VALS (Values and Lifestyles)

Thinkers- is a category of people who are motivated by ideals. Order, knowledge and responsibility are important to them. They are well educated. Reasonable incomes.

Values are: Durability, functionality, value in products.

Thinks about things before they do it.

Well educated and usually have high paying jobs.

Believers- is a category of people who are motivated by ideals. Moral codes and established order are important to them.

Values are: Familiar products and tend to be loyal customers.

Who are stuck into their own ideals, to the point of forcing it on others. They are also not interested in change. Stick to the same thing. Older people who didn’t grow up with this often stick with this. Asks opinions before even considering, will try to test it before also.

Achievers- Motivated by the desire to succeed and are goal orientated, they are not big TV watchers and are time savers because they are always busy.

Strivers- Want to be something, but can’t quite get there, they are active consumers (as much as allows). People who’ll try everything new. Almost opposite to a believer. Constantly looking for better. When they find something new they will stick to it, then change once something better appears. Youth will often fall into this category as they grew up with this constant change.

Experiencers- they are motivated by self-expression. They will try anything, go out and do anything. They are people that are enthusiastic and are Avid consumers. They go out and buy every brand new product. They have to keep up with trends.

Makers- Motivated by self-expression, practical work is a focus, tend to be suspicious and they are people that tend to be unimpressed by material possessions. They are more comfortable with basics rather than luxury gifts. Very kinaesthetic. Would probably watch bigger, better, faster; Top Gear; cooking shows. People into making and doing something.

Innovators- Large disposable income, and they are people who enjoy the finer things in life. They are successful and sophisticated. Younger people in 20 to early 30’s. City life style. Depicted on a lot of lifestyle programs, eg desperate housewives is a suburbia version of them.

Survivors- People with few resources are considered survivors. They will be loyal to familiar brands and are modest consumers. People who can survive on nothing or need the minimum to survive, not interested in trends as long as they're comfortable.

Welcome New GCSE Students!

This is your first port of call for any work which we carry out in your Media Studies lessons. We (your teachers) will post up the resources which we cover in your lessons; so if you miss any lesson you will know what was covered (remember it is your responsibility to catch up if you miss any lessons). 

You should also use this blog to help you consolidate the learning which we do in lessons; it is ESSENTIAL that you carry out independent learning in addition to the teaching hours which you have timetabled.

Here's a brief list to give you an idea of the type of things which you should be doing:

• Researching the topic which you are taught in the lesson by looking at on-line resources and expanding your knowledge of this, this will consolidate your understanding of the topic, and help you develop your own opinions

• Reading a reputable broadsheet newspaper (such as The Guardian or The Independent) regularly so that you stay on top of current Media issues. The Guardian on a Monday has a Media supplement which is excellent, and I would highly recommend you reading this each week

• Rewriting your notes which you made in class and putting them into easy to remember formats- you should know by now how you learn best so apply this to your after lesson work 

• Add to the notes which you made in class by expanding on the topic in your own independent learning time

• Finally as Media Studies students you must be experimenting and developing your creativity all of the time; this includes producing your own media texts independently. There is a wealth of resources available to you to help you produce, edit and distribute your own media texts.

The one thing which all of the past students who achieved A*s at the end of their Media Studies course have in common is that they were independent learners who had a desire to achieve and carried out learning outside of class time. So use this and start as you mean to go on! 

We will be having a regular folder/blog check at the end of each two week cycle to check that you are carrying out independent work and adding it to your learning folders.

Write this blog address on the front of your folder, this will remind you to keep checking it and to use it to take your learning further: www.chenderitmediagcse.blogspot.co.uk