This document discusses representations of regional identity in television drama. It defines regional identity as how someone identifies with a particular geographical area, such as a region of the UK, city, or country. Regional identity can be seen through aspects like costume, dialect, accents, settings, and class or lifestyle associations linked to different regions. The document provides examples of characteristics used to represent regional identity, such as distinctive accents and dialects. It also prompts discussing stereotypes associated with different UK regions and locations.

1. Representations of Regional Identity
G322: Key Media Concepts – TV Drama

2. Starter
Fill in the different regions of the UK on the
map.
If you’re feeling extra confident, map out where
you think towns/cities of the UK are.
Check the filled in map and see if you were
right!

3. Regional Identity
Is about defining a geographical area within which
someone identifies. Could be one of the regions
of the UK you looked at, a city/town, or even a
country e.g. England, Wales. You might identify
more as being British than as English, or you
might consider being a Londoner is more
significant than another, wider geographical
location, etc.

4. Regional Identity cont.
Regional identity can be categorised in relation to a number of
things including:-
• The hair/makeup/clothing (costume) associated with a
certain area (flatcaps in Co. Durham, hair rollers in Liverpool!)
• Dialect/accents
• Setting (e.g. Rolling countryside of Yorkshire Dales or the
urban jungle of inner city London)
• Class/lifestyle associations (e.g. North east traditionally
linked to mining and manual labour, thus working class
associations may dominate. London/south east linked to
professional jobs (eg?) and where the royal family live, thus
middle class/upper class/aristocratic associations)
Are there any examples of the characteristics
below you might associate with our region?

5. Accent and Dialogue
Accent:
Related to the WAY a person from a specific
regional area says something. E.g...
Dialect:
Related to the WORDS/PHRASES which are
specific to a specific regional area. E.g...

6. Discussion
There are a number of different
associations/connotations attached to
different regions or places within the UK.
For these different geographical locations and
the people from them, mindmap their
associations and stereotypes. The first one has
been done for you.

7. Our Friends in the North

8. Doc Martin

9. Screencast Activity
• Get into groups of 3/4.
• Assign each group member one of the ‘big
ideas’ we have discussed.
• Each person must note down at least 2
examples of the ways techniques construct
their idea (use technical terminology).
• Record your screencast (each person to speak
for approx. 1 minute).

10. Peer Assessment
• Swap macs with another group.
• Play the group’s screencast through and mark
it based on the criteria on the worksheet
• Swap your mark sheets back so the group can
read their feedback.
• Once you have your sheet back, discuss as a
group one target for future analyses and note
it down.