Class and Status research and representation

British Class quiz:

After taking the 'British class quiz', I was placed into the technical middle class section of society. According to the BBC, this means that I tend to mix socially with people of similar interests and I like to engage in emerging culture by getting involved in different activities such as visiting art galleries, going to concerts, listening to classical music, etc. People of this group also tend to be interested in and have skills in technical, scientific areas and will usually end up working in those areas.

 Personally, I don't feel like I belong in this class as I don't tend to judge where my place in society is based on what activities I like to take part in. For example, I love going to concerts and festivals which are generally quite grungy and associated with people who are maybe 'looser' and less concerned about what society thinks of them. On the other hand, I also enjoy classical music and I can appreciate museums and galleries just as much as a rock festival. I feel like this quiz stereotypes people into what is typically expected of people who are associated with certain classes. Also, I have no interest what so ever in science, maths or any academic/technical subject, nor am I good at them as this quiz suggests...

Class and status is difficult to determine as people are scared of what might be thought of them if they're associated with a certain class, For example, people who are of the upper class might not want to be associated with the upper class as they're typically snobbish, belittling and posh which is frowned upon by most people in today's society. Similarly, people don't like to be associated with the lower classes as they're typically expected to be 'chavvy' and are also frowned upon. 

This suggests that class and status is more of a stereotyping system to tell people what they're worth in society and there will always be conflict and rivalry not only between those who are of upper and lower class (e.g: a class/power struggle) but also between those who choose not to identify or associate themselves with a specific class and those who believe everyone should have a place. 

How is class measured? 

Class in generally measured by how much money people have and what they choose to involve themselves with culturally and socially. According to most statistics, what job someone has, where they live and what they choose to do in their spare time determines what class they are. Personally I feel that there are issues with labeling people as a certain class simply because of what they do or how much money they earn as people may have different views and feelings towards the stereotypes that come with that particular class. I don't think that labeling people is necessary anymore, especially in today's society  as the need for class separation isn't relevant anymore. In today's society we are striving for equality across all walks of life and categorizing someone over how much money they have and how educated they are defeats the object of class equality. In terms of TV Drama, a wrong or stereotypical representation of someone of a particular class might cause upset and effect how the show is reviewed. Also, it might give people (especially those of a younger generation) an impression that they feel they have to follow because they are of a certain class. 

Representations of Class and Status through mise-en-scene in TV Drama

Clip - Downton Abbey

In this clip from Downton Abbey, the lower classes are shown to have the bare minimum they need to survive as they have a bed to sleep in and a sink in a room which they have to share with other servants. Their clothes are neat as they are servicing the upper class but they are still dull and have no detail to them. Later on in the clip we see a boy of the sane class stood outside wearing very worn out, scruffy clothing which is typical of someone of his class. When the servants go upstairs to start cleaning the rest of the house so that it's ready for the upper class people, you see a very clear difference in wealth and detail. The rooms are covered from floor to ceiling in colours that symbolize wealth such as reds and golds. There's also an excess of furniture, paintings, rugs, etc which is there to show that the upper class people can afford to have more than they need and they aren't prepared to share it with those who are deemed inferior. The butler who is seen walking around collecting glasses at the beginning of the clip is dressed very smartly as he has the most contact with the upper class, showing that he must look as though he were wealthy just to be seen by the upper class, otherwise it would be seen as offensive to the upper class to have someone of such inferiority in their presence.

'Gaze' theory

Gender gaze from MrsCmedia

Male gaze:

The male gaze is the way in which men view who and what is presented on screen, often women. It is also how men view themselves due to how men are stereotypically represented in the media. The male gaze is often the dominant ideology, therefore a lot of women look at themselves and other women through a male gaze and judge how they look through a male perspective as they feel that they have to be visually pleasing to men. Women then become objectified.

Female gaze:

Whether or not the female gaze actually exists is arguable as it simply reaffirms the male gaze of male power and dominance. The way most women see men is they way that men want to be seen themselves, eg: strong, muscular, powerful, wealthy, etc. Because of this, the question of the female gaze's existence is questionable as it is more of a male gaze but through a woman's perspective on a man.

My opinion:

I do agree with these theories in that they do exist and are quite prominent in todays society. Whilst these views can be quite objectifying and sexist (especially towards women) they are useful when creating things such as advertisements as they allow you to reach out to your target audience more. For example, by including a half naked or overly sexualised image of a woman in an advert directed at men, you are more likely to gain a male audience (the target audience) as it is what a man typically wants to see. This supports the male gaze as men see women the way they want to and woman see what they then feel is what men want them to be like, therefore they try to aspire to be like the women that are used in the adverts. 

An example of the male gaze is depicted above. In this case, the breasts are the only part of the woman that are on show, simply to draw men towards the advert. This advert objectifies women as it  shows them as sexual objects which are there 'for men'.

Regional identity (Representation)

Regional identity

Who Am I?

Who am I?

Groups:

I believe that I only fit into one of these groups loosely, the group in question being the skaters. I am a snowboarder and skier, which automatically places me into a community of people who take part in the same sport and share the same lifestyle as me. Because of this, I find that my fashion/lifestyle choice is influenced by those within the same ‘skater’ community, however this is only when I take part in the sport. Outside of my sport, I am just a genuine open minded person.

What media figures inspire me?

I like to take a lot of my fashion/makeup choices from the actress Amanda Seyfried. I like the fact that she can pull off most looks and isn’t limited to a specific kind of style. We have a similar look and I feel that I reflect part of her personality as I aspire to be like her on many different levels. I love her personality and I aspire to show the amount of kindness and charisma that she does as well as taking inspiration from her style choices. I model myself on her because I feel like she has a personality and style choice that I like and that I can incorporate into my own personality. She has a certain image that I would also like to have.

Representation of myself: