Textual Analysis: Eastenders

Q: How is class represented in this scene?

From this sequence of scenes we get the impression that the characters are portrayed in a negative way. Working class families are presented as argumentative and conflictuous. This is evident in all the arguments the characters have; e.g. the wife accussing the husband of having an affair. This demonstrates a serious underlying issue of trust which the husband tries to cover with light-humour. However there are some positive portrayals of working class families, such as the father dominating over his daughter in a patriotic, protective manner. He is being presented by a low-angle shot which instantly shows his dominance. This could imply that working class families value their family and relationships.
The main types of jobs represented are mannual labour jobs such as the kitchen workers, suggesting that working class characters are not professionally trained and thus some are unemplyed. This adds a sense of realism as the audience (mainly working class themselves) can relate to the characters' jobs. Ethnicities are represented in a positive light as all races are mixing together which shows that the working class accept each other. This is most evident when the asian man in showing a group of people a sonogram of a baby. Their compact body language implies that they are comfortable with being around each other and shows them as a community. As a whole, the community is presented as a conflictuous, working class bunch of people with serious underlying issues, however this contrasts another view that they are close, caring and accepting of one another.
This sequence presents action in domestic settings that attempt to create verisimilitude; a pub, a kitchen, home. This shows that they don't have highly paid jobs, suggesting yet again that they are uneducated. I think that the pub shows an old, traditional setting which portras the idea of the working class valueing traditional aspects, such as caring for your family. The costumes reflect their class; the casual high-street clothes show that they don't have much money because of their low-paid jobs. The work uniform shown in the kitchen, is a visual reminder of their manual labour jobs which instantly mirrors their hierarchical status.

Throughout the sequence, colliqual language is being used which adds a sense of realism of an eastend community. However, their use of slang to say "nah" instead of "no" as well as their own phrases and eastend accents may be interpreted as an insult, as it suggests a stereotypical view that the working-cass are uneducated and are inable to articulate correctly. This would show the working class yet again in a negative light.
In terms of cinematography, there are variations of different shots. The main shot used frequently throughout the sequence is the mid-shot which can be used in an argument for effect, e.g. the shot reverse shot instantly groups the characters onto teams in an argument, i.e. the husband and the group against the wife in the kitchen, with their son stuck inbetween the two. In that scene, close-ups were used to highlight the reactions of the characters. A two-shot was used in the pub to unite the two characters, which contrasts the over the shoulder shots that heighten conflictuous conversations. There was one pont of view shot which resulted in nestalgia; we were in the shoes of the father looking at a doll in a box from his daughter's childhood. This highlights working class families respecting traditional values. As this is a TV drama, there is no non-diegetic sound which establishes that sense of realism. However the diegetic sound i.e. the dialogue, shows argumentative natures which establishes negativity once more.
This sequence of scenes shows the working class in a mainly negative, stereotypical way; as having argumentative natures, unerlying issues and no high education. However it is not totally negative as no particular group can be totally bad and thus it shows their positive aspects too.