Explain how stereotyping in British TV drama and British film contributes to a sense of collective identity.

Collective identity suggests that the population is influenced by different categories (stereotypes) that are portrayed in the media, such as, television, film, magazines, and even newspapers like ‘The Sun’ that stereotype people. The media influences its audience by wanting to belong to a collective identity to fit into its society. These stereotypes are not necessarily influential, however these are types of people we are familiar with, and a sense of belonging to one can be comforting for people.

The media is a huge influence on the population, often subconsciously we do not notice. For example, the daily British TV soap ‘Eastenders’ turned on within our homes that we might not even fully engage with, is again reinforcing these representations of the stereotypes within our British society, similar to the idea of ‘propaganda’; indoctrinating the populations (mass audience) minds with collective identity’s.

Richard Curtis the director of many British films such as ‘Love Actually’ also portrays these stereotypical British characters in his films. For example, in the film ‘Love Actually’, the actress Emma Thompson plays a middle class mother role in London. The scenes of her making nativity Christmas play costumes for her children, choosing Christmas presents for her daughter’s young primary school friends, and expecting little attention from her husband, all portrays her stereotype well. This suggests a familiar collective identity that the British audience can relate to, but also other cultural audiences, as these British stereotypes are reinforced in the mass media, making them familiar to other audience’s as well.

The dominant discourses of British film also encourage and influence the audience to stereotype and make assumptions and expectations, specifically other cultural audiences. For example, audiences from different cultures would expect certain ingredients in a British film, such as a ‘suit’, which would be associated to a British stereotype of intellect and profession, a spy, or inspector, such as the worldwide British films of ‘James Bond’, or ‘Inspector Morse’, including the ideas of British identity.