Homework, 18th November, 2015

This week I would like you to write an answer for Question 3, using the guidelines below. You should try and do this within 20 minutes. 

Question 3 guidelines

3. Discuss how people and lifestyles are represented in the extract. Refer to stereotypes in your answer. Use examples from the extract (20 marks)

There are (STATE HOW MANY) main areas of representation in the extract: (LIST THE DIFFERENT AREAS OF REPRESENTATION, e.g. GENDER, ETHNICITY, AGE, etc. THE QUESTION MIGHT ASK YOU TO REFER TO A SPECIFIC AREA OF REPRESENTATION, IN WHICH CASE, MAKE SURE YOU ONLY REFER TO THAT ONE).

IN TERMS OF GENDER, YOU CAN SAY:

·        Females are presented as attractive, stereotypically feminine, wearing makeup, wearing revealing clothes. They are shown as sex objects.

·        Men are shown in positions of power, physically strong and attractive.

IN TERMS OF ETHNICITY, YOU CAN SAY:

·        Black people are shown in a stereotypical way as subservient and inferior.

·        Oriental/Chinese people are shown in a stereotypical way as being good at martial arts and/or as slightly nerdy.

·        South Americans are shown as being poor, doing jobs such as gardening and decorating, or as wealthy drug dealers.

·        Indians/Pakistanis are shown as being quite nerdy, doing jobs such as doctor or dentist.

·        Muslims are shown as being very religious, possibly even extremist, wearing robes and head scarves.

·        White people are shown as superior, successful and good at what they do.

IN TERMS OF AGE, YOU CAN SAY:

·        Elderly people are shown as inferior, incapable of looking after themselves, interested in reading, going to the opera and watching documentaries.

·        Young people are shown as dynamic, fun-loving and independent.

IF ANY GROUP IS BEING SHOWN IN A DIFFERENT WAY, EXPLAIN THAT THIS IS COUNTERTYPICAL. FOR ALL OF THESE, YOU WILL NEED TO GIVE SPECIFIC EXAMPLES FROM THE EXTRACT.