Studying Representation:
Regional Identity
LO: To explore what is meant by the term
regional identity
To understand the stereotypes associated
with different regions in Britain
What is meant by a regional and
national identity?
• The term Britishness refers to the sense of
nationhood held by many citizens of the United
Kingdom, and the idea that the citizens of the
United Kingdom have a common culture. Great
Britain began to assume a "layered" identity—to
think of themselves as simultaneously British
but also Scottish, English, and/or Welsh.
• We need to consider the stereotypes associated
not only with these individual countries, but also
with the broader regions within them.
Regional Identity
• Regional Identity refers to the part of
the United Kingdom someone is
from. It could refer to a general area
such a “north” or “south”, a country
such as “English” or “Scottish” or
specific towns such as “London” or
“Manchester.”
Regional Identity
Regional identity is one of the hardest representations
to understand.
In the exam, the clip the examiner chooses could be
from any region of Britain. With that in mind, we
need to understand the stereotypes audiences have of
different regions in the U.K.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8mzWkuOxz8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyyT2jmVPAk
Setting and Regional Identity
• Consider where you are from. Are there any
stereotypes associated with that place?
• What about stereotypes about people from
different areas of the UK?
• What stereotypes do you associate with people
from Somerset?
• Watch this clip - What can you say about how
the setting connects to regional identity?
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOHAUvbuV4o
Northerners
• Stereotype= ‘Northern
Monkeys’, Loud rude,
drink a lot and of a
lower status
• Costume= Track suit or
cheap/casual clothes
• Dialogue/dialect=
Vowel sounds overpronounced
• Make up= Over the top
or minimal
• Class/Status= Low
Southerners
• Stereotype= ‘Poncy Southerners’
arrogant and posh
• - Dialogue/dialect= Well spoken ‘
the rain in Spain falls mainly on the
plain’
• -Costume= Suit and tie, tailored
clothing and dresses
• -Props= Brief case
• -Make up= Classy and to a
minimum
• -Class/Status= Middle/Upper
Essex
• Stereotype= Image conscious, unintelligent, love
to shop and party
• Stereotype coined by TOWIE (The Only Way is
Essex)
• Dialogue/dialect= 'Shut up' 'Oh my God' =
common phrases
• Costume: Girls= Revealing/OTT Boys:
Fashionable
• Location= Clubs and boutiques
• Props: G Expensive, flashy, tacky handbags, up to
date mobile phone
• Make up= Fake tan, fake eyelashes and hair
extensions
• Class/Status= Lower Middle
Scottish
• Stereotype= Humourless, hate other
nations,alcoholic and violent
• Dialogue/dialect= Strong accent 'och'
'wee'
• Costume= Kilt, tartan, Tam o' Shanter
• Location= Highlands, cold and vast
open spaces
• Props= Bagpipes, haggis, whisky
• Make up= Ginger hair and freckles
• Class/Status= Lower class (farmers)
Welsh
• Stereotype= Small ,dark
haired people who play all
rugby, sing in choirs, herd
sheep or mine coal
• Dialogue/dialect= Very ‘songlike’ and melodic, slow and
exaggerated pronunciation
• Costume= Rugby shirts
• Location= Rugby pitch, church,
pub, fields with sheep
• Props= Sheep
• Make up= Minimal
• Class/Status= Middle/Lower
Scousers
• Stereotype= Dangerous ;
‘Why does the river Mersey
run through Liverpool? If it
walked it would get mugged’
• - Dialogue/dialect= Flemmy,
difficult to understand; 'like'
prominent k's
• -Costume= Tracksuits, very
casual cheap looking clothing
• -Location= Pub/home
• -Props= Cheap looking
jewellery
• -Make up= Minimal, or OTT
• -Class/Status= Low
Yorkshire
• - Dialogue/dialect= 'Ey up’,
‘An' Ah'll tell thi that fer
nowt’, don’t pronounce ‘t’s’
• Costume= Flat caps, tweed
jackets
• Location= Open fields,
country pubs, Local shops
• Props= Whippets/Yorksire
terrier and Yorkshire
puddings
• Make up= Minimal/pale
• Class/Status= Low (farmers) http://www.youtube.com/watc
h?v=jzAD2GLfaNU
Geordies
• Stereotype= Loud, swear a lot,
party animals and binge drinkers
(help coined by Geordie Shore)
• Dialogue/dialect= ‘way eye
man’, difficult to understand
• Costume= Revealing, tight
clothing
• Location= Busy town centres,
clubs, urban areas
• Make up= Over the top, fake
tan, dark hair
• Class/Status= Lower middle/
middle
http://www.youtube.com/watch
?v=6PVQbnvv79I
Mancs
• Stereotype= Loud, rude, funny and fond of
fighting (Helped coined by Oasis)
• Dialogue/dialect= ‘Oh, aye’ ‘Nowt’
• Costume= Manchester United
• Shirt
• Location= Busy town centres
• Class/Status= Low/lower
• middle
Brummies
• Stereotype= Unintelligent and
unfriendly
• Dialogue/dialect= 'Yow' heavily
pronunciation the 'ow' of 'You'
• Costume= Casual/ Cheao
• Location= Busy, industrialised
centres
• Make up= Greasy hair
• Class/Status= Low
Londoners (Northern/ more posh
boroughs)
• - Dialogue/dialect= Well spoken, range of
vocabulary
• -Costume= Cashmere jumpers/sweaters and
suits
• -Location= Skyscrapers, swanky bars, posh
homes
• -Props= Briefcase
• -Class/Status= Middle/upper
Londoners (Cockney/ South
London)
• - Dialogue/dialect= ‘Gorblimey’, Rhyming
slang ‘apples and pairs = stairs’,dropping
‘t’s’
• -Costume= Flat caps
• -Location= Busy streets, market stalls
• -Make up= Minimal
• -Class/Status= Low
The satellite map shows us a city sprawl
so we know that the programme is set
in an urban area. However it is the
River Thames than reveals the specific
location as being London.
Regional Identity can be seen
by the views we see in the
picture. We can see the
countryside in the distance
and we can also see an old
vehicle of which is only used in
the countryside.
You can tell that this is set in the
country also because the
background of the first picture is
the country and in the second
picture the house is styled as a
country house. Also, what the
characters are wearing symbolises
‘the country’
You can tell that this is set in an
estate as there are flats in the
background and the people look
like they aren't of a high class
because of the clothes they are
wearing therefore we would
expect them to live there and if
there is a show about them then
it would be set here.
The over-arching one is simply
North vs. South.
What Southerners think of Northerners and the
North:
• old-fashioned, boring, miserable, sexually-repressed,
racist, depressed, silent, always whining, lazy, drunk,
aggressive/violent, it's always raining, awful beer
What Northerners think of Southerners and the
South:
• loud, flashy, brash, cocky, arrogant, talk too much,
effeminate men, can't handle their beer, rich, posh,
too influenced by other
Europeans/French/Continental, faddy, too
expensive, awful beer
What Southerners think of themselves and
the South:
• happy, confident, go-getting, hardworking, progressive, open, broadminded, ambitious, clever, sunny, cultured,
where everything 'is',
What Northerners think of themelves and
the North:
• honest, hard-working, romantic about the
past, genuine, 'real' men/women, tough,
humorous, had-it-tough, stoical, friendly,
kind, practical, innovative
Studying Representation:
Regional Identity
LO: To identify and comment on use/effect
of editing, camera shots, mise-en-scene
and sound in the clips
To discuss whether regional stereotypes
are reinforced or opposed
TOWIE
Watch a clip from ‘The Only Way is Essex’.
• How does this show reinforce the stereotype of
people from Essex?
• Does the show oppose this stereotype at all?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8Pr7Il8tt0&f
eature=related
Doc Brown
Doc Brown is a British Drama set in the West Country.
Doc Brown himself was originally from London but
had to move to this region due to a number of
circumstances.
We see much of what goes on through his eyes.
Watch the following clip. Make notes and think about
how regional identity is reinforced and opposed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gfYWZzaTBI&list
=PLCE549D17B170F6E1&index=16&feature=plpp_vide
o
Regional Identity
Watch the following clip again.
We now need to make notes on how the four
areas: editing, camera shots, mise-en-scene and
sound are represented in this clip.
How do each of the areas above reinforce/oppose
the stereotypes of regional identity?
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gfYWZzaTBI&list=PLCE54
9D17B170F6E1&index=16&feature=plpp_video
Shameless
Shameless is a British drama set in
Manchester. It follows the misfortunes of a
family struggling below the bread line.
How are stereotypes associated with this
region opposed or reinforced through this
representation?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhWrUwO50Q&list=PLCE549D17B170F6E1&inde
x=44&feature=plpp_video
Regional Identity
Watch the following clip again.
We now need to make notes on how the four
areas: editing, camera shots, mise-en-scene and
sound are represented in this clip.
How do each of the areas above reinforce/oppose
the stereotypes of regional identity?
Task: Analytical Essay
Using the notes you have made today, answer the
following question:
Discuss the representation of regional identity in a
clip of your choice. Refer to the following:
• Camera shots, editing, sound and mise-en-scene.
• Begin planning