Inspire - Textual Analysis (Represntation Theories)

In the short film there was many dominant ideologies shown. These dominant ideologies were very negative , for example, a negative image of a muslim male was emblematized in a way that he is a danger to society and danger to the mother and her child. A voiceover then changes this by explaining how society views are not always right and are implanted stereotypes which can be proven wrong such as a good deed carried out that inspires us. We then experience this man smiling and then helping the mother catch her train, breaking traditional views. This supports Gramsci's theory of Hegemony. This is a theory that states that the dominant ideology is the one that is used commonly as it is what the audience are most likely to believe. Therefore, this voiceover supports this theory and then this impacts us as an audience as we feel bad to assume these negative stereotypical views on minority groups.

Tessa Perkins states that 'stereotypes are assumptions we make based on groups of people'. Within this short film the theory is relevant through the use of mise-en-scene. One clear example of this is the use of the laptop as a prop where we can see the lady looking at articles which highlight how Muslim men with bushy beards and select clothing are threats to our society. This is related to Perkins theory by the stereotype not being true, this is because the Muslim man showed he could help and be nice, therefore meaning stereotypes change just as Perkins lists, opposing this sense of 'moral panic' as a society we go to due to believing this negative stereotype created. This leads to a theory by Stan Cohen, 'Moral Panic'. This is because the women went into panic when she saw this stereotypical man who is seen as threat to our mainstream society, just as Cohen states that society will experience moral panic when are exposed to a group of individuals who are portrayed as threat to society.

Another representation theory is Bell Hook's theory which quotes, 'skin colour is a code; lighter skinned women are considered more desirable and fit better into the Western ideology of beauty.', using this theory in the short film, editing helps to higlight that skin colour has been used as a code in the film for example, there was a large amount of jump cuts used alongside fast paced editing when the Asian women was on screen. The reason for this is that it emblematizes their lives as chaotic and not in control. This could further be inked with that the use of this is to further portray a point that non-white races are 'not in control' and 'not in power'. There was also a slow motion evident on the Muslim male to emphasis this view of danger and threat he is given by society. A shot reverse shot soon after then reveals him smile and help the lady and the women smiling back. This is to show representations can be given through their colour, yet they have countered this stereotype.

During the short film we experience the homless woman sitting down and along comes a man who sits next to her and purely looks at her as an object. A theory that applies to this is John Berger's 'men look, women appear'. Camerawork and movement reveals this through the use of a deep focus to show the focus on the man objectifying the women.  Therefore, this supports Berger's theory, however, during a large proportion of the film the women was not sexualised and focused on the camera in a sexual way, countering Berger's theory. Although you could argue and relate tp Hook's theory that colour is a code, and women generally of white skin are sexualised or that black females may only be sexualised by black men, which is evident in this short film.

Gaunlett has a theory that media messages are diverse, diffuse and contradictory. He believes media is used as resource to be processed to be through sense of self and modes of expression instead of being zapped into someones brain. This is evident in an occuring example of the lady at the train station with the Muslim man. We see the women make judgements of this man and his actions, however it is proven wrong by his acts towards the lady by being nice. As an audience we feel guilt for making these predictions of this character, this has an effect that it makes us feel bad and hope to change what we think of people. This thoery supports dominant ideoligies that are wrong.

To conclude, the short film has a message throughout which is pre-judged representaions of people, the dominant ideology, however these stereotypes are not always correct. Giddens is a theorist who belives that mediated experiences make us reflect upon and re-think our own self-narrative in relation to others. This is linked to this short film because as an audience we feel these views and then feel bad by the film countering are thoughts of others, proving us otherwise that these people are not all threats and dangers to society. Giddens theory is then applied due to the audience having to rethink our self-narrative of others as we was wrong.