Traditional/neg Representations Of The Under c

Question 1

Baumberg et al

Answer 1

• found 29% of new stories referenced fraud in comparison to 0.7% of all benefits claims that are fraudulent
• found common language describing them as undeserving
  Eg, “4M scrounging families in Britain” media created a false narrative that all of those that claim benefits are committing fraud

Question 2

Golding and Middleton

Answer 2

• examined moral panics surrounding underclass
• welfare issues were not discussed unless linked with some sort of social issues; crime, fraud, sex
• demonisation of underclass led to justifying cuts in the welfare state funding
  Eg. “Dad at 13” (shows the underclass is involved in fraud, scandals and crime)

Question 3

Price

Answer 3

• poverty porn
• media exploiting underclass in order to shock and entertain audiences
  Eg. benefit street was a way of encouraging the upper
  classes to look down on members of the underclass and condemn them - lots of mentions of crime and deviance, benefits and lazy, workshy people