This document provides guidance on contextual factors to consider when analyzing a drama set in a particular era. It lists historical, political, economic, social, and cultural aspects that would help understand the time period including important events, leadership, technologies, daily life, traditions, and popular culture. The feedback section lists scholars whose work could provide further insights into analyzing media contexts.

1. Context of D83
What else do you need to know?

4. Context What you need to consider
Historical  What era is the drama set in? What date is it set in?
 What important events or issues were happening at the time?
Political  Which political party was in power?
 Who was the prime minister/ president / at the time if known?
 How was power achieved in the country at the time in which the drama is set?
 What important political issues or problems were there at the time that may have affected
relations with other countries or conflict within the country itself? How do they affect how power
is used?
Economic  What technologies were there at the time in which the drama is set?
 How did companies produce and distribute consumer goods and services?
 Which companies were household names?
Social  Which society is the drama set in? What social identity do we associate with them?
 How do people go about their daily lives – what structures and functions are in place that we see
them take part in e.g. families, religion, law, communications, education, government?
 Were there any social conflicts at the time the drama is set?
Cultural  Which traditions or products help to identify the social group within the society in which the
drama is set? (Americans, West Germans, East Germans etc.) Which sub-cultures were common at
the time? How do they identify themselves as a group?
 What popular cultural products were there at the time (films, music, TV, games)? What were
popular genres in film, TV and music? What activities did people take part in? What transport did
they use? What did they like to eat and drink?
 How did people consume media and cultural products? What technologies did they use to do this?
What things did people say? How did they communicate?

5. Feedback from homework
• (Hesmondhalgh)
• Hall
• Van Zoonen
• Strauss