Questions

Key Theory summary

1. Offer a brief summary of Dick Hebdige and his idea of 'subculture'.
Dick hebdige, a British media theorist is most commonly associated with the study of subculture. He focused most of his attention on Britain’s postwar youth subculture styles as symbolic forms of resistance. Hebgie argues that each subculture undergo the same path, he outlines the individuality of specific groups like the mods and the rockers. He emphasizes the historical, class, race and socioeconomic conditions that surrounded the formation of each subculture.

2. Discuss Stan Cohens ideas. Define what is meant by a moral panic & deviance amplification.

Stan Cohen believes that the term ‘Moral Panic’ is an intense feeling expressed in a population about an issue that threatens the social order.Deviancy amplification is a media hype phenomenon defined by media critics as a cycle of increasing number of reports on a category of antisocial behaviour or some other undesirable event leading to moral panic.

Quadrophenia Focus text analysis

(1979) dir. Franc Roddam

1.Discuss the representation and ideological values of Jimmy, Steph and Kevin. Use textual examples to back up your point made.

I feel Jimmy was represented as someone who didn't really know what he wanted to do with his life. He wants to fit into the mod crowd by doing what they do. Jimmy has clearly fit into the mod group well by inheriting their fashion sense and the way they act. We can see this from in the movie when all the mods and rioting with the police, Jimmy hadn't been rioting and the police saw his parka (which you would instantly associate with a mod) and arrested him. Even his parents were confused as of what he was doing. Jimmy had a job at the mail room and didn't really like it, when he saw 'Sting' as Brighton he definitely envied him with his bike and groovy dance moves. Jimmy looked up to him and thought he had to quit his job because he didn't see it as being cool. Once Jimmy actually quit his job and told his friends, he didn't get the reaction he was expecting. All of his mod friends were questioning why he did that and said he was stupid for doing so. This was when he pulled out 2 weeks of wages and asked for some pills off the dealer, he said he'd take all of them which I think was an attempt to impress his mod friends. Taking these pills wasn't a big hit with his parents after his mother found some under his bed. Jimmy was then kicked out of the house which he then went Brighton to remissness his time, he then spotted Sting's amazing bike outside of a hotel. Sting then comes out of the hotel in a bell boy uniform and carries some man's suitcase as the man gives him orders. This comes as a huge shock to Jimmy because he didn't realise that Sting would have an ordinary day job because he thought he was so cool. Jimmy then (with the realisation who he is now) takes Stings bike and drives it off the cliff (jumping off the bike before it reaches the end of the cliff). This potentially emphasized the end of his mod ways. Unlike Jimmy, Steph didn't follow the crowd and was very much her own woman. She is portrayed as very promiscuous throughout the movie. We learn this in when Steph has a quick fling with Jimmy in the Brighton riot sequence. After paying the fine Jimmy received for getting arrested, Steph had already moved onto another mod. In the film we can see that the mod culture doesn't mean a lot to her compared to Jimmy as she has a job and aims to have a successful career whereas the mods tend to live life for the now. Kevin is very different to the other two, although he may dress like a rocker (leather jacket) Kevin doesn't seem to be affected by the social conventions of his subculture. He doesn't seem to be bothered about the war between the Mods and the Rockers because he sees everybody as equals. This is shown in the scene when he is helping Jimmy fix his scooter, Jimmy says you need to be in a gang to be somebody. This is when Kevin replies saying no matter who you are, there will always be someone more powerful to tell you what to do.

2.What examples of mise en scene reinforce the idea of youth culture?

3.What ideologies are present within the film?
4.How can Dick Hebdige and Stan Cohen’s theory be related to this film?