Class and Status

Class and Status

Class: a system of ordering society whereby people are divided into sets based on perceived social or economic status.

Status: relative social or professional position; standing.

In the short sketch the three main classes are presented; working class, middle class and upper class. This describes class and status as being dependent on both money and family status. Class and status are still relevant in British society today, as people can often be treated differently depending on their family's wealth and how they behave within society. However, different classes can be heavily stereotyped - not all of the upper class look down on lower classes, and not everyone who's working class will look up to the upper class and treat them any differently than they would other people. 

The underclass represents almost the people that have been forgotten by society; generally, people on a very low income or living on benefits/in council estates. These people can stereotypically include Chav's (which quite literally stands for Council Housing And Violence). In television, the lower class can be seen in shows such as "Benefits Street" etc. The representation of this class is generally negative in the media. They can be presented as rather uneducated due to the stereotypical accent or way in which they speak in comparison to the way in which the upper class might speak.

Working class

Presented in the stereotypical context of traditional working class communities such Eastenders and Corrie, Shameless

• Community values often praised but do not reflect reality

• Working class communities have declined with the collapse of traditional industries such as coal mining

• Often presented in the context of trouble, undesirable welfare scroungers, unable to cope with their delinquent children.

Reiner (2007) and Young (2007)

• Media tends to portray the UK as a meritocratic society in which intelligence, talent and hard work are rewarded;

• Neo Marxists argue that this concept of meritocracy is in fact a myth as wealth rather than ability opens up the doors and access to Oxbridge and top jobs;

Newman (2006)

 • Argues that the tabloid media dedicate a great deal of their content to examining the lives of another section of the wealthy elite,

• This dedication invites the audiences to admire the achievements of these celebrities

• Media over focuses on consumer items such as luxury cars, costly holiday spots and fashion accessories

The middle class.

• Presented as educated and successful as well as able to cope with problems,

• Over represented in the media due to their lifestyle,

• Representation fits in with the hegemonic ideology of the dominant class in society,

• Representation justifies the existing class structure and inequalities by suggesting people need to become more competent and successful in order to cope with life.

Upper class

• Mainly represented through the coverage of the monarchy,

• Seen as well bred and cultured,

• Represented through their accents, estates, and a taste for shooting and hunting,

• Usually represented in costume and period drama.

Representations of the working class

• Curran and Seaton (2003) – newspapers aimed at the working class make the assumption that they are uninterested in serious analysis of either the political or social organisation,

• Marxists argue that the content of newspapers such as the Sun and the Daily Star is an attempt to distract the working class audiences from the inequalities of capitalism.

This is a scene from the film Fish Tank. The main character is presented as severely underclass. This can be derived from a mixture of things, for example where she lives, how she dresses and the way in which she speaks. In this image she is depicted wearing a tracksuit with the hood up and Nike trainers. In the background theres peeling wallpaper, and what appears to be two big bottles of cider. This fits within the stereotypical living environment that would fit a working class person. 

Level 4

Explanation/analysis/argument (16-20 marks)

–Shows excellent understanding of the task

–Excellent knowledge and understanding of the technical aspects used in the extract

–Excellent discussion of the extract’s representations, clearly linked to textual analysis

–Clearly relevant to set question

Use of examples (16-20 marks)

–Offers frequent textual analysis from the extract – award marks to reflect the range and appropriateness of examples

–Offers a full range of examples from each technical area

–Offers examples which are clearly relevant to the set question

–Use of terminology (8-10 marks)

Use of terminology is relevant and accurate

–Complex issues have been expressed clearly and fluently using a style of writing appropriate to the complex subject matter. Sentences and

–paragraphs, consistently relevant, have been well structured, using appropriate technical terminology. There may be few, if any, errors of spelling, punctuation and grammar.