This document discusses social realism in film and representation. It notes that film should be viewed as a commercial medium rather than purely educational. Social realism aims to extend representation to less commonly shown groups through "social extension." The work of Lindsay Anderson strived to better represent the working class compared to previous films. Women were often portrayed as targets in early works but later represented as making larger contributions through work and society in the 1980s. In general, social realist films have focused on representing working class characters in Britain.

1. Within Social Realism

2. We should knowledge that film is a large
commercial medium instead of an educational
tool.
The phrase "social extension" means extending
the range of characters to include groups and
individuals seldom represented on screens in
mainstream cinema.

3. Lindsay Anderson
Lindsay Anderson's opinion of cinema's
treatment for the working class and what he
arrived to do was that cinema had severely
under-represented the working class his work
provides and example of the way social realist
film-makers strive to improve upon previous
conceptions of realism.

4. Representation of women
Women were represented as often the target for the
vitriolic attacks for their working class heroes.
The expectations were feisty working class female
character portrayals.
In the 1980's women were represented as being more
important through the workforce and in society as a whole.
To summarise, representation in social realist texts has
mainly focused on the working class characters in British
social realist films.