Concepts
Youth as empty category
Explanation
Giroux's theory addresses the media's influence on youths. He believes that youths act as a sort vessel open to influences of adult culture and how the media chooses to represent them, therefore shaping the youths cultural contexts. The media chooses the way they represent race, class, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, occupation, age and so on, therefore leaving an influence on the youths that are not necessarily true. The media acts upon what it's audience wants. When appealing to a adult audience, the media will reflect fears and anxieties that adults may find entertaining, therefore giving an unrealistic view on youths. Giroux suggests that the media influences them in a certain way as youths are so impressionable, for example, if they are represented as loud and abusive in films, they will act on this because they are being told to act in such a way. If we look at modern representations in films such as Harry Brown, we can see the way the media are telling youths to behave from similar areas and social classes. The idea is that youths feel they can relate to these characters and therefore feel they should behave in a similar way.
Acland (1995)
Concepts
Ideology of protection; deviant youth and reproduction of social order
Explanation
Acland argues in his theory that the representation of deviant youths reinforces hegemony, the idea that a culture is ruled by one social class. Media creates the image of "normal" youth and adults, then contrasting this with behaviour that contrasts against what we deem to be socially acceptable. This is what the audience finds entertaining and interesting, as it is going against these "normal" views of society. Acland also makes the point that by the media representing youths in such a way, it allows the state to have more control over them. For example, the mass of media reports about negative youth behaviour led to the introduction of ASBO's, which then led to even more media coverage. Acland calls this "ideology of protection" which is the idea that youths need this constant surveillance and monitoring in order to "protect" them. Similar to Giroux's theory, youths are impressionable it is a time in their life when they learn about roles and values from adult culture. Media coverage of negative behaviour allows the state to reinforce hegemonic values and tell youths what is wrong and socially unacceptable. For example, the idea in "hoodie horrors" that youths are like monsters often included in horror themes leads some youths to relate these representations to things they fear, such as demons, which moves them in the opposite direction of this sort of behaviour.
Gramsci (1971) (1929-1935)
Concepts
Cultural hegemony
Explanation
Gramsci developed the idea of "cultural hegemony". As I mentioned before, this is the idea that one social class within a culture dominates society, therefore making their views and values acceptable and "normal" behaviour. Gramsci believes hegemony is constantly causing problems within societies arguing what is actually a "normal" way of life. For example, this arguing is shown through negative and positive representation of youths from different classes, most commonly underclass. The typical structure of a film, particularly horror (hoodie horrors) opens with an equilibrium, this being the "normal" way of life, which is then disrupted by something that goes against this normality. We see one point of view in Eden Lake, a middle class couple, their "normal" way of life disrupted by the underclass youths which they must fight against in order to return to an equilibrium. Another view that goes against this is what we see in films such as Attack the Block, where we see the underclass youths as heros. From these two types of films about youths, we can see how society argues about what is a normal way of life.
Cohen (1972)
Concepts
Moral panic
Explanation
Cohen studied the media response to the mods and rockers riots in the 1960's. He argues that occasionally what he calls "folk devils" emerge within society, reflecting the anxieties and fears of adult culture. "Moral Panic" emerges when exaggerated media coverage appears of these "folk devils" leading to politicians and police to act. When this occurs, the aim is to return the social values of hegemony, clearly stating what is not a socially acceptable way to behave. Cohen's theory suggest that youths have become a cultural "folk devil" leading media to exaggerate their behaviour. We see this clearly in films such as Harry Brown and Eden Lake where youths are represented as monsters from horror films. The Guardian article explains some films actually use supernatural elements to represent youths such as Philip Ridley's Heartless which is clearly an over exaggeration.
McRobbie (2004)
Concepts
Symbolic Violence
Explanation
Angela McRobbie suggests that British TV and film contains "symbolic violence" against the middle class which is used to emphsize the dominance over working and underclass, again relating back to hegemony. This is shown in films such as Eden Lake and Harry Brown in the way the underclass and working class are represented very negatively, continuously fighting against the middle class. For example, the couple in Eden Lake are middle class and the working class youths are against them and in Harry Brown the Police are middle class/higher working class as is Harry Brown and the underclass youths are fighting against them.
Gerbner (1986)
Concepts
Cultivation Theory
Explanation
Gerbner studies the effect of television on the audience's perception of crime. His theory suggests that people who watch a large amount of television have an over exaggerated opinion on crime and how much it occurs as well as how severe the crimes actually are. He called this "mean world syndrome". His theory states that because media forms such as news reports, television programmes and films contain over exaggerated representations of crimes, mostly negative, people's perceptions are dramatically influenced. The term used by Gerbner to describe this is "cultivation theory". This theory is applicable to films such as Harry Brown and Eden Lake where the representation of youth and crime is over exaggerated, giving people a certain perception of the world.
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