This document provides lesson objectives and content for explaining the relationship between media representations and youth collective identity. It discusses how the media may reflect, construct, or misrepresent collective identities. Various media texts are presented for analysis, including British newspapers on how they portray "hoodies", films like "Harry Brown" and "Attack the Block", and the TV show "Misfits". Students are instructed to write an essay discussing how media has historically and currently represented young people, referring to at least two media types and linking to relevant identity theorists. An examiner's report provides a suggested structure and argument for the essay.

1. CONTEMPORARY
MEDIA
REPRESENTATIONS
OF YOUTH
LESSON OBJECTIVES: TO BE ABLE LE TO
EXPLAIN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MEDIA
REPRESENTATIONS AND YOUTH COLLECTIVE
IDENTITY.

2. COLLECTIVE
IDENTITY & YOUTH
What makes youth a collective identity?

3. MEDIA & COLLECTIVE
IDENTITY
What is the relationship between media and collective
identities?
Does the media reflect identities, construct
identities, misrepresent identities?
Consider how you could apply relevant theorists (e.g.
Gauntlett, Gerbner, etc.).

4. MEDIA TEXTS AND
COLLECTIVE IDENTITY
Media
How are young people
represented?
Specific examples
Links to theory
Implications

5. NEWSPAPERS
Media British Newspapers – ‘Hoodies or Altar Boys’ Study
2009
How are young people
represented?
Specific examples
Links to theory
Implications

6. FILM
Media Film – Hoodie Cinema, e.g. ‘Harry Brown’ (2009)
How are young people
represented?
Specific examples
Links to theory
Implications

7. FILM
Media Film – ‘Attack the Block’ (2011)
How are young people
represented?
Specific examples
Links to theory
Implications

8. TELEVISION
Media Television – ‘Misfits’ (2009-2013)
How are young people
represented?
Specific examples
Links to theory
Implications

9. EXAM QUESTION

10. COLLECTIVE
IDENTITY
ESSAY
LESSON OBJECTIVES: TO PLAN AN ESSAY
EXPLAINING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
MEDIA AND COLLECTIVE IDENTITY.

11. ASSESSMENT
CRITERIA
o Make connection
o Coherent argument
o Balance of theory and
texts
o Personal engagement
o Reference to history
and the future
o Use of theory
o Terminology
You MUST refer to at least two
types of media.
You must refer to historical and
contemporary representations.

12. EXAMINER’S REPORT

13. ARGUMENT
What argument could you make about the relationship between media
representations and youth collective identity?
Gauntlett - popular media has a significant but not entirely
straightforward relationship with people’s sense of identity. Identities
are complex constructions. - Media plays some role in shaping our
understanding.
Youth collective identity constructed by Media?
Media representations represent ‘youth as trouble’ – challenging
hegemony.
Some theorists argue these representations actually reinforce
hegemony.
Media representations construct youth collective identity – how do
young people relate to those representations?

14. STRUCTURE
Introduction – outline focus and state argument.
Historical representations – one paragraph on 1950s JD movies –
juvenile delinquency – offers pleasures of rebellion – sympathetic –
reinforces hegemony.
Contemporary media – newspapers
Contemporary film – Hoodie cinema – Harry Brown – contrast
with Attack the Block
Contemporary TV – Misfits
Conclusion – sum up argument – what is the significance of
media representations of young people? – how does this relate
to collective identity? How do you think media representations
of young people will change or stay the same over time.