That's right.
I love the surveys.
I would probably leave my boyfriend and marry them if i could...but let's not get onto that subject.
I have devised yet another survey as i feel the one before was ...well....crap. This one will also have more reference to the films Kidulthood and Adulthood as now my hypothesis has been decided and they play a big part in my argument. So here we go....results shall be posted when i get a good mix of people taking it.
1) What sex are you?
- Male
- Female
2) Do you or anyone you know carry a knife?
- Yes
- No
3) If there were no laws against carrying a knife or stabbing anyone, would you carry one?
- Yes
- No
4) If yes, then why?
- Protection
- To look cool
- To stab anyone who does anything wrong
- Because other people would be
Other _________________________
5) Have you seen either Kidulthood or Adulthood?
- Yes
- No
6) If yes, did you feel an attraction to carrying a knife after the film?
- Yes
- No
7) When reading or hearing about another knife crime victim, what would be your top reaction?
- "Poor soul"
- "The person probably deserved it"
- "I'm scared it might happen to me"
- "I'll carry a knife then as well"
hopefully that is gooooood enough!
oh survey, i love you
Sunday 31 August 2008
From Kidulthood to Adulthood....
Adulthood and Kidulthood remain a favourite in the urban teenager's film collection. With it's gritty storylines and reflection on the realities of a teenager living in the modern urban world, it attracts young audiences to watch and idolise the fictional characters on the screen.
However, is it right for such young people to be looking up to the actions these characters are acting out?
After watching both films, I find it alarming and disturbing the violence and filth that is being shown to an audience who are as young as 15 (or possibly younger if they have managed to see the 15 certificate film).
The first film of the two remains to be the most distressing with violent bullying, prostitution, casual sex, drug dealing and most importantly knife crime.
Knives are produced throughout the film, with our first glimpse of one about 50 minutes into the film when one of the youths we follow throughout the film reveals it when him and his friends get into a brawl with two other youths they just happened to accidently bump into. And the worrying scene when 15 year old Trife's drug dealing uncle makes him carve into a man's face. Accompanying these attacks, there are also continuous reference to knives when one youth threatens another with the act of "shanking them up".
The sequel to Kidulthood, Adulthood, doesn't seem to pose any better. With the main character, Sam, being stabbed towards the beginning of the film telling it's audience that this film is going to be violent and troubling.
However, the teenagers and young adults watching both these films may not see it as a warning. They may see it as rebelious and attractive and strive to be like their idol in the film, copying what they do if they are confronted in a situation, or indeed create the situation themselves.
In the films, using a knife seems to be connotated as either a way out, revenge or just giving somebody what they believe they deserve. Knife use in the films are violent and show the gorey effects of it but never seize to show the reality of it. In Kidulthood, when Trife carves into the man's face, we never know what happens to the man in the end. Whilst it may seem that it isn't a fatal kind of knife attack, some situations can change that view and all knife attacks can prove to be fatal. In Adulthood, Sam get's stabbed in the shoulder towards the beginning of the film, however he still appears to have the strength to get up and kick his attacker onto the floor and then threaten him with the knife. The films may be applauded for reflecting the shabby facts of life for young people in urban ares, but it lacks the massive truth in the actions the characters are carrying out. That people can die from any stab wound.
This missing part of the truth causes a huge change in the behaviour of the youths around us as they are led to believe that a stab wound won't get them into big trouble and then they carry around a knife and use it when it pleases them.
I believe films and tv are the main culprits for the increase in knife crime amongst young people. These technologies are what are most popular in a teenager's life and when they are young and naive, they can be stupid and believe and copy anything they see and think may be 'wreckless fun'.
Films before Kidulthood and Adulthood involving knives and guns may have just been a gangster type film or action film but when these two British films arrived on the scene, it became a lot easier for young people to want to mirror what they see on the screen.
However, is it right for such young people to be looking up to the actions these characters are acting out?
After watching both films, I find it alarming and disturbing the violence and filth that is being shown to an audience who are as young as 15 (or possibly younger if they have managed to see the 15 certificate film).
The first film of the two remains to be the most distressing with violent bullying, prostitution, casual sex, drug dealing and most importantly knife crime.
Knives are produced throughout the film, with our first glimpse of one about 50 minutes into the film when one of the youths we follow throughout the film reveals it when him and his friends get into a brawl with two other youths they just happened to accidently bump into. And the worrying scene when 15 year old Trife's drug dealing uncle makes him carve into a man's face. Accompanying these attacks, there are also continuous reference to knives when one youth threatens another with the act of "shanking them up".
The sequel to Kidulthood, Adulthood, doesn't seem to pose any better. With the main character, Sam, being stabbed towards the beginning of the film telling it's audience that this film is going to be violent and troubling.
However, the teenagers and young adults watching both these films may not see it as a warning. They may see it as rebelious and attractive and strive to be like their idol in the film, copying what they do if they are confronted in a situation, or indeed create the situation themselves.
In the films, using a knife seems to be connotated as either a way out, revenge or just giving somebody what they believe they deserve. Knife use in the films are violent and show the gorey effects of it but never seize to show the reality of it. In Kidulthood, when Trife carves into the man's face, we never know what happens to the man in the end. Whilst it may seem that it isn't a fatal kind of knife attack, some situations can change that view and all knife attacks can prove to be fatal. In Adulthood, Sam get's stabbed in the shoulder towards the beginning of the film, however he still appears to have the strength to get up and kick his attacker onto the floor and then threaten him with the knife. The films may be applauded for reflecting the shabby facts of life for young people in urban ares, but it lacks the massive truth in the actions the characters are carrying out. That people can die from any stab wound.
This missing part of the truth causes a huge change in the behaviour of the youths around us as they are led to believe that a stab wound won't get them into big trouble and then they carry around a knife and use it when it pleases them.
I believe films and tv are the main culprits for the increase in knife crime amongst young people. These technologies are what are most popular in a teenager's life and when they are young and naive, they can be stupid and believe and copy anything they see and think may be 'wreckless fun'.
Films before Kidulthood and Adulthood involving knives and guns may have just been a gangster type film or action film but when these two British films arrived on the scene, it became a lot easier for young people to want to mirror what they see on the screen.
Thursday 14 August 2008
Back into the swing of things...
Right so, i haven't done any work recently and i figured i should do some just to get back into the habit of it.
I have decided to look at the films Adulthood and Kidulthood to see how the street violence (mainly the knife crime) in the films influence teenagers into following the film and being a copycat.
I am interested in finding teenagers that find they have to carry a knife themselves or carry out any act of street violence on others, whether they have been reading about the crimes in the newspapers or watching it on the tv or just simply watching films that are strong in teenage violence and glamourise it to the public.
Seeing knife crime constantly in the media can have three effects on people;
- Shock them into seeing the consequences and turning their backs on committing the crime.
- Make them fear it may just happen to them and therefore they feel the need to carry a knife themselves in 'defence'.
- Make them want to carry a knife because it seems that everyone else is and it can make them feel 'hard'.
Different types of media can have different effects on people, the news giving off more of a shock towards teenagers whereas films such as Kidulthood and Adulthood, which have a target audience of teenagers and young adults, will glamourise the use of knives and street crime as teenagers look to these films as enjoyment and entertainment and may want to copy their favourite characters in it.
With my hypothesis in place, i am ready to devise another survey to be carried out for deffinate in the next few days to gather the facts on whether teenagers feel the need to carry knives after seeing coverage on the news or the films that have made it into the mainstream.
I have decided to look at the films Adulthood and Kidulthood to see how the street violence (mainly the knife crime) in the films influence teenagers into following the film and being a copycat.
I am interested in finding teenagers that find they have to carry a knife themselves or carry out any act of street violence on others, whether they have been reading about the crimes in the newspapers or watching it on the tv or just simply watching films that are strong in teenage violence and glamourise it to the public.
Seeing knife crime constantly in the media can have three effects on people;
- Shock them into seeing the consequences and turning their backs on committing the crime.
- Make them fear it may just happen to them and therefore they feel the need to carry a knife themselves in 'defence'.
- Make them want to carry a knife because it seems that everyone else is and it can make them feel 'hard'.
Different types of media can have different effects on people, the news giving off more of a shock towards teenagers whereas films such as Kidulthood and Adulthood, which have a target audience of teenagers and young adults, will glamourise the use of knives and street crime as teenagers look to these films as enjoyment and entertainment and may want to copy their favourite characters in it.
With my hypothesis in place, i am ready to devise another survey to be carried out for deffinate in the next few days to gather the facts on whether teenagers feel the need to carry knives after seeing coverage on the news or the films that have made it into the mainstream.
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