Representation of Social Groups

How are Social Groups represented or challenged in this clip?

Clip: Eastenders (8:51-9:02)

          The stereotype represented in this Eastenders clip is that Asian parents are very harsh on their children about their education and career choices.

            The stereotype is very much enforced in this clip. One way in which the director shows this stereotype is through camera angles. During the confrontation between Zainab (mother) and Tamwar (son), they start off with a mid-close up of Tamwar. They used this to show his facial expressions and to emphasize that he is angry and annoyed. The director then did the same with Zainab to emphasize her frustration.

         Another shot type used is a two shot. This shot is used to show the proximity of the character and also to show the audience how they interact  and also to show their body language towards each other.

         Another way they show the character's feeling towards each other is using camera angles. During the scene, both characters are filmed in mid-close up. When Tamwar is being filmed using this shot type, the camera is tilted slightly down, however when Zainab is being filmed using this shot, the camera is tilted slightly upwards. This is to highlight the fact that in their situation, the mother is supposed to be superior to the child.

        One more way in which the director shows the child to be inferior to the parent is using props. Throughout the scene, Tamwar is always sat on a chair, and Zainab is standing. This is to enforce the idea that the mother is in charge, and to belittle Tamwar, even though he is an adult himself. The chair does this by literally putting Zainab at a higher level so she is looking down on him.