Introduction to the Critical Investigation

"This is all about developing a critical perspective: forming opinions on the big media debates in our society. Try and bring your OWN perspective to the question."

Question: "Are contemporary documentaries, like C4's 'Benefits Street', providing a public service, or simply reinforcing negative stereotypes to generate a larger audience?"



   

1. What is the stereotypical representation of people on benefits in the media and why might these exist? 

Within the media the constant illustration of those on benefits, also known as the 'under class', is that they are lazy, uneducated and tend to be foreign. This is evident through programmes such as Channel 5's "Gypsies on Benefits & Proud", where the documentary examines the lives of Romanian gypsies who've come to the UK to milk the benefit system. This illustration not only deflects eyes off of British benefit scroungers, but it too creates the ideology that benefit seekers tend to be immigrants, thus creating a moral panic (Cohen) amongst the British against the non-British. To reinforce this, the documentary goes into exceptional detail concerning the 'gypsies' intentions, which are to save up £40,000 of benefits claim to take back to their home country. An additional noteworthy point, would be that the family who holds the central narrative is comprised with a father and three children, alongside several others who remain in Romania. This taps into another stereotype associated with those who claim benefits - lone parent families with more than 3 children. Similarly, in Channel 4's 'Benefits Street', each episode introduces an audience to a new set of benefit seekers, for example, Julie a mum of six. In particular, the mother is seen to be in touch drugs, illiterate, aggressive and in terms of aesthetic obese which is shared amongst the other individuals. This overall representation which is masked upon the two channel's not only is reiterated through political parties such as UKIP and tabloid newspapers such as 'The Sun'. The fundamental reason as to why these stereotypes exist is that the media has reiterated them constantly across different platforms forming the representation to become a norm within modern society in Britain.  

2. What key media theories and concepts could be covered in this critical investigation? 

Richard Dyer - those in power, stereotype those with less power

Marxist - Bourgeois control 

Berger - "men act, women appear" 

Klapper - Reinforcement theory 

Rokeach and Defleur - "we rely on the media" 

3. What linked production piece could work with a critical investigation like this? 

Music Video

Documentary 

TV Drama 

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