Collective identity in the 21st Century

 Read the Media Magazine article on collective identity: Self-image and the Media (MM41 - page 6). Our Media Magazine archive is here.

Complete the following tasks on your blog:

1) Read the article and summarise each section in one sentence, starting with the section 'Who are you?'

We all have complicated beliefs about who we are; there are differences amongst the people we want to be, the people we think we are, and the people we want other people to see us as.

Our identity would have been shaped by externally manufactured components of our lives, such as gender, class, and religion, as well as the roles that were predestined and part of the accident of the family we were born into.

Our self-perception is influenced by dominant values, and during the late 1960s and early 1970s, individualism was starting to gain traction. 

The notion that an identity might be formulated in terms of an externalised image emerged during the early 20th century post-industrial consumer boom, when there was a concerted effort to promote identity adoption.

   The 70s and 80s saw the rise of lifestyle marketing and the importance of brands. Branding is the association of a ‘personality’ with a product. Advertisers sell the personality rather than the product, so that people will choose products that match their own self-image.

2) List three brands you are happy to be associated with and explain how they reflect your sense of identity.

Adidas- they cater for sporting equipment as well as clothing 

RDX - they provide boxing and gym equipment 

Nike- good comfortable clothing 

3) Do you agree with the view that modern media is all about 'style over substance'? What does this expression mean?

Yes, since they are more concerned with a person's appearance than with conveying the intended message to the audience. "Style over Substance" refers to the idea that even though someone presents an impeccable appearance, there is no real substance or content.

4) Explain Baudrillard's theory of 'media saturation' in one paragraph. You may need to research it online to find out more.

Baudrillard theory is of suggestion that was the main institution in postmodern society as the media is where signs and symbols do circulate and the meanings of these can change in an unpredictable way.

5) Is your presence on social media an accurate reflection of who you are? Have you ever added or removed a picture from a social media site purely because of what it says about the type of person you are?

 I don't post on social media applications.

6) What is your opinion on 'data mining'? Are you happy for companies to sell you products based on your social media presence and online search terms? Is this an invasion of privacy?

I feel like it is an invasion of privacy and users shouldn't be at the risk of information on themselves to be exposed.

Task 2: Media Magazine cartoon

Now read the cartoon in MM62 (p36) that summarises David Gauntlett’s theories of identity. Write five simple bullet points summarising what you have learned from the cartoon about Gauntlett's theories of identity.

Task 3: Representation & Identity: Factsheet blog task

Finally, use our brilliant Media Factsheet archive on the M: drive Media Shared (M:\Resources\A Level\Media Factsheets) to find Media Factsheet #72 on Collective Identity. The Factsheet archive is available online here - you'll need your Greenford Google login to access. Read the whole of Factsheet and answer the following questions to complete our introductory work on collective identity:

1) What is collective identity? Write your own definition in as close to 50 words as possible.

Collective identity is identifying a group of people based  on factors which include race, ethnicity, culture, gender, and social class.  A mix of characteristics like race and status could determine someones identity if it is based upon collective understandings.

2) Complete the task on the factsheet (page 1) - write a list of as many things as you can think of that represent Britain. What do they have in common? Have you represented the whole of Britain or just one aspect/viewpoint?

. Public transport

. Royal Family

. BBC 

. GBP

. television series : Eastenders , only fools and horses.

3) How does James May's Top Toys offer a nostalgic representation of Britain?

James may is 61 years old so from the start he attracts a older audience. In the show he demonstrates toys that would be commonly used by the target audience when they were at a child age.

4) How has new technology changed collective identity?

Individuals now can interact with videos and engage much more as well as produce their own content.

5) What phrase does David Gauntlett (2008) use to describe this new focus on identity? 

David Gauntlett (2008) states that ‘Identity is complicated; everyone thinks they have got one.’

6) How does the Shaun of the Dead Facebook group provide an example of Henry Jenkins' theory of interpretive communities online?

People who all had the same reaction to the movie can be found in the Shaun of the Dead Facebook group. For instance, the 701-member group "I learned the word exacerbate from Shaun of the Dead" This group of people all interpret the same thing, therefore they feel that they can relate to one other. This is an example of an interpretive community. They have a collective identity as a result.