Q2: How does your magazine represent a particular social group?

A social group refers to a group of individuals having some form of social relation or interest, for instance, gender, class and subculture. Every institution has a target market and it is essential to represent their customers through the content. i.e. the images. Consequently, the customers can identify and relate to the content, arousing their interest.

My magazine is predominantly aimed at the lower middle class. The reason being, many of the lower middle class are primarily liberal which fits the lyrical content of folk music. Most songs are to protest against issues created by the leading classes, therefore middle class and upper middle class are immediately ruled out.

The values of folk music consist of naturalness, authenticity and tradition and I believe I expressed this clearly.

I have purposely selected this model as he owns several features that represent my social group. Folk music was popular amongst individuals during the hippie movement and hippie symbols purposely reflect a rebellious and disorderly style. This is present in my model’s appearance, for example, he wears his hair long and untamed, along with his facial hair which looks almost unintentional, and this promotes the idea of naturalness and rebellion. I elected a young artist as they’re more likely to rebel and challenge standard social conventions

Moreover, I selected appropriate attire to further denote my social group. I chose a faded blue shirt, with the sleeves rolled up. This is chiefly inspired by traditional English County attire, encouraging sincerity and unaffectedness, this predominantly worn by folk artists. The faded design provides a rustic impression which adds character and an authentic quality to the image. I chose to roll the sleeves up as it provides a casual exterior creating a spontaneous image. He wears a necklace, inspired bohemian style which is closely linked to folk in terms of values and fashion.

Folk is a very honest genre and is usually played or recorded before a live audience; therefore the artists are unable to conceal any flaws in their performances. This in mind, I chose to situate my model on a stage and captured him in mid-performance to present his enthusiasm of the art. I selected this particular image as the facial expression he’s wearing is extremely passionate, an emotion relating to adrenaline and rush. This implies that the included artists are passionate about music and not characterised by their fame and futile lyrics.

I chose a black and white filter as it intensifies the image, suggesting that the magazine contains profound lyrical artists. Additionally, the use colour also presents a passé quality, implying that the magazine has values which correspond with previous decades, i.e. the hippie movement. Similarly, I applied a tattered Polaroid format on my double page spread to achieve a rustic seventies quality. I also layered it in a disorderly fashion to further signify the rebellion of folk culture.

My contents page displays an image I captured during a festival I attended. It shows a large group of individuals walking in mud. I chose this image as it is earthy and grungy, corresponding with the values of folk. My contents page also shows a young male artist, located in a field. I used a field backdrop as it is a rural environment which reinforces the values of naturalness represented in folk ideology.