Generic Theory (collective identity)

What collective identity can mean

• Not just representations from mainstream media but also through self construction by users of media.

(Social networking, pub discussions, etc.)

• “ A focus on Identity requires us to pay closer attention to the ways in which media and technologies are used in everyday life and their consequences for social groups” David Buckingham

• Communities formed from shared identity. e.g. age/gender/ethnicity/political ideas etc.

David Gauntlett

• identity is now consciously constructed, and the media provides some of the tools to help us construct our identities. The media contains a huge number of messages about identity and acceptable lifestyles.

At the same time the public have their own diverse set of feelings. The media and media consumers are engaged in a dialogue in which neither overpowers the other.

The media put out stories about certain groups but the consumer are still choosing as to whether they agree disagree or are somewhere in-between 

Anthony Giddens

•There is a social structure which shapes our lives (traditions, institutions, moral codes, established
ways of doing things), but it relies on individuals following these structures.

•When they act differently the social structure can change. Structuration is the process in which human agency and social structure are in a constant relationship ± the social structure is reproduced by the repetition of acts by individual people (and can therefore change)

Ann Gould said that there were six different stereotypes of teenagers which included:

•Rebellious

•Sexual- (teenage pregnancies)

•Artificial Tribe- ( a group of people with the same social interests)

•Nihilistic- (when teenagers reject moral values)

•Self Destructive-( drugs, pregnancies)

•Violent 

•Cohen in his research could find little actual evidence that such clashes between rival 

groups of motorcycle-scooter gangs actually took place. The only violence he found

witness to involved regional rivalries not bike gangs. He argued that the press reports were

distorted, wildly exaggerated and portrayed false picture of what actually went on. Cohen

argues identified 3 distinctive elements in the media reporting of events: a)Exaggeration and

distortion: numbers, damage caused, violence... b)Prediction: that further conflict

and violence was on the cards c)Symbolisation: the symbols of the youth groups were all

negatively labelled and associated with deviance However the media outrage SPARKED a series 

of interrelated responses:4

The media are putting across a very negative view of youth with all the headlines conveying the

drastic measures being taken to bring them under control. Most of the headlines show shocking

images of youth fights and show the extent of the damage. The Mirror are making  young people

out to be self-destructive and rebellious with riot police being needed to maintain control. Its

easy to see why people may have believed the stories and headlines as groups of 40 and 97 being

arrested doesn't seem that small but when you take into consideration this would have been an

incredibly small percentage of young people with the baby boom after WW2, it would be wrong 

o assume that because the youth were challenging the social norms of fashion and music they

were all this violent and rebellious.

Wilkins

Deviancy amplification

•a)It aroused wider public concern police increased surveillance more arrests result confirmed validity of initial press reports b)The reported Mod/Rock antagonism advertised and encouraged young people to opt for one camp or the other (created we-groups and they groups)

•polarization cemented the image more clashes elsewhere and more arrests resulted confirmed validity of initial press reposts

• c) New disturbances created even more news coverage even more police surveillance even more public concern

•Wilkins termed this process a Deviancy Amplification Spiral 

–Less tolerance…………………………………leads to………. more acts being

defined as crimes…………leads to………. more action against

criminals……………….leads to………. more alienation of

deviants………………….leads to………. more crime by deviant

groups……………….leads to………. less tolerance of deviant groups by

conforming groups………

–youths can come to identify with the label attached to them which may result in a status 

transformation – they may come to believe they are actually deviant, and separate from

mainstream society and act as such (Self-Fulfilling Prophecy). Cohen argued that groups 

for whatever reason could be singled out as Folk devils (a threat to public order and

social values) and as a result act out that stigmatised role. 

Cohen's and Wilkin's theory of folk devils runs through continuously through the character of Jimmy. He represents the deviancy amplification because not only is he apart of the MOD culture but he represents all the things the media portray the MODs to be, violent, disrespectful and self-destructive. Its as if he has accepted his label, for example after his employer has been reasonable with him and given him another chance, he reacts with a radical response by telling him to 'shove it up his arse'. Jimmy's character is at an age where he is developing into adult hood and so he chooses to experience these things to find out who he is and so the deviance amplification, the label that gets placed on his head and his acceptance of the label are part of him believing that is who he is. All of Ann Gould's 6 stereotypes of youth are present within the extract and they follow a pattern. Because the is part of this artificial tribe the MODs, he starts to become rebellious viewing pornographic images, choosing to reject his parents authority becoming nihilistic, his frustrations then drive him to drugs, he's self-destructive losing control and in all the confusion of his emotions and the drugs, the built up frustrations creates this outburst of violence against someone who was once his friend.