When I first looked at the two images in the course notes, I immediately thought it was a film set.  I did not, as suggested, feel uncomfortable.  It was clearly a model town, built for what ever purpose, built somewhere, probably in the UK.  The image of Flicks Night Club showed the traffic would be travelling on the left because of the position of the lines in the road.

The text suggested I should feel unsafe, but while I assumed it was a film set I felt completely neutral.  I imaged a film crew and actors working at their respective crafts. The title “Public Order” did not give anything away, I just assumed that the set had been used for a police drama.

Then I discovered the buildings had been constructed as a police training site.  As soon as I understood the context of the buildings, I became curious.  I am aware that all service personnel, police, firemen, paramedics all have to train and in order to do this they must train in as close to a real situation as possible.  I am now interested in learning more, how do they use the buildings, what scenarios do they work through?

I question the wording in the course text:

By using a visual strategy that makes us question and probe the work, Pickering enables us to challenge society norms that we take for granted or wouldn’t otherwise think about.

[OCA, Context and Narrative course text, page 36]

The term “society norm” is a subjective term, not quantifiable as it is used here, therefore I am not clear what society norm is being taken for granted.

The narrative I took from these images is one of safety and reassurance.

I consider “Public Order” is a very effective use of documentary as it draws to our attention the processes the police go through in this country to train.  I certainly would like to know more about how they use the buildings and what happens during a training session.