Stereotypes 2

YOUR STEREOTYPES BRIEF

(one of the three briefs that you choose from)

Show, with examples, how stereotypical representations can reflect attitudes to race, nationality, gender, age or disability. Follow this with a discussion about the messages promoted by two advertisements, one that utilises a stereotype to sell a product and one which confronts expectations to promote a social good.
Minimum of 750words only Use, where possible, examples associated with your pathway Consider why this issue is useful for your pathway specialisation.

YOUR WRITING HAS THREE ELEMENTS

1. Introduce, define and explain stereotypes and illustrate its range of influence with a variety of examples Discuss the messages in an example which uses stereotypes to sell products. Discuss the messages in an example that is confronting stereotypical expectations to promote a social good. Today we will concentrate on part 3 and examine examples such as this..

2.

3.

STEREOTYPES RECALLED
Stereotypes generalize, simplify and exaggerate.
They use types (typification) to make sense of the world by putting of people into types (typing) to create meaning. But the methods of stereotyping (below) can be negative*. Consider and example each of these:

Classify into groups, class, gender, age, race, sex, religion Characterize put types into a character, give a personality Assign roles giving a fixed position in society, especially jobs Exclude separating out from the ruling, acceptable norm Impose reflect & enforce the attitudes of the dominant culture

*Stereotypes get a hold of a few characteristics about a person, reduce everything about the person to those traits, exaggerate and simplify them, and then fix them without change or development for eternity (Hall, 1997)

STEREOTYPES AND THE MEDIA

Advertising exploits stereotypes and seeks to match types with products: can you match these?

1. Housewife 2. Student 3. Skinhead 4. Femme Fatale 5. Hippy 6. Vicar 7. OAP 8. Professor 9. Unemployed 10. Police Officer

A. Baked Beans B. Soap Powder C. Sweets D. Beer E. Crisps F. Junk Food G. Wine H. Tea I. Trainers J. Tabloids

CONTRATYPES
Examples that reveal how limited or unfair a stereotype is, contratypes, are harder to find in a world saturated by stereotypes But in our complex society it is important to be aware of their existence in order to counter stereotyping and celebrate our diversity Advertisers sometimes also exploit and use the contratype to target niche markets and to deploy humour and surprise in their work (see our examples) Work out the stereotype and its associations and identify a contratype for these three examples 1. The Apple ipod 2. The Star newspaper 3. Wine

ADVERTISEMENTS THAT CONFRONT STEREOTYPES:

They are more realistic, genuine, believable. challenge prejudices, preconceptions. engage intellectually. challenge expectations in the consumer. can promote the social good generate humour, interest and sales. exploit market research and social grades - see Stereotypes 1.

GALLERY: do these examples confront and promote the social good (ie. part 3 of your assignment) ?

GALLERY
In the following examples say how successful these are at confronting stereotypes and promoting a social good.

You will have to find such examples for your section 3

Benetton ads, Oliviero Toscani

advertising is the richest and most powerful form of communication in the world. We need to have images that will make people think and discuss.

Before we finish with the analysis of a case study, can we look at some of the examples that you have found?

CASE STUDY: In groups analyze this example that promotes the social good use the image and complete the proforma on the next page. This is a trial run for the sort of deconstruction you will be doing

Analysis: Stereotypes and Contratypes

model your assignment analyses on this sequence
1. describe all you see, both words and images (the surface meaning) 2. explain the advertising message or the issue and intended meaning (bring in context, your knowledge and cultural references) 3. find six stereotypes being used here to convey the message 4. identify which stereotype(s) and expectation(s) are being subverted here to confront a social good