SOCIAL CLASS

Key words:
Identity
Socio-economic
class
authority
status
wealth
education
Prejudice
Power
Superior
Dominence

You
should
use
these
key
words
in any
essay
respon

Class

Upper

Middle

Working

Lower

Socioecono
mic

B-C1

C2-D

Stereot
ypes
(status
in
society)

Well educated
(private)
Posh (language
stiff lip)
Country house
Conservative
supporters
Classic cars
Wines
Proud
Wealthy
Inherited wealth
(estate/business)
Females
(mothers) do not
need to work
Lunches, teas,
grand parties,
tennis
Polo
Shooting
Hunting
Cricket

Large house
BMW/Merc
(nice cars)
Expensive
dogs
Holidays
Designer
clothes
Posh-ish
Good
education
Further
education
Good jobs but
not inherited
wealth
aspire to be
upper class
new money
middle/workin
g class that

Uneducated
Low income
Lack etiquette
More likely to become
redundant due to
globalisation of large
conglomerates
Breadwinner and
housewife
Work under manager
Dependent on jobs
work hard to pay bills
Insecure about
income and paying
bills
Industry jobs
Resentment towards
classes above
More kids
Exploitation of
benefits
Labour

Scum
Tramp
Messy
Un educated
Teenagers
Rough
Smocking
Council estate
Benefits
Anti social
Criminals
Alcohol
Drugs
Chavs
Underage
pregnancy

Exam Style Question!!

1. Discuss the ways in which the extract
constructs the representation of social
class in the extract.
Mise-en-scene
Editing
Sound
Camera shots, movement and composition.

Social Class in Downton

Abbey:

MES
Denotation
Prop
Characters
Setting
Costume

Sound
Connotation

(links to
stereotypical
representation)

Accents
ND

Camera
Angles
High angle.

Connotation
(links to
stereotypical
representation)

Editing
Connotation
(links to
stereotypical
representation)

Pace
Juxtaposed
Cross cutting
Effect?

Connotation
(links to
stereotypical
representation)

Split into four groups

each focusing on one
technical area
Mise-en-scene

Editing

Cinematograp
hy

Sound

Show opening 10
minutes
of Downton Abbey
Make notes
on your
particular
technical
area.

Mise-en-scene
Servants costume own hierarchy- high status in service.
Upper attractive and more fashionable (fitted, hair and make-up)
higher life luxurious colours, reds, royal blues, greens, purples, in
contrast dull and unified costumes that the servants are wearing
strip them of identity and practical clothing
Enormous luxurious settings- wealth, more space
Maids share a room- no privacy, identity, claustrophobic
Upper class lighter and more space, lower, dark and dungeon like
Props newspaper, delivers the news and motive of the storyline,
made for the educated upper class to read. The servants only read
when preparing the paper for them
Servants and upper class only mix when servants are serving them

Cinematography

Wider shots when with the upper class, to show room and luxurious setting e.g dining
table only a few sat with loads of space
Lower class tighter shots, close-ups when they eat there is a sense of lack of space
Low angle shots, lord of house coming down the house as he ascends the stairs
representing his power and authority
Lower class high angle shots to infer their unimportance
Upper class close up shots to denote their wealth, one character at a time, gives them
identity and power
Lower class two/three shots (if not more) they are inferior and expendable
Low angle shot of the manor house to represent its grandeur
Constant tracking changing focus on servants- emphasises size of house and how busy
the servants are.
Camera tracks Lord Grantham from behind (we follow him).
Cutaway shots used to introduce Mrs Hughes: her keys represent her- duty before
personality.

Cinematography

Long shots show grandeur of location

Close ups of props
Mid shots lords signify importance
Low angle inferior to Mary

Editing
Contrast of slow upper elegance
Faster pace busy life
Juxtaposition upper and working class life
Cross cut from upstairs to downstairs, representing the
speed
Beginning of shot fast pace of servants
Second half slower, pinnacle shot lord walking down the
stairs
Motivated cut Mary rings bell upstairs and bells alarms the
servants

Editing

Contrasts the two forms of transport and communication used

with cross cutting.
Pace of editing: who has the busier life style?

Upper is slower pace to represent their time and no rush to work

Lower is faster pace to signify hard work, to make ends meet to have money

Scene where Mary looks down at the paper boy to connote she is
looking down at the lower class
Camera juxtaposes from Mary in bedroom to servants room where
the bell rings, gives the illusion that the spectator is also taken
down to the servants area and then brought up to the Lords
Motivated cut- newspapers as a motive to take you from the lower
to the upper class

Sound

Classical non- diegetic music - denotes educated upper class.

Contrast in accents between Daisy and Mrs Hughes- hierarchy in the
servants.
Posh speaking from upper class, northern accents and colloquial
Non diegetic intro to Lord to represent his power and authority, violin
Upper speak down to lower class
Lower, more sounds sense of working hard
Upper, more calm orchestra music
Change in tone mother, tragedy more care once someone she knows in
involved

Sound

Servant change their accents and language when speaking to upper

class and in contrast colloquial when speaking with servants
Throughout the scene there is non-diegetic sound track graceful and
powerful with upper class but drowned by the chaos when with the
power class
Servants, chaos contrast to servants, slow, peace
Lord gets paper 1st class women have been evacuated first. recognition
that the lower class are not worthy; sympathy, poor buggers in the deck
below
Girls, anyone we know? no awareness of death thought it was unsinkable.
Subverts the ego of upper class as they address them by names as
opposed to ignoring them
Difference in accent between the classes; servant are northan, upper
posh

Essay plan
Create an essay plan
Two options
1)Split into the 4 sections
Different representation in each section

2)Scene by scene analysis

Theme of each scene

4 sections eg
Choosing different themes
MES identity (compare social identity of
each class)
Sound accents and language
Cinematography wealth and poor
Editing representation of status
Use the notes in each section to help
you write

Scene e.g.
From the chaotic scene of the servants, the next
scene contrasts the previous scene. The pace of the
editing slows down and the non-diegetic sound of
classical orchestral synchronous music begins as the
camera swoops upstairs to reveal the grandeur and
powerful status of the Lord descending the stairs. The
camera tracks as we follow Lord Grantham, this shot
asserts his power and represents him as the most
authoritative person within the manor. This is also
signified with the use of mise-en-scene, the stairs are
big and magnificent with the shot containing statues
and fine art. His attire evidently differs from the
servants, with his pocket watch and elegant stride as
he descends the staircase. He adheres the
stereotypes of upper class dominant male. With him
walks a dog, who also contains eloquence in
demeanour. This almost infers that the Lords dog
has a far greater status than those of the servants.

What do the colours

represent?

From the chaotic scene of the servants, the next scene

contrasts the previous scene. The pace of the editing
slows down and the non-diegetic sound of classical
orchestral synchronous music begins as the camera
swoops upstairs to reveal the grandeur and powerful
status of the Lord descending the stairs. The camera
tracks as we follow Lord Grantham, this shot asserts
his power and represents him as the most
authoritative person within the manor. This is also
signified with the use of mise-en-scene, the stairs are
big and magnificent with the shot containing statues
and fine art. His attire evidently differs from the
servants, with his pocket watch and elegant stride as
he descends the staircase. He adheres the stereotypes
and hegemonic ideology of the upper class dominant
male. With him walks a dog, who also contains
eloquence in demeanour. This almost infers that the
Lords dog has a far greater status than those of the
servants.

Colour key

Points
Denotation
Connotation/Representation
Comparison

Terminology

2nd Practice Essay

How is social class represented in
the scene from North and South?
min 1000 words
Discuss all four
technical areas:
Mise-en-scene
Sound
Editing
Cinematography