 Lesson Objectives

 Lesson Objectives: 

To understand the term Representation and understand why it is an important part of our study of the media

 Lesson Outcome: 1. Students will produce a collage depicting the dominant and alternative representations of a social group of their choice 2. Students will understand why representation is important 3. Students will be able to define representation 4. Students to understand the main three representation theories

Media texts are artificial versions of reality

Even factual media goes through processes of selecting, organisation and editing that shapes its content

Definitions 1. To represent something is to describe or depict it, to call it up in the mind by description or portrayal…..; to place a likeness of it before us in our mind. 2. To represent also means to symbolise, stand for, to be a specimen of or to substitute for; as in the sentence, “In Christianity, the cross represents the suffering and crucifixion of Christ.”

Media text are a construction of reality, and play an important role in constructing it for the rest of us. Reality is therefore subject to mediation which is the process whereby an institution or individual or technology comes in between an event that has occurred in the real world and the audience that perceive it.

1. Selection

2. Organisation

3. Focusing

The audience is encouraged towards a particular view

1. PEOPLE 2. PLACES 3. EVENTS

 Write down four ideas, words and/or images about: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Images of Africa Images of Scotland Images of Pakistan Images of Spain Images about the UK.



10 minutes

Now write down FOUR ideas you think the people who have not been to the UK would say about the factors below: 1. British People 2. British whether 3. British food 4. British lifestyle

Technical – how the camera is used, the lighting , the shot types the editing Symbolic-the visual elements and their cultural significance; body language, colour and gestures Written- the written codes; words, headlines, speech bubbles etc.

What is a stereotype? Why would the media use stereotypes? Are all stereotypes negative?

Messages have to be communicated quickly which often means relying on stereotypes. Stereotypes work as a kind of short-hand where a word, image or sound will stand for a lot more

A stereotype is a standardised, usually oversimplified mental picture or attitude held commonly by a group of people towards a person, group, place or event.

Stereotypes act like codes that give audiences a quick, common understanding of a person or group of people—usually relating to their class, ethnicity or race, gender, sexual orientation, social role or occupation

Men

Women

strong

passive

Intelligent

emotional

Task  Create an A3 collage using images from newspapers, magazines etc. that represents media portrayals of a specific group of people:  For example: women, men, ethnic minorities- e.g. young black men, Islam, working class, middle or upper class, the elderly, teenagers, or the police  On one side of your page include dominant representations on the other include alternative representations