Theoretical Approaches to Media Representations of Age

Hebdige - 1979

• Portray youth as either fun or trouble
• Youth resist hegemony through style
• Represents resistance to dominate ideologies in society
• Take smart objects (clothes or mopeds) and modify them to show alternate values
• Subculture 
• a group of like-minded individuals who feel neglected by society standards and who develop a sense of identity which differs to the dominant on to which they belong

Acland - 1995

• Effects of media representations of delinquent youth maintains social order/hegemony
• Developed concept of the Ideology of Protection:
• The idea that young people need constant surveillance and monitoring
• Representation of youth remains anti-social

Ann Gould - 1999

• Identified 6 stereotypes from the media about youth:
• Sexual
• Artificial Tribe
• Nihilistic
• Not believing in any faith due to the perception that life is pointless
• Rebellious
• Violent
• Self-destructive
• Some (teens) Are Not Really Very Social

All these theorists carry the same theme of youth stereotypes maintaining hegemony.

Giroux - 1997

• Media doesn’t accurately reflect youth identity

Wilkins: Deviancy Amplification Spiral - 1967

• The more rules that are enforced, the more teens are going to want to break them, leading them to then have to deal with the consequences which creates a viscious cycle

Cohen - 1955

• Identified 3 features of media reporting of events:
1. Exaggeration and distortion
• Numbers, damage caused, violence etc.
2. Prediction
• Future conflicts will follow
3. Symbolisation
• Symbols of youth negatively labelled and associated with deviance
• Argued groups that are branded a certain way act out in that stigmatic way

Althusser - 1969

• Ideological state apparatus
• Dominant ideology reinforced through different groups including media
• Divided social institutions into 2 categories:
• Repressive state Apparatus
• Functions through violence (potential or actual)
• Ideological state apparatus
• Functions through ideology
• Ensure the reproduction of the relations of production

Iconography:

• The visual images and symbols used in a work of art or the study or interpretation of these.