...African American Stereotypes in Movies Media Research Methods CO 455 November 20, 2012 African American Stereotypes in Movies Introduction There once was a time when everyone expected the black man to be the first actor to die in every movie that possessed a black man in its cast. However, over time the assumption of the black man being the first to die has changed. Currently in the year 2012, there are progressively more movies in which black men portray leading roles. This change in black men as leading characters in movies is a welcome change. In the past, supporting or backup roles were considered the best role a black man could achieve. In this paper, the researcher will conduct information by means of content analysis. Content analysis is the most commonly used methodology because of its ability to measure human behavior, assuming that the verbal behavior is a form of behavior. This study will examine specific media products and define these products by determining smaller elements that complement these products. This document will address a wide view of concerns regarding the African American culture, and will provide assumptions on how this issue can be addressed in the future. The stereotype of African Americans in movies today, is the topic of this research paper. Why do African Americans face stereotypes in the media? Why do black actors and actresses have difficulty obtaining roles that are not stereotypical...
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...Gender, Class, and Race Stereotypes in American Television A Content Analysis Gender, class, and race stereotypes abound in contemporary society, much like they have done throughout human history. With the advent of television, however, stereotypical assumptions have become so pervasive, and so diffused, that some call for a serious and purposeful scrutiny of television's contents. On the following pages, various content analyses of television programs will be addressed, followed by discussions on the greater implications race, class, and gender stereotypes have on society. The research method most often used in studying media images is called content analysis. Content analysis is a descriptive method in which researchers analyze the actual content of documents and/or programs. By systematically counting items pertaining to a specific category, researchers are able to conceptualize a larger theoretical framework based on their observations of media content (Wiseman 1970). Content analyses of television programming show, that during prime time hours, men make up the vast majority of characters shown. Furthermore, women characters found during that same time frame are mainly in comedies, while men predominate in dramas. Thus, the implications are that men are to be taken serious, while women should not. (Tuchman 1978). Similarly, content analyses on soap operas reveal highly stereotypical representations of the genders. In soap operas, strong, willful women are predominantly...
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...Crash Movie Analysis Anjelica McCartney HUM/150 January 18, 2016 Victor Armenta Crash Movie Analysis Discrimination, racism, classism, prejudice and more plague today’s society. These horrible issues do not affect one race, sexes, class, ethnicity, or age group; these issues affect all races, both genders, all ethnicities, and all age groups. For this film analysis, I have chosen to discuss the racism portrayed throughout a three-time Oscar award winning movie called Crash. Summary Paul Haggis wrote, directed and produced the film Crash in 2004. The movie Crash interweaves several individuals in Los Angeles over a two-day period. The film shows how a variety of different ethnic characters crosses paths during this period, and it displays their personal experiences involving racism. The movie shows how some are victims of racism as well as how some are guilty of racism against others as well as themselves. ‘Some movies, though, are told very much from the protagonist’s point of view, and the audience needs to go inside of the character’s head, to see the world of the story as the character sees it and feel what they feel’ (Diamond, 2012). Crash will take you there. Characters The movie Crash does not have simply one or two main characters but several. The casting directors, Sarah Finn, and Randi Hiller, carefully selected a magnificent cast to portray the characters in this film. The main characters in this movie include; an African American detective named Graham...
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...Short Story Analysis: “The Lesson” Toni Cade Bambara, a Harlem-born author, embraces culture, community, and background through her short story “The Lesson”. She has the main character Miss Moore discuss the struggles African Americans have with Caucasians involving social class, poverty, and equality. For many years after the abolition of slavery, African Americans were still looked down upon and considered a lower social class in certain societies. Bambara uses language as a powerful tool for describing America during the 1960s through the eyes of a young girl named Sylvia, a proud, sensitive, tough girl who is far too smart to ignore the realities around her. Bambara uses language to establish a cultural setting and Miss Moore to teach her students how to be successful, no matter their race. This story reflects Bambara’s ethnic background and pride by using the same dialect that she used growing up in Harlem, New York. According to Bambara, she spoke African American Vernacular English (AAVE), a trait that imparts to Sylvia. African American Vernacular English adds realism and humor to Sylvia's narrative because it describes her ethnicity without directly expressing what it is. It is common for African-American writers to use AAVE to emphasize their political and social commentary, so it is appropriate for Sylvia to be speaking the dialect because the story takes place in the ghetto of New York where Sylvia spends her childhood as a working class African American child. In...
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...Southern Illinois University Carbondale OpenSIUC Research Papers Graduate School 8-2014 Nollywood: A Case Study of the Rising Nigerian Film Industry- Content & Production Elizabeth T. Giwa Southern Illinois University Carbondale, toyin.e.giwa@gmail.com Follow this and additional works at: http://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/gs_rp Recommended Citation Giwa, Elizabeth T., "Nollywood: A Case Study of the Rising Nigerian Film Industry- Content & Production" (2014). Research Papers. Paper 518. http://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/gs_rp/518 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at OpenSIUC. It has been accepted for inclusion in Research Papers by an authorized administrator of OpenSIUC. For more information, please contact opensiuc@lib.siu.edu. NOLLYWOOD: A CASE STUDY OF THE RISING NIGERIAN FILM INDUSTRYCONTENT & PRODUCTION by Toyin Elizabeth Giwa B.S., Southern Illinois University, 2010 A Research Paper Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Master of Science Department of Mass Communication and Media Arts in the Graduate School Southern Illinois University Carbondale August 2014 Copyright by ELIZABETH TOYIN GIWA, 2014 All Rights Reserved REASEARCH PAPER APPROVAL NOLLYWOOD: A CASE STUDY OF THE RISING NIGERIAN FILM INDUSTRY CONTENT & PRODUCTION By Elizabeth Toyin Giwa A Research Paper Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in the field of Professional Media and Media Management...
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...“spiritual coming of age” in which Locke’s “New Negro” transformed “social disillusionment to racial pride.” Ralph Ellison was born on March 1, 1914 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He died of pancreatic cancer on April 16, 1994 in New York City. (Ralph Ellison, 2015) Richard Wright was born on September 4, 1908, in Roxie, Mississippi. Richard died from experiencing a heart attack on November 28, 1960, in Paris, France. (Richard Wright, 2015) Both of the authors made a major impact on society during their lifespan. According to Biography.com, Ralph Ellison was a 20th Century African American writer and scholar best known for his renowned, award winning novel “Invisible Man”. Ellison’s role in the Harlem Renaissance is his reputation as a deeply ingrained writer and a philanthropist that exceeded even the most esteemed circles of the American History. In addition, according to Biography.com, pioneering African American writer Richard Wright is best known for the 1940 Bestseller “Native Sea” and his 1945 biography “Black Boy”. Wright’s role in the Harlem Renaissance was as an inspirer. He is respected and known to many writers as an inspiration. His life-like fiction no longer has the standing it once enjoyed, but his life and word remain admirable. From the year of 1903 to present day, double...
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...This research paper attempts to elucidate how each character in the play A Raisin in the Sun written in 1959 by Lorraine Hansberry wants to achieve a dream which represents certain characteristics in common with the American Dream. Furthermore, this paper seeks to reveal to what extent aspects of the American Dreams, such as the ideal of justice or equality between the races, have been fulfilled by analyzing how these aspects are presented in the play. The Younger family is living in Chicago and is facing financial problems as well as social problems such as discrimination. As Mama’s husband died the family receives 10.000$ insurance money, which gives each family member the opportunity to fulfill their dream. Mama herself wants to buy a new house for the family, her daughter pursues the dream of becoming a doctor and her son Walter wants to open a liquor store. However, the fact that Walter’s wife Ruth is pregnant complicates the situation. Mama eventually decides to buy a new house in a white neighborhood and entrusts Walter with the rest of the money, but he loses all the money through a fraud, although he should have left some money to fund Beneatha’s education. Eventually, at the end of the drama, Mr. Lindner offers money to buy the Youngers out of their new house, but Walter stands up against him and declines the offer....
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...Title of Assignment – Move Analysis Paper - CRASH Student’s Name – Emmanuel Rweyemamu Professor/Institute – Dr. Lisa McDonnell Course, Date – SOC 1101 Analysis of Movie, Crash Introduction and Thesis: Written and directed by Paul Haggis, “Crash” was released in 2004. The movie highlights the trials and tribulations experienced by a various racial ethnical groups from varied geographical locations. Acculturation is not easy for these several Racial Groups such as Hispanics, Asians, or Africans, as the incidents in the film covering a time span of 36 hours, reveal. The characters are portrayed in the context of several ethnic stereotypes in prevalence, even in the 21st century due to ethnic differences. To illustrate, “The predominant modern stereotypes are the violent, brutish African-American male and the dominant, lazy African-American female - the Welfare Mother (Green, 1998-1999, p. 1).” Set in a mixed society of different cultures the aim is to prompt the audience into ‘looking into themselves’ and acknowledge their own personal prejudices; they are overt or covert racists too. The 3 elements of cultures openly portrayed are the language used, the norms maintained by society, both formal and informal. As far as how many viewers actually have the courage to accept their faulty mindsets, is left to them. While at first glance, the movie appears to send out a passionate appeal about ending racism and discrimination, an in-depth probe reveals that the ‘wrongness’ of proclaiming...
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...Andy, who generously gave me his kindly help and instructions during the whole process of my paper-writing. Then I’d like to give my many thanks to my classmates who helped me a lot with my information collecting and paper-polishing. Most important of all, I want to give my thanks to my mother university and all the teachers in the English Department, who educated and cultivated me to be a qualified graduate in the future. Abstract When Harriet Beecher Stowe published Uncle Tom’s Cabin in 1852, the novel was a huge success. It talked about the slavery which was a controversial issue at that time. Many critics made comments on this novel. With the passage of time, attitudes to the book changed considerably. The history of African American in US has always been considered as a bitter story. In recent years, their status...
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...| Critical Appreciating Ann Petry | | | Shantanu Kulesh, 14B133 | | | A Brief Biography Ann Petry’s birth date is not certain: earlier biographers place her birth on October 12, 1911, while later it has been stated as October 12, 1908. In any case, she was born in Old Saybrook, Connecticut, and a predominantly white, rural community. Ann was the second daughter of Peter C. Lane, pharmacist, and Bertha James Lane, licensed chiropodist, barber, and entrepreneur. Ann’s family was solidly middle class, including two college educated aunts, and several generations of pharmacists. The Lanes often told autobiographical and fictional stories while she was growing up, and Ann began writing short stories and plays while she was still in high school. Following family patterns, Petry graduated from the College of Pharmacy at the University of Connecticut, but she was unhappy “counting pills,” she later said, because she had aims to be a writer. She married George David Petry and moved to New York to fulfill her aim to be a writer. According to Petry herself, the content of her early fiction was heavily influenced by the inner city life she witnessed as a reporter, social worker, and involved community member. She quickly found work as a journalist. Her early years in Harlem were fueled by involvement in progressive political causes and membership in a community of activists, labor leaders, visual artists, actors, and writers. Despite working closely with self-identified...
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...literature, which will contribute to the information required for the Week Three Draft and the Week Five Literary Analysis. Recognizing conflict is essential to understanding the various commentaries literature can provide. In Journal One, you identified conflict as it might appear in our everyday world and from other sources. Now, consider the following definition of conflict and how it relates to literature from the textbook or the story/poetry links provided under the requirements for the Literary Analysis: Conflict is opposing actions, ideas, and decisions that hold a plot together...the struggle that shapes the plot in a story. Chapters 1-7 of our text contain a number of stories and poems, each of which rely on at least one conflict. Choose two of this week’s assigned literary works and write about the conflicts presented in each of them. In 250 to 500 words Individual versus Society --- “Still she had come down the road toward the big white church alone. Just herself, an old forgetful woman, nearly blind with age” (para 3.1,2) --- appears to be the main conflict in Alice Walker’s narrative ironically, yet metaphorically named "The Welcome Table”. The theme coming across is that of racism, correct me if I am wrong, with the imagery/ symbolism of “the big white church” versus the lone black Elder. This is the story of an elderly African-American woman, who on a winter night wonders into a Caucasian church service, is by force removed from the service into the...
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...Jameika Baysinger WGSS 2360 Character Analysis Name of the Show: Between Women Network Aired: YouTube For my research I chose to watch a YouTube-based drama called Between Women. This show centers around a group of African-American lesbians in Atlanta, Georgia. I chose one of the main characters, Miller Harris, as the focus of this paper. Miller is a former hustler turned successful business owner who has to face the struggles of her past resurfacing in her life, causing an imbalance in her present life. Miller Harris is an androgynous, African-American lesbian. Her signature feature is her long, waist-length dreadlocks. Her style can be described as business casual. She is often shown wearing her slacks and nice shirts to showcase her status as a businesswoman. Miller generally presents herself in male’s clothing, but she still takes pride in her feminine qualities. Miller is a lesbian just like most of the other characters apart of the show. All of the other characters on the show are African-American lesbian or bisexual women. She is most like the character Rae Tyson. Rae and Miller are the main androgynous characters on the show. They both have a history of failed relationships with women, but are doing everything in their power to restore their relationships and friendships so that the people they love can have better lives. The other comparison between these two characters is that they both stepped up in their roles as the heads of their households and married...
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...Image of Black America Good Times originally aired on CBS in 1974. It was a black situation comedy focused on the daily lives, struggles, and hardships of a disadvantaged black family living in a Chicago housing project during the peak of the civil rights movement. Esther Rolle was cast as the matriarch, Florida Evans. The character had originated as a maid on the sitcom “Maude”. From analysis of the main characters in Good Times, there emerges a clearly exhibited grouping of a minstrel show ensemble. Every minstrel caricature is represented; the mammy, the brute, the promiscuous, exotic woman, the lazy son, the ‘mulatto’, and the pickaninny. There are no legitimate marked talents portrayed among the characters, except for J.J., whose inability to be taken seriously enough undermines any effort to benefit from his artistic talents. As Bodroghkozy (2012) observes, “Good Times waded into these troubled waters. As a comedy reaching a diverse audience, the show had to negotiate its representations with care in order, on the one hand, to circulate empowering messages about African Americans while, on the other hand, not to unduly discomfort more conservative white viewers, including those who might have seen the ethnic whites of Chicago and Boston as victims in the era’s racial turmoil. Good Times quickly developed into an important site of contestation and struggle over questions of “blackness,” the black...
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...“What Is the Theme of ‘Sweat’ by Zora N. Hurston?” What Is the Theme of "Sweat" by Zora N. Hurston? | Education - Seattle PI, Hearst Seattle Media, LLC, 21 Nov. 2017, education.seattlepi.com/theme-sweat-zora-n-hurston-6714.html. This text talks about the great virtue of hard work possessed by Delia, who continually “breaks her back” to make ends meet for her family. This text associates Delia’s character with the symbol of virtue and purity which is evident in her religious commitment to church. The text also describes Delia’s struggle and pain inflicted by her husband Sykes and likens this to the universal motif of the struggle between “good and evil” where good always triumphs over evil. In my opinion this source correctly categorizes...
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...According to Milton C. Albrecht, sociologists have not given due attention to the role of art and literature in societies; rather, they have relied on the more traditional measures in examining society. Nevertheless, many people would agree that literature has had considerable influence on society and vice versa. In academia, there are three widespread theories regarding the relationship of literature and society: the "reflection," "shaping," and "social control" theories. The reflection theory suggests literature provides a fair representation of society. The shaping theory, which essentially complements the reflection theory, suggests ideas present in literature shape the behaviors of individuals. And finally, the social control theory suggests literature is used to maintain and stabilize society. Though all base their arguments on different evidence, Baldwin, Morrison, and West share the premise that literature provides an accurate reflection of society. Many experts studying the relationship have suggested that the reflection theory is the most plausible theory present. Estorick, a prominent scholar in this discipline, contends that the type of literature present in a society is ultimately reflects the type of ideology that society embraces in Literature and Democracy. Estorick discusses the evolution of muckraking literature into reform literature. Upon analyzing the social conditions of the day, Estorick draws a connection between reform literature, through which...
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