Collective Identity

Emily Neal

A2 Media Studies

What

is

colle

ctiv

e

identi

ty?

• The individual’s sense of

belonging to a group. • The idea that through

participating in social

activities, individuals can

gain a sense of belonging

and an “identity” above their

individual identity – a

collective identity / relationship with a broader

collective group.• Examples include cultural

identity, national identity or

gender identity.

What

is

colle

ctiv

e

identi

ty?

• Not just representations by mainstream media, but also through self-

construction by users

of the media and the

communities formed

by shared identity, for

example age, sexual

orientation, political ideas etc.

Davi

d

Buck

ingham

A focus on identity requires us to pay closer attention to the

ways in which media

and technologies are

used in everyday life

and their consequences

for social groups”

Anto

nio

Gra

msc

i’s

Theory

of

Hegem

ony

• Much of the media is

controlled by a dominant

group in society.• Viewpoints associated with

this group in society

inevitably become embedded

in the products themselves,

such as via representation(gender, youth,

sexual orientation etc.) –

even if the promotion of

those views isn’t conscious.

• Dominant views become the

norm.

Anto

nio

Gra

msc

i’s

Theory

of

Hegem

ony • Hegemony is a

representational strategy of power – it

involves the use of representation in order

to control people.

Identi

ty

Negoti

ati

on

• We interact with others in order to create an identity. This

is known as “identity

negotiation”.• Develops consistent set of behaviours that

reinforce the identity

of that person or group which then become social expectations.

Colle

ctiv

e

Consc

iousn

ess

- Em

ile D

urk

heim A society/group with

shared beliefs and moral attitudes which

operate as a unifying

force within the society/group.”

Exa

mple

s of

Colle

ctiv

e

Identi

ty

• Age / Youth• Gender• Sexual Orientation• Regional Identity• Political Views