Stereotyping - Ethnic Minority Groups

Ethnic Minority Stereotypes

MARXISTS

The GUMG

News and current affairs are nationalistic and present developing countries as experiencing a range of problems; disasters, wars and famines.

• South Asian Tsunami 2004 : sold as a dramatic bad news story where Western's were pictured handing out food and relief - 'saving the day'. 

• Such portrayals reinforce capitalist system by showing superiority of Western culture.

+ Note ways in which news coverage is essentially negative, nationalistic and serves white RC interests

NEO-MARXISTS

HALL (1989)

Basic representations of blacks in cinema and TV are as natives, entertainers or slaves. This transmits 2 messages;

• Inferior (slaves/natives)
• Amusements (entertainers)

--> MALIK (2002) argrees and says today's Afro-C's continue to be represented as entertainers through sport, music, light entertainment and comedy. 

= Only allowed to excel in certain areas, such as sport/music that require physical, not intellectual skills.

+ TV representations buy the idea that blacks are less intellectual or intelligent, or that they exist for amusement for the whites. Focusing on the idea of white RC supremacy.

- PM's : changing...more in intellectual roles. Trevor McDonald is a famous BBC news presenter.

NEO-MARXIST

HALL (1978) 

'Crisis of capitalism' created deep social and economic problems that led to the media labelling of 'black muggers'.

• When the media began to label back men as a threat to society, the moral panic served the interests of the RC by distracting the public's attention away from the failings of the elite and towards black WC men.
• Created class conflict between whites and black WC, as white WC groups began to mistrust balck men.

+ Recognises that the media can construct deviancy in the form of class conflict. Hall saw an increase in racial incidents, fighting and harrassment.

- Fails to recognise the possibility that the media moral panics may be less influential today than in the 1960s and 70s. 

Since 9/11 and 7/7, moral panic about Islam and coverage of Muslim culture has been negative.

HARGRAVE (2002)

Muslim's themselves are uneasy about the growth of the stereotype, complainging about tokenism, unrealistic and simplistic portrayals of their community.

• Identity 'Muslim' has become stigmatized that brings harrassment and fear for British Muslims who have little sympathy with Islamic fundamentalism. 

+ Recognise how news media stereotype Muslims as terrorists, which the Muslim community are unhappy with themselves.

- Fail to recognise how stereotypes of Muslim's are changing.

--> ABERCROMBIE (1996) nowhere are positive changes more apparent than in soaps - treated as ordinary people rather than dangerous to others. 

E.G ; In Eastenders, The Masood's are a family well integrated into the community at Albert Square. Father is hardworking/committed to family life, 1 son is academic and the other is gay.