Assess the view that the mass media perpetuates stereotypes of ethnic minorities

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Emily Mather 12 HB                ESSAY                

Mrs Amsdorf                 

Assess the view that the mass media perpetuates stereotypes of ethnic minorities

In this essay I will be assessing the view that the mass media perpetuate (this means continue or carry on) stereotypes (this is a label that is given to a group, this label is often negative) of ethnic minorities. In other words I have got to see if the mass media
(television, films, video games, newspaper, magazines, news/weather, adverts and music/music videos) continues to have stereotypes of ethnic minorities. Some of the traditional stereotypes are exotic, dangerous, humorous, pitied (
Alvarado 1987), criminal, threat, abnormal, unimportant and dependent.

I have examined 2 studies that explain how they think ethnic minorities are stereotyped; these 2 studies are Alvarado (1987) and Van Dijk (1991). I think both of these studies are relevant today, although not all of their findings are relevant in today’s TV but they are in different types of the media.

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Alvarado believed that when ethnic minorities are stereotyped in the media, that they were seen part of categories; these four categories are the pitied, humorous, exotic and dangerous. I will now explain some information on each category-

  • Pitied- Alvarado argues that ethnic minorities are stereotyped as victims. This is because in the media, usually the news, we hear and see pictures and stories about natural disasters that ethnic minorities have lost their family, friends, homes and belongings to.
  • Humorous- Alvarado believes that in this category the media makes us feel comfortable about being racist, they do this by ...

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