Section B: Contemporary Media Issues (50 marks)
Keep in mind the Assessment Objectives for this examination:
AO1: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of media concepts, contexts and critical debates, using terminology appropriately and with accurate and coherent written expression. (15% of your A Level)
AO2: Apply knowledge and understanding to show how meanings are created when analysing media products and evaluating their own practical work. (10% of your A Level)
You must cover these three elements:
- Historical – dependent on the requirements of the topic, you must summarise the development of the way women are represented in film in theoretical contexts.
- Contemporary – examples from less than five years before the examination.
- Future – you must demonstrate personal engagement with debates about the future of the way women are represented / issues that the topic relates to.
In addition, you need to offer a balance of media theories, knowledge of texts and industries and personal engagement with issues and debates. For example, for British Cinema you should discuss theories of film representation and realism in relation to the history of British cinema, a range of British films from recent years, funding, Government and industry practices, and offer a critically informed point of view on how Britain is represented to itself and to the wider audience at the present time.
How do the contemporary media represent nations, regions and ethnic / social / collective groups of people in different ways?
How does contemporary representation compare to previous time periods?
What are the social implications of different media representations of groups of people?
To what extent is human identity increasingly ‘mediated’?
You can explore combinations of any media representation across two media, or two different representations across two media. Some examples are:
National cinema, television representations, magazines and gender, representations of youth and youth culture, post-9/11 representations of Islam, absence / presence of people with disability in two media.
These are the kind of questions you will be asked:
June 2017
6. 'Our ideas about other people are increasingly constructed by media.' Discuss, with reference to one or more group(s) you have studies.
7. Evaluate the claim that for society to be fair, all social groups would have to be represented equally in the media. Refer to the media representation of one or more group(s) you have studied.
June 2016
6. How is the identity of one or more group(s) of people affected by media representations?
7. How diverse are the contemporary media representations of one or more group(s) of people youhave studied?
June 2015
6. Analyse the ways in which media representations today construct collective identity, with reference to one or more group(s) of people you have studied.
7. 'The media do not construct reality, they merely offer a window on the world.' discuss this statement with reference to the representation of collective identities.
June 2014
6. Media and collective identity: how does one affect the other?"
7. "Media simply represent collective identity, they don't create it." How far do you agree with this statement? Make reference to one or two group(s) of people in your answer.
June 2013
6. Explain what is meant by 'collective identity' and the role of media in its construction.
7. "Media representations are just reflections of reality, not constructions or distortions." discuss with reference to one or more group(s) of people.
June 2012
1. Analyse the ways in which at least one group of people is mediated.
2. Discuss the social implications of media in relation to collective identity. You may refer to one group of people or more in your answer.
January 2012
1. How do media representations influence collective identity? You may refer to one group of people or more in your answer.
2. Discuss the different ways in which groups of people are represented by media. You may refer to one group of people or more in your answer.
June 2011
1. Discuss how one or more groups of people are represented by the media.
2. Explain the role played by the media in the construction of collective identity.
January 2011
1. Analyse the ways in which the media represent groups of people.
2. What is collective identity and how is it mediated?
June 2010
1. With reference to any one group of people you have studied, discuss how their identity has been 'mediated'.
2. "Media representations are complex, not simple and straightforward." How far do you agree with this statement in relation to the collective group that you have studied?
January 2010
More possibilities:
June 2017
6. 'Our ideas about other people are increasingly constructed by media.' Discuss, with reference to one or more group(s) you have studies.
7. Evaluate the claim that for society to be fair, all social groups would have to be represented equally in the media. Refer to the media representation of one or more group(s) you have studied.
June 2016
6. How is the identity of one or more group(s) of people affected by media representations?
7. How diverse are the contemporary media representations of one or more group(s) of people youhave studied?
June 2015
6. Analyse the ways in which media representations today construct collective identity, with reference to one or more group(s) of people you have studied.
7. 'The media do not construct reality, they merely offer a window on the world.' discuss this statement with reference to the representation of collective identities.
June 2014
6. Media and collective identity: how does one affect the other?"
7. "Media simply represent collective identity, they don't create it." How far do you agree with this statement? Make reference to one or two group(s) of people in your answer.
June 2013
6. Explain what is meant by 'collective identity' and the role of media in its construction.
7. "Media representations are just reflections of reality, not constructions or distortions." discuss with reference to one or more group(s) of people.
June 2012
1. Analyse the ways in which at least one group of people is mediated.
2. Discuss the social implications of media in relation to collective identity. You may refer to one group of people or more in your answer.
January 2012
1. How do media representations influence collective identity? You may refer to one group of people or more in your answer.
2. Discuss the different ways in which groups of people are represented by media. You may refer to one group of people or more in your answer.
June 2011
1. Discuss how one or more groups of people are represented by the media.
2. Explain the role played by the media in the construction of collective identity.
January 2011
1. Analyse the ways in which the media represent groups of people.
2. What is collective identity and how is it mediated?
June 2010
1. With reference to any one group of people you have studied, discuss how their identity has been 'mediated'.
2. "Media representations are complex, not simple and straightforward." How far do you agree with this statement in relation to the collective group that you have studied?
January 2010
1. Analyse the ways in which the media represent one group of people that you have studied.
2. “The media do not construct collective identity; they merely reflect it”. Discuss.
More possibilities:
1. Discuss the contemporary representation of a nation, region or social group in the media, using specific textual examples from at least two media to support your answer. (Exam Board Sample)
2. How far does the representation of a particular social group change over time? Refer to at least two media in your answer. (Exam Board Sample)
3. Looking at two media, describe the ways in which a particular group of people are collectively represented or provided for, using specific examples to support your response. (Textbook)
A couple of bonus ideas:
4. To what extent do audiences use media to construct their own sense of collective identity?
5. “The media has replaced family, society and religion as the main source of collective identity.” Discuss.
PAST PAPERS
Questions on Collective Identity from January 2011
Mark Scheme January 2011 (to come)
Questions on Collective Identity from June 2010
With reference to any one group of people you have studied, discuss how their identity has been 'mediated'.
"Media representations are complex, not simple and straightforward." How far do you agree with this statement in relation to the collective group that you have studied?
Mark Scheme June 2010
Questions on Collective Identity from January 2010
Analyse the ways in which the media represent one group of people that you have studied.
"The media do not construct collective identity; they merely reflect it." Discuss.
Mark Scheme January 2010
Dowload exemplar answers and examiners' reports to the January 2010 and June 2010 questions from OCR.
Questions on Collective Identity from Specimen Paper
Discuss the contemporary representation of a nation, region or social group in the media, using specific textual examples from at least two media to support your answer.
How far does the representation of a specific social group change over time? Refer to at least two media in your answer.
Mark Scheme from Specimen Paper
HOW TO SECURE A LEVEL 4 ANSWER
There are no hard and fast rules, but the examiners' report on the June 2010 exam gives some tips:
You MUST include references or quotations on:
* representation
* key theories such as Marxism (for example)
* ideology
* hegemony
and make your connections between examples and theoretical context explicit and sustained. You must be able to set at least two different approaches against each other, for example feminist and Marxist.
You must also make some comments about the future, thinking about the ways your chosen group is likely to be represented as media technology moves on.
SO WHAT DO THESE KEY TERMS ACTUALLY MEAN?
Representation - is the construction in any medium (especially mass media) of aspects of reality, such as people, places, objects, events, cultural identities and other abstracts concepts. For more detail, see the Media Knowall website.
Ideology - for the purposes of Media Studies is, put simply, the ideas behind a media text. In any society, there is an agreed set of beliefs that underpins that society. For example, the moral values of Christianity that underpin much of the British society even today.
Hegemony - the accepted and agreed beliefs in any particular society. For example, you could say that football has hegemonic status in the UK: you won't see coverage of any other sport in the same depth; everyone is expected to understand and accept its national importance.
For Marxism and Feminism, see the Media Theory page of this blog.
EXAMINERS' TIPS
- In the report on the January 2010 exam, the examiners said that, in the Media and Collective Identity essay, "candidates were able to utilise the ideas of Gauntlett on identity along with Judith Butler and a range of others very well in relation to film and magazines". So you need to prepare some quotations and be able to discuss the ideas from these theorists in relation to your topic, the representation of women in the media.
- The report also says, "Most pleasing was the ability of some candidates to take highly contemporary examples - eg the music of Dizzee Rascal and discuss them in theoretical contexts such as hegemony, democracy and representation and, again through Gauntlett, negotiate 'self-help' gender representation.
- A key piece of advice is to move away from generalised ideas of how 'the media' represent people and ideas and towards mor 'micro' level discussions of how people give meaning to particular kinds of media in relation to their identities.
- As above, end by making some comments about the way your chosen group is likely to be represented in the future, considering new media and new technologies.
