around them and then go on to use it as resources for their own cultural productions.

5) What phrase does David Gauntlett (2008) use to describe this new focus on identity? 

David Gauntlett (2008) states that ‘Identity is complicated; everyone thinks they have got one.’

6) How does the Shaun of the Dead Facebook group provide an example of Henry Jenkins' theory of interpretive communities online?

The creation of this group conforms to the following ‘repeated’ view from Henry Jenkins: ‘fan genres grew out of openings or excesses within the text that were built on and stretched, and that it was not as if fans and texts were autonomous from each another; fans created their own, new texts, but elements within the originating text defined, to some degree, what they could do’.