Transcribed text and analysis

Why women shouldn’t vote:

j: its your friend james the preacher here(3) why women shouldn’t be allowed to vote(2) well number one(1) it would just get them angry(1)  these feminists need to be outraged by mennn(1) these women are out of control ()out of their place(1) there are some god holy women im not talking about them(1) im talking about the rest () ninty nine percent () the other (1) rebellious (1) loudmouth (1) outspoken (1) they urh think theyre in control (1) they think their equal with a man *sniff* (2) gods place is for a woman (1) urgh (1) to be in submission(1) *chuckles* (1) but the point of number one is (2) urgh (1) its worth to tell a woman not to vote just to see them go *shocked face* (4) and you know if they do that long enough (1) urgh i told a female a couple of times (1) you know their mouth was open *shocked face* ughh if you do that ‘nother fourty five seconds youll break the worlds longest record for being quiet *laughs*  (1) called the new york times() halleluya (1)

Analysis of transcribed text
Analysis of YouTube video - Why women shouldn’t vote

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_8PPc6FPL4

The first line James states, “It’s your friend James the Preacher here”. The use of the common noun “friend” makes him seem friendly and as if other people support him and what he preaches. However, as the title is “why women shouldn’t vote” this is clearly sexist and his general attitude towards women clearly shows he thinks men have a higher role in society and that women should not be allowed to same privileges. He refers to women as “feminists” and this is untrue as not all women are feminists but in general in society women would like to be equal to men. Previously women were seen as the one in the partnership that will stay at home, look after the children but he refers to them as “submission” and this is just degrading for all women. This is very outdated and referring to women as “submission” suggests they are weak unlike men who are powerful.  Now in this generation there are the same jobs for women as there are men and there are men that stay at home with their children when their partner may be working, this shows the stereotype of women and men roles are clearly outdated but James still has a stereotypical view of the genders in society. The use of the triadic structure of the three words, “rebellious, loudmouth, outspoken” emphasises his opinion on women in a negative way and there is a short one second pause between each shows he is certain and not thinking on the spot. This clear negative view of women is degrading as he assigns characteristics that maybe only some women have but there are several men that may act in that certain way too. The stereotype of women never being quiet is also mentioned as he jokes about them breaking the world record for being quiet if they do a shocked face from being told they are not allowed to vote.  He pauses for four seconds and does a shocked face for the camera and this is just insulting as he is trying to make a joke out of women. It is a very degrading video for women to watch and I am sure that the majority of women viewers would not refer to James as a “friend”, more of a prejudice man who lacks knowledge on today’s society of genders. His opinion is very strong but also unreasonable and he tries to make jocks and chuckles during the video, which may be entertaining for some male viewers who may have the same, outdated opinion.

Policing Pledging Analysis (Power)

Policing Pledging Analysis:

This extract is a leaflet of the Policing Pledge which shows a set of promises the police has when providing a service to the community. It is very formal and written to inform the public of the promises they offer to solve crime, in order of making the community a safer place for residents.

The lexical choice of the repetition of modal verbs such as “we will” “we aim” displays the willingness of cooperation from the police.  “We will” also shows certainty and this shows that the police could be seen as powerful as they can be depended on to make sure citizens are protected from harm.  The choice of personal pronouns such as “you know” “if you need us” shows they are appealing to the whole public, but as individuals. This could suggest that the police are purposely being fair to show they respect every individual equally.

There is no use of gender prejudice such as women needing more help or stereotypical scenarios that may occur, written in the pledge. This shows they are being equal and also they do not use lexical language such as “policeman” as they may sound as if males are more dominant. Therefore appealing to everyone as ” you”  and the police force as “we” shows no discrimination and everyone has equal opportunity and power within society. 

There is power within discourse as the police are giving the public the responsibility of reporting the crime that occurs in the neighbourhood so that appropriate action can be taken. There are multiple ways of contacting the police which shows the police are not placing any constraints and the citizens have flexibility in a favourite method of contact. This shows high accessibility as not only can you telephone the police as most people would do, there are also methods such as on the TV, website and kiosks and many people may be unaware of these methods. 

There is also power behind discourse as in society police are highly recognised as powerful and as a “hero” figure. This is due to them fighting crime and they are paid to provide a service, which is to protect the civilians. They have legal power of the neighbourhoods as they strictly abide by the law when solving crime.