Analysis

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
Foucault suggests that Identity is a .shifting,temporary construction and this
theory can be supported by analysing ways in which British women are
collectively represented within film and television. Looking at how representation
of British women has changed from the middle class housewife in
A Brief Encounter (1945) to the young temptress in A Kind of Loving (1960)
and the contemporary representation of modern British women in television
programmes such as 7.39 and Eastenders and stereotypically British films such as
Tamara Drewe (2010) and Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (2011) we can see that
Representation of this collective identity tends to shift and change according to
the changes in society
1940s
Social Gulf women represented as either
middle class or working class

Transition reflecting change

Social class

Middle classes upholding dominant ideology
Laura A Brief Encounter 1945
Laura represented the collective identity of
British women of that time.
Stereotypical middle class housewife
Supported the dominant ideological perspective
Challenge the dominant ideology she quickly
reverted back to supporting it
Defined by class

1960s
Social and Political change

Social Gulf less defined

Consumerism


Women had more freedom


Ideological Agency of family was being challenged




Ingrid A Kind of Loving (1962)
Ingrid was constructed/reflected to represent a
new target audience (uses and gratifications)
The dominant ideology was being challenged
Representation of women (Ingrid) were
constructed in response to social changes
Virgin/Whore dichotomy.
Ingrid was still represented as supporting the
dominant ideology of marriage
1980s
Capitalism at its most popular

Post Feminist Era

Consumer power at its greatest

Working class women central to narrative

Women breaking away from domesticity
Sue/Rita/Susan Educating Rita (1983)
Ritas metamorphosis was constructed to reflect
the transformation of the collective identity of
British women
Middle classes and Working classes defined by
education
Truly challenged the Hegemonic values of
marriage and family as an inevitability
Rita represents how the post feminist woman
could go out and get things for herself.
2010 + (Contemporary)
In film women defined by their
Class middle class women
were again central to the narrative
but unlike in 1940s middle class
women were career women


In TV, there is not so much
reference to class but much
reference to high powered jobs







Tamara Drewe (2010)
Tamaras representation is constucted to reflect
modern middle class women.

The patriarchal hegemony is still supported by her
representation as although on the surface she
appears to be educated, career minded etc.., she
still swoons at the prospect of an engagement ring
and marriage thus supporting the dominant
ideology of marriage and family as an inevitability
Know what you want to say
Always link representation with social changes
British women have always been defined in film
by class either middle or working classes. This
does not happen anywhere else in the world.
Notice the difference between representation of
British women in Film and TV
Get to know TV programmes that you can talk
about Coronation Street, Eastenders, Crime
dramas



You may get a question on analysing
representation of British Women
Patriarchal Perspective

Dominant Ideology

Marxist Theory

Feminist Theory

How far does the representation of a particular social group change over time ? Refer to at
least two media in your answer.
How far does the representation of British women change over time. Refer to Film & TV

According to Foucault Identity is a shifting, temporary
construction and this can be supported when analysing how the
representation of British women has changed over time. Films
such as A Brief Encounter (1945), A Kind of Loving (1960),
Educating Rita (1980) and Tamara Drewe (2010) can show how
representations change as a response to social transformations,
whilst television programmes like Coronation Street (ITV), New
Tricks (BBC) and Scott and Bailey (ITV) can show how
representations can change due to the changing target audience.
Film reflects/constructs representation according to social changes
TV provides appropriate representation for the female target audience