Genre and Representations Theory

David buckingham's Theory

His Research kind of focuses on children's And young People's interactions with electronic media and on media education.
Relates the development of genre to the complex issue with fecever changing identities.
He argues that 'Genre is not simply "given" by the culture ;rather , it is an a constant process of negotiation and change'.   

Explores development of how individuals understand the concept of identity.

We grow older (Teens/Adults) our understanding of identity becomes complex.

Identity is unique and ever changing and so is the genre.
child thinks that identity is a simple concept. It diferentiates between male and female gender. This is influenced by tv Adverts, Music and tv.

He notes , ''there has hardly been any empircal research on the ways in which real audiences might understand genre , or if we use this understanding in making sense of specific Texts'.
He has undertaken some expirical investigation of older children is understanding of television genres in uk. in general discussions of tv with children aged between 8 to 12 year olds. He found that considerable evidence of children using motion of genre both explicity and implicity.

Children start to understand different genres according to stereotypes they are exposed to
what has happened to the stereotypical representations of gender, race, age, class etc over the years.

Older children more likeley to indentify their likes and dislikes by referring to a genre category.

Caution be mistake regarding the data as a demo of children's pre-existing cognitive understandings; he stresses that categorisation is a social process. ( Like Kress's Theory) as well as cognitive one. the Findings do offer some evidence like kids progressively acquire a discourse of genre as they mature.

Set of terms that facilitate the process of categorisation which at least makes certain kinds of categorisations possible.

Repertoire of terms expand that are able to identify finer distinctions between programmes which compare them in greater variety of views.

Homework:
A paragraph to apply buckinghams theory to the bands below: JLS and Beegees
What are the differences? Can you spot any similarities?
How are men being portrayed(appearance)
How has the change in stereotypes of identity affected the Codes and conventions of genre(POP)?
What assumptions are made?
What do these contrasting images tell us about stereotypes?


Beegees

Well buckingham's theory is bascially suggesting that gerne is every changing and it making us beleive that identity is what the main pupose of the music industry is.

The differences between the beegees and JLS are that JLS are a recent boy band and that the beegees are the oldest boy band. The have differences between them due to the music they release. The diffrerences can be see as JLS are wearing fashion clothes and the beegees are wearing something that is not in fashion anymore.  JLS Perform in their videos were as The beegees just stand at one place ans sing while one of them is playing a guitar. JLS have mic's attached to the ear and mouth. JLS are more fashionable then the Beegees.

The similarities between them is that they both are pop boy bands. The kind of sing the same type of songs. They are both pop artists so they might be working for the same record label as they might have similar ideas for the music video.

Well JLS are protrayed as young, fit, hot and muscular men. Whereas The Beegees are portrayed as Old, Not fashionnable, Long haired looking and have beards. The type of Clothes JLs were kind of portray them as the new generation of pop boy band. Their music is very upbeat and is very pop where as the Beegees are very old generation and thier music is very uptempo.

The change in stereotypes of identity is has affected the codes and conventions of pop genre becasue normally you would think that a group of girls would be pop but to think that a boy band like jls are now a pop band has contradicted the conventions as a pop genre is dedciated to female artists but now it has expanded into both genders. Men are potrayed as more feminie then women. As they way they dress, talk and look. The stereotypes of identity is basically when women are supposed to take care of the kids and the house while the men go to work has no changed to women going to work and the men are doing the housework and looking after kids. If you want to apply to these bands then The Beegees looked like the people who would do the work and let the women do the housework where as JLs are of the new generation so they would think to give a chance to women to become anything they want like a pop singer. They think that men and women have the ability to join the music industry to make their own identity  and gain a living from becoming famous. They have new thoughts however the beegees kind of disagree. Women are portrayed as objects infront the men's eye at the earlier stage of music industry whereas now it is the absolute opposite of the men being posed as objects and the female are the controllers.

I think that from the two images i assump that they both are of the different generations. Beegees are old generation and JLs are the new generation.
What do these contrasting images tell us about stereotypes?
Well these two contrasting images tells us that men can become pop artists just like the women are already. I think that Men and women can both become pop artists whenever they want. The stereotypes are Where women stay at home and the men go to work. But now there is also another stereortype where men stay at home and the women are off to work to earn money. I think that these images tell us the changes in the msuic industry so far.