Collective Identity Essay

Collective identity refers to an individual's sense of belonging to a group. This group will share the same traditions and values that are a part of the individual's identity. Representation is a result of a person's collective identity. This refers to the way that ideas, objects, people and groups are depicted by the media. The main part of representation is the fact that portrayed by the media. This means that it could be an incorrect or extreme representation of a person or group as this will draw readers in and evoke certain emotions from readers. For example, during the London Riots, young people were represented as the largest and most dangerous group and so were ostracised and teenagers were labelled as criminals.

Mediation is the process of selection and shaping or creating meaning from an original event. This is extremely important as it is the process through which representations are created. An event will happen, which will then be mediated and placed within the systems and values of an institution - for example, BBC News. They will then represent their version of reality to the public, which will inevitably cause us to think or view an event/group in a certain way. With mediation, it can make it hard to differentiate between a true representation and what we are being made to believe and feel towards a certain group or topic. This can relate to the Hypodermic Needle Theory. This theory suggests that we are all passive and will digest any information that is given to us without questioning it. 

Hegemony can have a significant impact on mediation. This is the leadership or dominance by one state or social group over others. In other words, it is the beliefs of a dominant group being pushed upon another group. This is something that is constantly happening in the media - especially within newspapers. One way newspapers can reinforce hegemony is in terms of politics and voting. The newspaper that you read can have a large impact over what political party you vote for. For example, people who read The Guardian are most likely to vote for Labour, whereas those who read The Telegraph are more likely to vote Conservative. This is due to the content that they release and the bias' that the editors/newspaper owners have, as they have the power to portray people however they wish to. 

In conclusion, collective identity is completely different to representation. Whilst your collective identity have certain values and traditions, this can be completely twisted by the media by the representation and mediation of your social group. Most institutions will manipulate the portrayal of particular groups or topics in order to benefit themselves.

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