Textual Analysis Question

Benefits Street

Gender:

• The representation of both men and women in this programme are negative. 
• A character who features a lot is 'White Dee' who is only really shown when sitting at home, smoking. This suggests that this is all she does with her life, supported by the fact that she is overweight which makes the audience think that she doesn't live an active and healthy lifestyle. 
• This character along with the other females in the programme are always involved with issues to do with paying rent and looking after children in the house. This creates a negative representation of the men in the show as they are never seen doing any of this work, painting a negative picture of them as a father figure. 
• They are represented as irresponsible and childish as they are only really shown on the street, drinking and playing around with footballs.
• We can see the effect of their absence from the home environment through the mise en scene in the background of most shots. All houses featured look messy and very basic which suggests that it isn't taken care of.

Age:

• Like gender, age is something that is represented negatively on this programme. 
• The majority of the characters on the show are at the age where most would be reaching the highest and most authoritative positions in their career. Instead, the adults on this show are out of work with many being like this for quite some time. 
• The character 'Fungi' shows that the main objective of the people on the street is to earn themselves alcohol or drugs rather than a wage and a living.
• He is seen doing small, not very good jobs around the street to be rewarded with a can of alcohol which suggests that people of this age have given up and have no real ambition in life anymore.
• They are not fitting the norm of most people this age who are most likely to be earning a decent salary.
• Younger people are also represented negatively on the show. Some are seen rebelling against their parents and being out on the street at all times, suggesting they are leading themselves into a life like their parents on benefits.

Ethnicity:

• At the start of the show the narrator in the non diegetic sound informs the audience that there are thirteen different nationalities living on the street, all unemployed, all on benefits.
• This creates a negative representation of ethnicity as it suggests to the audience that all immigrants in the UK are doing negative things to the country and scrounging off benefits.
• Watching this show could leave viewers with a negative view of all immigrants in the country because of the negativity surrounding them on the programme.
• The majority of people coming into the UK are here to work but the construction of Benefits Street shadows this as it portrays a very small minority in a negative light.

Issues:

• The issue of benefits in the UK is explored in this programme and represented negatively throughout. The camera style looks as if it is hand held which suggests that this is the reality.
• There is not much non diegetic sound which shows the programme hasn't been edited and this negative portrayal is how life on benefits really is.
• Anyone watching the show without much knowledge of the benefits system may think that everyone on this street and in the UK are scroungers, giving them a negative view of benefits.
• However, a lot of the scenes will be constructed therefore forcing the audience to take this view which may not necessarily be correct.

Audience:

• The target audience of Benefits Street is fairly wide. 
• Some people will watch the show to get information about benefits in Britain whereas some may just watch for entertainment purposes, to laugh at the people on the programme.
• Alternatively, the audience could personally identify with Benefits Street as they may be benefits claimants themselves, living a similar lifestyle.
• Those taking the preferred reading from this show are likely to be those of a working age who understand the pressures of British society. These people are likely to be in classes C to E as they may be able to relate more to the situation if they are currently claiming benefits or have done in the past.
• The oppositional view of Benefits Street is probably going to be taken by people of higher classes such as A and B as they would fail to relate to the ideas conveyed by the programme.