Introduction and Contemporary Research Overview

Sociologists have long been interested in how the media portrays social class. Since the 2000s, several studies have found that working-class and underclass people are often shown in narrow, negative, and stereotypical ways, especially in reality TV, tabloid news, and online spaces. These portrayals can shape how audiences understand class, poverty, and inequality in the UK today.

🔍 Key Research and Ideas

• Imogen Tyler (2013) – Revolting Subjects
  Tyler argues that reality TV shows such as Benefits Street and tabloid newspapers create the image of the “chav” — a demeaning stereotype of the white working class. She suggests this helps justify social inequality by blaming the poor for their situation, rather than examining structural causes like austerity or deindustrialisation.
• Shildrick and MacDonald (2013)
  Their research on poverty in the North East of England found that the idea of a large “underclass” living off benefits is mostly a media myth. Most people in poverty want to work, but face insecure jobs, low pay, and limited opportunities.
• Owen Jones (2011) – Chavs: The Demonization of the Working Class
  Jones explores how the working class have become one of the few social groups it is still socially acceptable to mock. Media outlets, especially tabloids and reality TV, turn poverty into entertainment and blame individuals rather than social systems.
• Hayward and Yar (2006)
  They examine the rise of “chav culture” in media and argue that class prejudice is repackaged as humour in fashion, TV, and music. This reflects deeper moral boundaries about who is considered “respectable” in society.
• Jones and Robinson (2021)
  Recent research suggests that social media can both reinforce and resist class stereotypes. While platforms like TikTok sometimes spread “chav” memes, they also allow working-class creators to challenge these images and express pride in their identity.

In summary:
Media often presents the working class as lazy, immoral, or dependent on welfare, while celebrating middle-class lifestyles as normal or aspirational. Sociologists argue that these portrayals can create moral panics (Stan Cohen), reinforce ruling-class ideology (Marxism), and sustain social inequality.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this activity, you will be able to:

• Identify how the working class and underclass are represented in different forms of media.
• Analyse these portrayals using sociological language and theory.
• Evaluate the social impact of these representations.

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Part 1: Class Discussion (5–10 mins)

Discuss as a group:

• What does representation mean in the context of media?
• What stereotypes might exist about working-class or underclass people?
• Why might these stereotypes be repeated in popular culture?

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Part 2: Group Task – Media Representation Analysis (30–40 mins)

Instructions

1. Work in groups of 3–4.
2. Choose three media examples that portray the working class or underclass. Try to include different types of media:
   • Television / streaming: Shameless (UK), Benefits Street, EastEnders, The Jeremy Kyle Show
   • News articles / headlines: The Sun or Daily Mail stories about “benefit scroungers” or “sink estates”
   • Films: I, Daniel Blake (Ken Loach), Made in Dagenham, Billy Elliot
   • Social media / online: TikTok videos, memes, or influencers who discuss “chav culture” or class identity
3. Complete the table below for each example:

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Part 3: Follow-Up Questions (10–15 mins)

1. What common stereotypes appear across your media examples?
2. Are working-class people ever shown positively or sympathetically?
3. How do representations differ between news, entertainment, and social media?
4. Which sociological theories best explain these portrayals?
   • Marxism (hegemony and ideology – Gramsci)
   • Cultural effects theory (repetition and influence on audience)
   • Moral panic theory (Cohen, Hall et al.)
   • Postmodernism (audience resistance and self-representation online)
5. What might be the real-world consequences of these portrayals for class inequality and public attitudes toward poverty?

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Extension / Homework Task

Write a short (300-word) analysis of one of your examples:

“How does this media text construct an image of the working class or underclass, and what might be the social consequences of this portrayal?”

Use key terms such as stereotype, ideology, hegemony, moral panic, representation, class inequality, and refer to at least one sociological study from the introduction.

The full handout for this activity can be downloaded below:

A PPT on Representations of the Working Class in the Media can also be downloaded from the link below:

As can a similar PowerPoint on Representations of the Underclass