1. Questions on representation (Skins Series 1 Episode 1)
Gender:
Is one gender given a preferred reading over the other?
Are traditional and outmoded representation issues depicted here?
Are we revisiting the battle of the sexes, or is an inversion of patriarchal power seen here?
Sexuality:
Is the representation of sexuality an issue within the text?
Are assumptions made about the sexuality of the characters (or, indeed, its viewers)?
Are issues of sexuality taboo or part of the text’s attraction?
Age:
Is the representation of age a factor in the text?
Does the text focus on an age group and give it preferential status?
Does the text focus on teenagers or thirty-somethings, and marginalise older or younger figures?
If so, why?
Ethnicity:
Does the text give equal billing to a mixed ethnic cast?
Or does the cast offer a narrow view of society, marginalizing or prioritizing its focal characters?
Regional identity:
Most areas or regions have strong identities; most often this is done through character, but often
equally important are other aspects of mise-en-scène. Is there a strong sense of regional identity,
and is this representation positive or negative?

2. Social class and status:
British texts are said to have a preoccupation with class issues. Is this the case in the text you are
looking at?
Does the text give favourable representations of a particular class or denigrate another class?
Why?
(Physical ability)