Race in the Media and Sociological Researches - Essay Example

Race in the Media When it comes to sociological impact, there is a belief that according to evidence in the media, that there are racial differences. It comes in the forms of film, advertising, print and other resources. This will discuss possible stereotypes that are present in society that have been instilled by the media. With this hypotheses that media affects society by classifying race in the media, I plan to show how this idea has been supported by research through media and sociological theories. The media is a foundation. Often it is an escape from reality, sometimes it provides news, gives people something to talk about, helps people communicate and may even influence people to hurt others. The world is shrinking and the average household in America has a television going for over seven hours per day. It is part of the sociological framework that makes people more informed about the world (Lind, 2). According to previous sociological research, people have the tendency to make snap decisions based on first impressions about people. Fine lines can often categorize in different stereotypes. Many times the impressions and perceptions are also grouped into experiences people have had in the past. Media can instill ideas into people’s minds and also can continue to keep that idea drilled into their minds. Generalizations then are simplistic and evidence that changes stereotypes might be ignored. Once people are generalized into one means of society, there may be continued beliefs and negative emotions that can even cause prejudice and discrimination. When it becomes ingrained in people’s minds, it can be difficult to erase those connotations, especially if the media continues to take people of different races and categorize them automatically (Lind, 6-8). It is then a method of structural functionalism and it attempts to explain why this correlation exists. In the media, one thing that is analysed is audience reception and how people are influenced. In the real world, audiences do take what they see in the media and apply it to real life. This then integrates what is seen in the media in consideration of race and people put it in perspective in society. It is not just in the industrialized western civilization that this is true. Due to media technology being spread globally, it also impacts people around the world and how they view race when looking at other cultures and races, influencing cross-cultural interpretations (Dines and Humez, 2). When it comes to an example of race in the media, there is an evaluation of how black sitcoms are portrayed. In television, it is normal for race to be linked to a working poor status class. An example is the character Fred of “Sanford and Son,” Fred lives in a junkyard, selling items as an entrepreneur. As time has gone on, other shows have started to break economic boundaries that were typically portrayed for white people (Means-Coleman, 79). This gave people a negative connotation of who black people were and what socio-economic status they were in. “The Cosby Show” was one of the first comedies that showed blacks as an upper-class society with Bill Cosby playing the role of a doctor. The “Fresh Prince of Bel Air,” was another sitcom portrayal where a family of blacks were educated and extremely rich, living in a mansion. However, it portrayed these two families in “whiteness.” In other words, they broke the barriers in the media and the characters and storylines were atypical of those that were black sitcoms. Blacks in sitcoms are still typically in the minds of the viewers, going hand in hand with economic deprivation and lower social class when compared to white sitcoms (Means-Coleman, 80). In sitcoms such as “Sinbad,” or “Me and the Boys,” that have black males as positive role models, it does not go un-noticed. Many people who watch this notice that some of these black men in these roles as father figures, though they are in comedic television shows, are responsible. Race and media imply that many of these shows where there is a black family, it is usually a single parent family. Shows such as “Leave it to Beaver,” or “Roseanne,” generally have a wife and husband team. The family-oriented sitcoms with black characters generally have a spouse missing (Means-Coleman, 82). These examples relate to the symbolic interactism within society with media and race as an influence to people and their day-to-day social interactions with others and even with media outlets. How does this make blacks identify themselves? When they see themselves in relation to characters that appear in sitcoms that have black main characters, some viewers do not see a congruence between how the characters are and their own self-image. While some viewers may be able to identify some similarities in black cultures, experience or depictions of ‘blackness,’ then others may not. It depends on the particular situation and as an audience member some of these viewers may be able to address any present racial discrimination when comparing society and sitcoms (Means-Coleman, 86). Sitcoms are just one area where blacks may be represented in a certain way. One thing about sitcoms on television is that viewers generally realize that the story is fictional. The characters, though they may or may not have similarities to a cultural group, are also fictional. One area that influences the framework of society through media is through the news. The thing with learning information through news media is that people assume that these connotations are true. Take for example the depictions people saw on the television during Hurricane Katrina. The stories discussed the troubles people were having in the aftermath of the hurricane in New Orleans. A lot of the coverage used media language that spoke in a controversial way that portrayed the black surviving demographic in a negative way. They used terms such as “refugees” and “evacuees” rather than “survivors.” Instead of saying that the black demographic was “finding food,” the media coverage often used descriptions such as “looting,” in their terminology (Sommers, Apfelbaum, Dukes, Toosi and Wang,40). This can lead to social conflict when people of a certain race are depicted in a light where there is a negative connotation, especially when they are in need during a huge disaster where the people needed resources rather than judgment from society. Sociologists have implied that their use of these story angles have given people a misconception of people that were affected in that area due to the hurricane. It implies that the media has the tendency to associate black people with violence and crime. The media played up the criminal activity after the hurricane, focusing on exaggeration and inaccuracy that made the black survivors look bad to others (Sommers, Apfelbaum, Dukes, Toosi and Wang, 48). This was another example of symbolic interactionism. People can owe it to the media for their stereotypes and racial profiling of blacks in some instances. Think of movies that have been seen. Black people are often surrounded by crime, drugs, and women. Producers of films and television shows that are more risqué depict black people in a very bad light. It is not healthy for society because it is implying that a certain group of people are a certain way. Throughout history, black males have been racially profiled as a group of physically threatening people (Welch, 278). That is just like saying that all grapes are green. It is not true and groups all types into one category. This causes people to assume that black people in society act a different way. It is true that some blacks or African Americans may have different cultural values. However, when living in a world that is becoming smaller, it is necessary to practice tolerance of all races and ethnicities in order to live together with minimal conflict. People who are black can be portrayed to be bad people. On the other hand, stations such as BET (Black Entertainment Network) exist. There is no media outlet just for white music and entertainment. Where do people draw the lines? In this discussion, there has been proof that different media outlets have used race to make people out to be something that they are not. This theory is supported with numerous journals and publications about the correlation between the two. Media can help build a social framework and instill an idea into people’s minds. However, for the sake of functioning, people should attempt to acknowledge that it does exist and to not let it influence them in one way or another. The depictions of people are not always what they seem. Works Cited Dines, Gail, and Jean M. Humez. “A Cultural Studies Approach to Gender, Race, and Class in Media.” Gender, race, and class in media: a text-reader. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, 2003. 1-5. Print. Lind, Rebecca A. “Race/Gender/Media: Considering Diversity across Audiences, Content and Producers.” Pearson Education, Inc., 2004. 1-8. Web. 4 May 2014. Means-Coleman, Robin R. “Black Sitcom Portrayals.” Gender, race, and class in media: a text- reader. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, 2003. 79-88. Print. Sommers, Samuel R., Apfelbaum, Evan P., Dukes, Kristin N., Toosi, Negin and Wang, Elsie, J. “Race and Media Coverage of Hurricane Katrina: Analysis, Implications, and Future Research Questions.” Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy, 2006, 6: 39–55. Print. Welch, Kelly . "Black Criminal Stereotypes and Racial Profiling." Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice 23: 276-287. Sage Publications. Web. 3 May 2014. Read More