MEST 3 - SECTION B - Case study Structure

Examples of Identities and the Media Case Studies:

·       Gender

·       National or Local identities

·       Religion

·       Sexuality

·       Cultures

·       Disability

·       Fandoms

·       Hobby/interest groups

·       Occupations

Again these should be narrowed down. E.g.  British Identities in the Media.

A SPARK!

Your case studies may be sparked by a particular media event. For example, the World Cup may provide lots of information for the identities of British fans; you could explore print, broadcast and E Media sources to look at this event.

A Good Case Study has:

• ·       A media focus
• ·       3-4 texts
• ·       Lots to say about the texts used
• ·       Texts from a variety of platforms
• ·       Texts from both sides of the story/argument

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STEPS

1. Choose Identity.
2. Choose a Print media text that encourages a positive or negative reading (choose one reading)
3. Choose a Broadcast text that encourages a positive or negative reading (choose one reading)
4. Choose an E-media text that encourages a positive or negative reading (choose one reading)
5. Choose another text (Print, Broadcast or e-media) that encourages a positive or negative reading (choose one reading)

Recommendation: It would be ideal if you picked 2 texts that represent your chosen identity in a positive way and 2 texts that represent it in a negative way.

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Organise your ideas first

Use a table like the one below to help you organise your ideas:

Text	What representation has been created? Where is your evidence? Can you link theory?	What is the audience’s response? How can students and teachers use this text to help shape their own identities?	What is the purpose of the piece?	Who is the institution behind it? Is this significant?
Text 1
Text 2
Text 3
Text 4

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For example...

1. Choose Identity: Teachers and Students in the UK.
2. Choose a Print media text: Striking teachers (The Daily Mail).
3. Choose a Broadcast: Educating Yorkshire (Channel 4).
4. Choose an E-media: Get Into Teaching Website (UK Gov).
5. Choose another text (Print, Broadcast or e-media): Bad Education (BBC 3)

Text	What representation has been created? Where is your evidence? Can you link theory?	What is the audience’s response? How can students and teachers use this text to help shape their own identities?	What is the purpose of the piece?	Who is the institution behind it? Is this significant?
Educating Yorkshire	Reflective representation to a point. Footage is real. Editing may embellish focus on certain narratives.	Identity – B&K for students and teachers. This is a realist and recognisable environment and scenario. Discussion – Is their school like this? Dyer – Transparency, we can see into another organisations way of working	To inform and provoke discussion on Education in the UK. To some degree is to entertain as the narratives focussed on are selected on their merit as entertainment.	Channel 4 Known for innovative documentaries and programming. Generally more adult audience. Have had other ground breaking reality TV, looking into different areas. Dispatches, UnDatables….
Bad Education	Negative Stereotypical characters, many ‘token’ (black, gay, disabled etc.) Crude and childish storylines.	For teacher and students there may be an element of schadenfreude. (B&K) However OTT and comic the narratives we still have elements of relatable content.	To entertain, it is an entirely fictional comedic narrative.	Typical youth focus. This may give more simplistic representations because of the lower (perceived) ability – due to age- of the audience. It may also show teachers as the main fool to allow students some catharsis, imagining these horrible scenarios for their own teachers.
Get Into Teaching	Overtly positive. Lots of high key images with positive facial expressions, positive language and incentives offered on the home page!	For aspiring teachers there may be a positive response. For the more realistic (jaded?) experienced teacher there may be some discussion of their motives and experiences of teaching. For some it may help to reinforce their passion to the vocation.  (inflation of Authority B&K)	To promote the career of teaching.	Government institution. This si s significant as they need to recruit teachers constantly and also need to maintain the profile of the profession to make it desirable. This is becoming harder in the growing political climate.
The Daily Mail	Negative and sensationalist. Heavily constructed to suit their own news agenda. (Negative news sells!)	Discussion B&K, Striking is a hot topic. Moral Panic may be caused over the state of education!	To inform, although some may argue their journalistic credit due to their especially sensationalist tabloid nature.	Tabloid Newspaper Especially known for fear-mongering sensational stories. Relies heavily on negative news agenda to sell copies.

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Structure

NOTE: ALWAYS LINK TO THE QUESTION... WHAT IS THE QUESTION ASKING YOU?

For example: ‘We are defined by the media we use.’ How does your case study suggest audiences use the media to construct their own identity?

Start with an opening paragraph that incorporates an identity theory (Gauntlett's identity theory is useful to use - "Identities are complicated, everyone's got one".

Give some context: How is the typical representations of your chosen identity constructed? What is the audience expectation when it comes to consuming this kind of identity in mainstream media texts?

Write about TEXT 1: start with a quick explanation of what it is and the kind of institution that created it.  Write about the purpose of the piece and the type of readings it promotes (preferred, negotiated, rejected).  Write about how this text helps shape the identity it promotes, include examples using media terminology.  Use a media theory to back up your points.

Write about TEXT 2: start with a quick explanation of what it is and the kind of institution that created it.  Write about the purpose of the piece and the type of readings it promotes (preferred, negotiated, rejected).  Write about how this text helps shape the identity it promotes, include examples using media terminology.  Use a media theory to back up your points.

Write about TEXT 3: start with a quick explanation of what it is and the kind of institution that created it.  Write about the purpose of the piece and the type of readings it promotes (preferred, negotiated, rejected).  Write about how this text helps shape the identity it promotes, include examples using media terminology.  Use a media theory to back up your points.

Write about TEXT 4: start with a quick explanation of what it is and the kind of institution that created it.  Write about the purpose of the piece and the type of readings it promotes (preferred, negotiated, rejected).  Write about how this text helps shape the identity it promotes, include examples using media terminology.  Use a media theory to back up your points.

Conclusion: what is the future of your chosen identity? Use another media theory to help you shape this section of your case study.

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