Sociology – Paper 4 – Media: Representation and effects | e-Consult

Model Answer:

1. Use of Setting and Costume: Shows such as “EastEnders” and “Peaky Blinders” employ distinct neighbourhoods and period clothing to signal working‑class and upper‑class identities respectively.
2. Characterisation and Dialogue: Working‑class characters are often portrayed with colloquial speech and limited aspirations, whereas middle‑ and upper‑class characters use “standard” English and display greater agency.
3. Plotlines Focused on Mobility: “Skins” (though youth‑oriented) highlights attempts at upward mobility, while “Downton Abbey” reinforces class rigidity through servant‑master dynamics.
4. Impact on Audiences:

   • Reinforces stereotypes of the working class as “troublesome” or “entertaining”.
   • Normalises class hierarchies by presenting them as natural or inevitable.
   • Can generate empathy when narratives humanise lower‑class struggles, influencing public debate on inequality.

5. Critical Perspective: Media scholars argue that such representations both reflect and reproduce dominant class ideologies, limiting viewers’ ability to imagine alternative class relations.