Representation is a system of ideology, point of views, diversity and stereotyping, used to show the description or portrayal of something or someone in a particular way. Colours, objects and animals that are symbolic are what is used to 'represent'.
The word itself tells us that when something is being represented, it is being 're-presented', which explains that it is using common ideology and stereotypes to show and explain. It is the 're-presentation' of reality.
Representation is definitely strongly linked with stereotyping. Stereotyping is when there is a fixed idea and image of particular groups or people that is held widely within different societies. Why representation uses stereotypes is to get the messages and views across of what people are wanting you too see, think and immediately recognize. According implicit personality theory, we form stereotypes from our own storehouse of knowledge, from past experiences that are based mostly values not actuality and from systems we have that tells us that certain characteristics must go with certain things.
In particular, stereotyping is used to represent teens. Often it is very specific stereotypes that have to do with teenagers in High school, or more specifically the classic 'Public American High schools', that is shown throughout media. These specific stereotypes that are used to describe and relate to teens are usually (as described by Nancy and Mimi in their video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K10UOmqqrLQ): The good girl, the bad boy, the nerds and geeks, the 'sluts', the princesses, the 'jocks', the new kid and the average teenager.
Throughout the years, the way things and people have been represented has changed, especially for teenage girls. For example, in the 50's and 60's, teenage girls and women in general were always seen through the eyes of males, specifically in films. They were often seen as just 'sexual desires' and wouldn't contribute as to what was going on within the movie but were more just interruptions to the male characters or narrators. Then in the 70's and 80's, the way teenage girls were being represented started to change. This was due to the influence from feminism, which is when people, especially woman, publicly support the rights for women to have equality. So because of feminism, women and teenage girls started to be portrayed differently. They not only started become lead roles within films, but also started to be shown as independently minded, unique and being able to stand up for themselves, instead of just being shown as a classic 'good girl' who attended to men's needs.
Nowadays, teenage girls aren't just leading characters and roles within films, but films have started to then show the film completely through teenage girls perspectives.
Most stereotypes to do with teens specifically relate to teenage girls. In media these days, teenage girls are usually shown and represented in different stereotyped groups/'cliques'. With teenage girls we often will see the classic Princess, Cheerleaders/'sluts' (as described in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K10UOmqqrLQ), good girls that are usually 'nerds' or 'geeks', the popular girls who are usually seen in pink and are very pretty, and then we are also shown the new girl and the average girl. The new girl is always the teen girl who doesn't fit in, stands out and doesn't have 'a place' within the teen society just yet. When it comes to the 'average teen' girl, which we aren't often shown her within media, but when we are she is usually the most realistic character and representation. She usually will be dressed in nothing too symbolic and acts as a classic, realistic teenager who isn't that influenced by what goes on around her.
How teenage girls are affected by these stereotypes is in many ways. The media often shows teenage girls as often/nearly always having a specific stereotype to go with them, which affects girls in real life as the media is telling them how it 'should be' or 'how it is' even though this isn't always the case. These stereotypes can often be seen as having negative attitudes towards woman as they sometimes make it out that all woman and girls are going to behave or act in the same way as they have shown through the stereotypes. For example, when there is a group of popular girls being shown through a movie, these girls will then be shown through stereotypes that they are mean, pretty, shallow and manipulative, yet everyone wants to be them. Often, these views of the 'popular' girls and what their friendships are like are actually shown from the males point of view, not a females. How this specifically might negatively affect teenage girls is that it could lead to them believing that in order to be as 'popular' as the girls they see in the movies, they need to not only be beautiful, but also socially aggressive towards others, especially their own friends.
Why these teenage girls are stereotyped and represented in these ways is to appeal to the audience. This is because when the audience, especially if they are teenage girls, watch the teenage girls being stereotyped and even if they do not believe it to be real or do not agree with how they have been stereotyped, it still provides humor, drama and appeals to the teenage girls. What appeals to the teenage girls watching could be the fact that the popular girls being shown, even if they are shallow and manipulative, are usually very pretty and everyone loves them or wants to be them. This is something called 'Referent Power', which is when these stereotypes have the power to influence the audience in a way that they gain respect.
Although, a positive affect is that studies have shown that people who enjoy these genre of movies, such as teenage girls, are actually less likely to be influenced by what they are viewing as they realise it is not necessarily how teenage girls actually are in real life society.
Representation of stereotypes in a way does reflect reality. Stereotyping may still be 'far-fetched' now and then, but it does show what different people, groups and individuals are like, especially in high school when teenagers are experimenting with their individuality and are still growing and learning.
Overall, representation is the 're-presentation' of reality that goes hand in hand with stereotyping, especially when it comes to cliques within high schools and with teenage girls. Representation in media definitely has changed over time, especially when it comes to females and particularly teenage girls. Although even though it has changed from girls more being a sexual object or desire from the male point of view to nowadays being represented from females own perspective and being strong and independently shown, teenage girls are still being stereotyped and represented in certain ways within media.
The word itself tells us that when something is being represented, it is being 're-presented', which explains that it is using common ideology and stereotypes to show and explain. It is the 're-presentation' of reality.
Representation is definitely strongly linked with stereotyping. Stereotyping is when there is a fixed idea and image of particular groups or people that is held widely within different societies. Why representation uses stereotypes is to get the messages and views across of what people are wanting you too see, think and immediately recognize. According implicit personality theory, we form stereotypes from our own storehouse of knowledge, from past experiences that are based mostly values not actuality and from systems we have that tells us that certain characteristics must go with certain things.
In particular, stereotyping is used to represent teens. Often it is very specific stereotypes that have to do with teenagers in High school, or more specifically the classic 'Public American High schools', that is shown throughout media. These specific stereotypes that are used to describe and relate to teens are usually (as described by Nancy and Mimi in their video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K10UOmqqrLQ): The good girl, the bad boy, the nerds and geeks, the 'sluts', the princesses, the 'jocks', the new kid and the average teenager.
Throughout the years, the way things and people have been represented has changed, especially for teenage girls. For example, in the 50's and 60's, teenage girls and women in general were always seen through the eyes of males, specifically in films. They were often seen as just 'sexual desires' and wouldn't contribute as to what was going on within the movie but were more just interruptions to the male characters or narrators. Then in the 70's and 80's, the way teenage girls were being represented started to change. This was due to the influence from feminism, which is when people, especially woman, publicly support the rights for women to have equality. So because of feminism, women and teenage girls started to be portrayed differently. They not only started become lead roles within films, but also started to be shown as independently minded, unique and being able to stand up for themselves, instead of just being shown as a classic 'good girl' who attended to men's needs.
Nowadays, teenage girls aren't just leading characters and roles within films, but films have started to then show the film completely through teenage girls perspectives.
Most stereotypes to do with teens specifically relate to teenage girls. In media these days, teenage girls are usually shown and represented in different stereotyped groups/'cliques'. With teenage girls we often will see the classic Princess, Cheerleaders/'sluts' (as described in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K10UOmqqrLQ), good girls that are usually 'nerds' or 'geeks', the popular girls who are usually seen in pink and are very pretty, and then we are also shown the new girl and the average girl. The new girl is always the teen girl who doesn't fit in, stands out and doesn't have 'a place' within the teen society just yet. When it comes to the 'average teen' girl, which we aren't often shown her within media, but when we are she is usually the most realistic character and representation. She usually will be dressed in nothing too symbolic and acts as a classic, realistic teenager who isn't that influenced by what goes on around her.
How teenage girls are affected by these stereotypes is in many ways. The media often shows teenage girls as often/nearly always having a specific stereotype to go with them, which affects girls in real life as the media is telling them how it 'should be' or 'how it is' even though this isn't always the case. These stereotypes can often be seen as having negative attitudes towards woman as they sometimes make it out that all woman and girls are going to behave or act in the same way as they have shown through the stereotypes. For example, when there is a group of popular girls being shown through a movie, these girls will then be shown through stereotypes that they are mean, pretty, shallow and manipulative, yet everyone wants to be them. Often, these views of the 'popular' girls and what their friendships are like are actually shown from the males point of view, not a females. How this specifically might negatively affect teenage girls is that it could lead to them believing that in order to be as 'popular' as the girls they see in the movies, they need to not only be beautiful, but also socially aggressive towards others, especially their own friends.
Why these teenage girls are stereotyped and represented in these ways is to appeal to the audience. This is because when the audience, especially if they are teenage girls, watch the teenage girls being stereotyped and even if they do not believe it to be real or do not agree with how they have been stereotyped, it still provides humor, drama and appeals to the teenage girls. What appeals to the teenage girls watching could be the fact that the popular girls being shown, even if they are shallow and manipulative, are usually very pretty and everyone loves them or wants to be them. This is something called 'Referent Power', which is when these stereotypes have the power to influence the audience in a way that they gain respect.
Although, a positive affect is that studies have shown that people who enjoy these genre of movies, such as teenage girls, are actually less likely to be influenced by what they are viewing as they realise it is not necessarily how teenage girls actually are in real life society.
Representation of stereotypes in a way does reflect reality. Stereotyping may still be 'far-fetched' now and then, but it does show what different people, groups and individuals are like, especially in high school when teenagers are experimenting with their individuality and are still growing and learning.
Overall, representation is the 're-presentation' of reality that goes hand in hand with stereotyping, especially when it comes to cliques within high schools and with teenage girls. Representation in media definitely has changed over time, especially when it comes to females and particularly teenage girls. Although even though it has changed from girls more being a sexual object or desire from the male point of view to nowadays being represented from females own perspective and being strong and independently shown, teenage girls are still being stereotyped and represented in certain ways within media.