Factsheet 121

1) The Factsheet discusses how identity is a complex subject. What does it suggest defines our identity?

 form the fact sheet it states that identity is very complex subject. due to the way we define yourself and from our own personal perspective of how we see the media which ultimately suggest why we see media in a different way but also why we all construct different die

it states within the fact sheet "Audiences have always made choices in their media viewing and reading. These choices made are often based on using the media to help
them define their identities and to find other people who share their ideas and values." this therefore could ultimately be the factor to consider when looking over the different types of identity structures within the media which is the overall factor to consider when audience pick and chose what media content the wish to read and view which is over deiced upon their own personal values.    

2) Complete the task on page 2: suggest media texts that could reinforce that someone is non-mainstream; edgy; a pleasure seeker; fashionable; witty and fun; cutting-edge.

You are…. … media use to reinforce these ideas?
non-mainstream- The public retain a belief that journalism is key to the health of democracy which suggest that majority of consumer tend to have a much more mainstream approach however there tends to be a small number of people who tend to be pluralist as they don's believe that the big elite have the most power.   
edgy- Mass media is a significant force in modern culture, particularly in America. Sociologists refer to this as a mediated culture where media reflects and creates the culture.these tend to be main stream individuals who tend to not have a personal point of view this overall leads to consumers to also be edgy as they are the  able to build their personal content which then enables them to have an edge within the Media culture.  
a pleasure seeker-I would consider myself a pleasure seeker as I do tend to 
fashionable-
witty and fun-
cutting-edge-

3) What examples are suggested for a case study on urban youth? within the case study it states that Youth culture is often stereotyped as being wild, violent and unruly.
Urban youth culture is stereotyped as being uneducated,unsophisticated and the clothing choices of hoodies and baseball caps have become symbolic of the whole group. However this is collective identity which means that this is an summery of a hegemonic view point that can be considered to be seen on a whole by the mainstream media and is overall demonising youth culture.   

4) What does Hebdige argue with regards to youth culture?

Richard Hebdige says that youth cultures show
their resistance to the dominant culture through their style choices.
Urban youth can show itself to be outside the mainstream by adopting the uniform that is feared by mainstream culture and they learn about this fear in the media representations.The media continues to represent these youths as deviant in an attempt to reinforce mainstream values; this suggest that we are in a era that the youth are finding ways to build their own media construct and this is overall due to the the fact of collective construct 

5) What other theorists are referenced alongside Hebdige? How do they link to the issue of youth identity? The theorist suggest that Wearing the same
clothes and having the same values can allow audience members to
identify with a group and so become an important part of the
‘construction of self’.

6) How can we link our Year 12 case study on Ill Manors to youth and identity? What specific examples from the case study could be used to discuss Hebdige’s theory that youth culture challenges mainstream culture and dominant ideologies? When linking this back to the ill Manors case it suggest that the government aren't giving the youth within the estates any source of freedom which overall leading them to be a state where they are stuck with the bad company all the time due to the fact they have no choice; this is because they are stuck which means they will be led to be apart of a cult that is of criminal behavior.

7) What does theorist David Gauntlett suggest regarding the media’s influence over the construction of identities? David Gauntlett suggest that how individuals see themselves and media
institutions are able to use this to sell their products. Where the idea of identity has previousl been seen as something personal, the audience’s relationship with the media today in the
construction of various identities

8) Do you agree that Hebdige’s view that youth culture will always seek to resist mainstream culture and challenge dominant ideologies?