How Are Characters in Current Television or Film Texts Coded in Relation To Race - Essay Example

?How are characters in current or recent television or film texts specifically d in relation to race and/or ethni “As a way of categorizing people, race is based upon a delusion because popular ideas about racial classification lack scientific validity and are moulded by political pressures rather than by the evidence from biology” Banton & Harwood, 1975: 8 Introduction: The role of media in creating and perpetuating dominant images through public representation of socio-cultural relations is undeniable. Popular media is inarguably one of the most influential tools in promoting and popularizing the socio-cultural images, encouraging and at times emphasising the difference between 'us' and 'them'; and mobilizing collective ideologies of its audience with regard to stereotypical images of the west and the rest. Given the power, extent, and outreach of popular media – including films and television, the social construction of characters belonging to racial and ethnic minorities are bound to have a significant impact on the wider audience (Downing & Husband, 2005). Signorielli (2001) described television as "the nation’s primary story-teller" (p. 36) engaged in the role of continuously 'feeding' its audience with healthy doses of what can be construed as 'mainstream' views (Gerbner et al., 2002). The representation of racial and ethnic minorities in films and television, hence, is a critical subject of analysis and needs to be explored because the sheer extent of media outreach and the number of ardent viewers these forms of popular media attract almost ensure a greater social impact over a period of time (Mastro & Greenberg, 2000). This essay aims to highlight, explore, and analyse the manner in which these popular mediums of communication particularly films and television portray racially and ethnically diverse characters; the gradual shift in such portrayals over time; followed by the influence and impact of the same supported by theoretical implications of such representation. The examples discussed as a part of the study include popular films and television shows from the UK, U.S., and Canada. Media representation of racial / ethnic minorities: An Overview Hall (1981) stated that media as a key tool of propagating ideologies often uses the platform to generate representations of the socio-cultural environment around us by way of images and characters. These characters in turn accentuate the understanding of its audience with regard to the manner in which the world around is and influence them to interpret the messages coded therein with regard to the members of the racial and ethnic minorities. The persistent portrayal of such images leads such characters and / or images to become naturalized enabling the viewers to understand these images and characters in the way they are portrayed (p. 11). Cultural theorists focused on investigating cultural and racial representations in popular media have identified the portrayal of 'whiteness' as the dominant theme and as a strategic rhetoric. The images and characters associated with the dominant white population are often indicative of their privileged status in both films as well as on prime time television shows and /or soap operas. It is also often argued that 'whiteness' is often the most dominant and overarching norm against which all other races are measured and compared (Ott, 2010: p. 139). African-Americans have consistently been under-represented as compared to their white counterparts in films and television programs in the United States (Wilson, 1996; Dixon & Rosenbaum, 2004). Although there has been a commendable and dramatic change in trend with regard to portrayal of racial and ethnic minorities on television shows and films over the years, the blacks continue to be either under-represented or portrayed in characters / roles that tend to perpetuate and even increase stereotyping (Dill, 2013: p. 253). Most of the popular television shows aired during the previous decade often included Caucasians as key protagonists with supporting characters portrayed by actors belonging to the racial or ethnic minority - thus emphasising the 'tokenism' concept. Popular television shows including Seinfeld and Friends for instance comprised mainly of a predominantly Caucasian cast with regular appearances by actors of racial or ethnic minorities. However there has been a significant shift in trend whereby most of the popular shows currently aired now include members from the racial minorities in pivotal roles or as characters with recurring appearances on some of the most popular television shows. These include CBS's The Big Bang Theory - with Raj an Indian astrophysicist is one of the fixed cast on the show, Shahzad Latif, also a regular cast in Channel 4's - The Toast of London; and Musharaf in Channel 4's humane documentary Educating Yorkshire; Sophia Vergara – who plays a Hispanic character in the breakout star of ABC's award winning sitcom Modern Family. The increasing presence of these racially diverse characters / actors on screen today is indicative of the shift in the portrayal of racial and ethnic minorities in television. The representation of Latinos or Hispanics in American films and television was also highly stereotypical with most of them depicted as side characters who were lazy, poor, ignorant, illegal immigrants, criminals and 'foreign' (Javier & Berumen, 1995: p. 271). Similarly people from Oriental countries were also subject to harsh stereotyping and rarely had a presence in the popular media. Their conspicuous absence on prime time television shows was compensated with their presence as ‘ninjas’ who excelled in martial arts in Hollywood films. Popular Hollywood films such as the Karate Kid, depicted an old martial arts trainer from Oriental background perpetuating their stereotypical image. Dominant ideologies and racial representation: Most of the contemporary theorists focusing on the issue of media representations of racial minorities have argued that people belonging to racially diverse population do not enjoy equal representation in the popular media, thus indicating that they are often under-represented. Furthermore more often than not, the racially diverse characters are marginalised by the dominant white ideology whereby ‘whiteness’ is portrayed as the ‘norm’ while the rest of them i.e. the non-whites are portrayed as ‘foreign’ or different. Hall (1990) claims that such deliberate segregation in characterization is not merely a consequence of political and economic agendas of the countries but a deliberate move to portray the racial minorities as ‘different’ from the majority Caucasian population. The persistent portrayal of ‘whiteness’ as normal leads to a significant impact on the audience, particularly those belonging to the racial minorities influencing them to believe in these self-representations and compelling them to conform to the norms or risk being perceived as ‘foreign’ regardless. One of the dominant ideologies that played a key role in the negative stereotyping of racial minorities especially with regard to the representation of Blacks in British society was their image as rebellious and aggressive people with a social problem. Most of the television programs and documentaries aired on British television during the 1950s through 1960s played on this ideology whereby the Blacks were consistently represented as socially deviant (Malik, 2002). The shift in representation of racial minorities away from their stereotypical image to a relatively liberal portrayal in recent times could be attributed to the change in political agendas of the British government which took active steps to embrace and integrate multiculturalism within the mainstream British culture. Such assimilation of racial minorities by the British government was reflected in the media policies as well which increasingly began to include more and more racially diverse characters in pivotal roles on popular prime time television shows, as a part of its new race relations policy. Hence the racial minorities who were so far being portrayed with dominant ideologies revolving around key themes such as 'immigrants'; 'crime'; and 'over- crowding' were now being portrayed as part of mainstream British population (Malik, 2002). Such persistent representations of ‘whiteness’ is known to influence the understanding of the racial minorities with regard to their roles and image in the society causing them to question their own identities in the process. The construction of identity is cultural process which is perpetuated through images portrayed by the popular media. The images and characters depicted in films and on television shows attracts a larger audience – majority of whom are White with little or no experience and/ or interaction with the racial minorities, causing them to readily consume these images and misrepresentations believing it to be true and accurate portrayal of the people belonging to the said race / ethnicity. Identity is an ever-changing aspect of individuals which often undergoes change and transformations based on the interaction of such individuals with others around them. Hall (1990) with regard to the concept of identity of racial and ethnic minorities as portrayed in films and television suggests that in order to enable effective understanding of the concept of identity it must not be perceived as an “already accomplished historical fact”. On the contrary it must be perceived as “a production, which is never complete, always in process, and always constituted within, not outside, representation’ (p. 51)” Hall’s definition of identity as an ever-changing concept was proved to be accurate, decades later when the stereotypical moulds to which the racial minorities were subjected to finally gave way to a relatively liberal and open depiction. The racial minorities who were so far relegated to secondary status in films and television are now increasingly gaining visibility. Contemporary television is now rapidly breaking stereotypical barriers constructed previously and redefining the racial minorities as is, in the modern multicultural society. Most of the popular television shows currently being aired include actors from racially and ethnically diverse communities in prominent roles and often as romantic partners to prominent Caucasian characters. The theme of mixed couples being increasingly integrated and depicted on current television shows portrays the rapidly changing socio-cultural perceptions and dynamics in modern society. Some of television’s famous mixed racial couples include Rose and Bernard in ABC's Lost; Shirley and Abed in NBC's The Community; Bonnie and Damon in CW's The Vampire Diaries; Naevia and Crixus in STAR'z Spartacus; Mindy and Danny in Fox's The Mindy Project among many others. Assimilation: Assimilation is a type of racial representation whereby the experiences of people belonging to racial or ethnic minorities are often portrayed in a way that defy their conventional stereotypical image / representation. It enables the positive portrayal of racial /ethnic minorities by stripping them off their cultural identities and portraying them with equal and at times, better economic standings compared to their white counterparts minus their historical background of struggle or inequality (Ott, 2010: p. 141). The character of ‘Raj’ from the popular sitcom CBS's popular sitcom the Big Bang Theory, for instance is an Indian immigrant who works as an astrophysicist - a typical positive stereotype of 'smart' Asians. His character is depicted as one belonging to a wealthy family. His rich family background is often emphasized in various episodes such as in Episode 4 of Season 5 where his rich background is often highlighted going against the stereotypical image of Asian immigrants. Similarly in the long running Australian television soap opera Coronation Street the characters of Indian origin i.e. the Kapoors are portrayed devoid of their stereotypical image - that with a noticeable foreign accent, constant references to Bollywood music, or religion. The Kapoors are represented as a regular Australian family Also in one of Britain's long running and highly popular soap opera 'Coronation Street' also has managed to break the stereotypical portrayal of the racial minorities. The character of Sunita - a character of an Indian origin defied the conventional norms through portrayal of one-night stands and divorce - which is in stark contrast to the stereotypical image of the community. Her character, in the actor's own words is not 'defined by her origin, family, friends or environment' but by her individual self (BBC, 2012). Race Relations: Race relations are often portrayed in the form of sitcoms or comedies and hence may often include deliberate emphasis on the racial or ethnic background of the character to generate humour. According to Medhurt (1989) the key goal of comedy shows or sitcoms is “to police the ideological boundaries of a culture, to act as a border guard on the frontiers between the dominant and the subordinate, to keep laughter in the hands of the powerful’ (p. 16)”. According to Gillespie (2002) the comedies of the previous decades mostly reflected the anxieties and reluctance on the part of the mainstream media to accommodate and assimilate the racial minorities as well as to defy their stereotypical image. Such representations were a larger part of the political agendas of the government where the predominant ideology of British identity was associated with ‘whiteness’. However the change in race relations policy over the years allowed for greater assimilation and inclusion of the racial minorities into mainstream programming giving way to formation of new ideologies with regard to people of colour. Bourne (1989) stated that historically British television and soap operas in particular deliberately refrained from including racial minorities in their plots since their inclusion was perceived as amounting to disruption of the key plot of the show which focused on the norm i.e. whiteness. Hence the rare occasions where characters from racial minorities were included in the show their roles were strictly restricted to stereotypical roles and characterisation and were most often under-played and undervalued (p. 129). Similar to the British multicultarism media policy the Canadian television shows have also increasingly started to embrace multiculturalism. This is apparent from the increasing presence of racial minorities on prominent television shows and films who are now enjoying greater visibility than ever before. The popular Canadian television show The Border aired on CBC, includes a racially diverse set of characters, one of the prominent of them being the character of a Canadian Muslim woman named Layla Hourani who plays a sergeant in the show. Layla is one of the primary characters in the show and indicates the manner in which her portrayal defies the norm and stereotypical image of Muslims who are and have been consistently perceived as terrorists or of suspicious. The stereotypical image of Muslim woman who is passive, dependent and highly religious is also defied by the character of Layla who is not only tolerant and secular but also strong and independent, a trait often associated with a typical Canadian white woman. Layla is depicted as a 'westernised' Muslim woman who is not shy of her identity and / or ethnicity and values her job over her religion and at the same time communicating the ideology that good Muslims do not kill each other, insisting that if they do it is her job to arrest them. The show makes a commendable effort to defy racial stereotypes, portrays one of the most vulnerable racial communities in a positive light, and in the process broadens the portrayal and presentation of Canadian Muslims. Another character from the same show, Sally, is an Aboriginal woman is portrayed as living on a reserve and a computer genius. Her character is also depicted as strong, independent yet untrustworthy. The character Agent Liz Carver played by Canadian Actress of Korean origin, Grace Park in one of the pivotal roles in the show is also indicative of the increasing visibility of racial minorities. The portrayal of these minorities i.e. Muslims, Aboriginals, and Asians in itself indicates the change in trends and the increasing acceptance of racial minorities into mainstream media. The Canadian sitcom 'Little Mosque on the Prairie' aired on CBC network comprises of an all Asian cast with Muslim characters as the central to the plot and aims at mocking Islamophobic assumptions in a fun and comical way and at the same time portraying the key characters as similar in essence to the regular average Canadian who follow the dominant faith Christianity. The widespread popularity of the show lies in its uninhibited portrayal of Canadian Muslims and representation of gender, race, religion, sexuality, as well as socio-economic backgrounds in a comical way. Contemporary television and films are seen to increasingly accommodate and embrace multiculturalism reflecting the changes in society. Although such changes have successfully overcome the dominant racial stereotyping of ethnic minorities they have at the same time reinforced new modern forms of racism and stereotyping (Cashmore, 2013: p. 370). The portrayal of blacks in contemporary media has changed significantly over time allowing the black characters to break away from their negative stereotypical image consisting of 'gangsters', social deviants, aggressive, and dangerous convicts to high status roles at par with their white counterparts. They are now increasingly being portrayed as educated, intelligent, diligent and motivated workers. This shift in roles / characters is seen across genders and is indicative of the growing multiculturalism and growing presence of racially and ethnically diverse population both on and off-screen (Dill, 2013). The changing scope of characters belonging to racially diverse communities and the increased visibility over time implies that the distinct differences in construction of identities of the racial minorities have now blurred resulting in a more liberal and relatively realistic portrayal of the migrant communities. The media images of the past which enforced stereotypical representation of the minorities have paved way to a more open depiction of such characters which despite their apparent racial differences carry an innate native characteristic trait within them of the country they now call home. The shift in media representation is consistent across all major television networks in the Western world including the UK, US, Canada and Australia. Theoretical implications: Research indicates that there is a strong association between exposure to televised portrayals of race and /or ethnicity and social construction of gender or social stereotyping of the racial community depicted in popular media. The significant rise in television viewership over the years further increases the likelihood of wide scale consumption of media generated images of racial minorities causing the audience to form opinions regarding that particular race or ethnicity merely based on their portrayal in films and television. The cultivation theory helps in explaining this complex relationship between portrayal of racial minorities by the popular media and the construction of social identities (Gerbner et al., 2002). The theory posits that persistent exposure to racially stereotypical images causes a radical change in the perception among viewers about people / communities belonging to that particular race or ethnicity. This is mainly because of viewers tend to confuse the fictional characterisation of racial minorities for reality regardless of the accuracy or the fact that such portrayal is strictly for entertainment purposes. Also, television is perceived as the sole provider of information about socio-cultural norms and as the key contributor to the social construction of identities of the people in society (Prosser & Sitaram, 1999: p. 148). The excessive reliance of television audiences on the images portrayed on popular shows and films causes inaccurate interpretations of the racial minorities which ultimately translates into racial segregation, prejudicial attitudes towards the racial minorities, and other negative implications on social interactions between the majority Caucasian population and the racial minorities (Valdivia, 2010: p. 171). Conclusion: The above discussions indicate that although the popular media has consistently endorsed stereotypical portrayal of racial minorities despite them being underrepresented in the popular media. Such misrepresentation or underrepresentation was largely attributed to the socio-political agendas of the state during that period of time. The stereotypical representation was hence politically motivated however the eventual rise in visibility of the racial minorities can also be attributed to the shift in political agendas in Britain as well as in Canada in particular where the government took special initiatives to ensure greater assimilation of its rising multicultural and multiethnic population. Furthermore the discussion also helped in highlighting the undeniable presence of racial minorities in the physical world which was then eventually translated on screen. 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