...Media and Race Glenda L. Artley SOC/262 August 18, 2014 Carol French Media and Race The television program I watched was filmed in 1960. It starred Edward Asner and Gail Davis. The program title is New Girl in the Office. This film deals with hiring black women to work at Dennis Industry to show equal opportunity. This was so the company could get government contracts. The Dennis Industry‘s is trying to get government contracts but to do this must hire African American person it the office’s secretary pool. Ed Asner is the new girl’s boss. He will not treat her any differently than the other secretaries. Many are foreseeing trouble which will not happen if Mr. Dennis has anything to do with the hiring of the first African American. Word is going around that secretaries will quit. There is no trouble and the office has to adhere to the Equal Economic Opportunity program placed by the government. If Dennis Industry is to continue wanting government contracts they will need to hire blacks as secretaries, the company has hired Blacks to work in production and there were no problems but many top businessmen think there will be problems with the white women. The company has announced to all employment agencies that they are looking to hire secretaries who are black and have proper training. Enter Mary Newton she is a young black women who has just finished secretarial school and was at the top of her class. She has been called to the employment agency to be hired at Dennis...
Words: 312 - Pages: 2
...Media and Race Written by: Dwayne DeLeon Media and Race Many of us may have had the chance to watch at least one sports-based movie in our lifetime. A number of these movies are considered as “feel good movies” because how the movie impacted you as you left the theater. Many of these types of movies have a happy ending while the other half is focused on a critical game or the moment that gives the movie and the athletes their character. The movie I chose was not limited to a championship game since there were some issues that the characters had to deal with in this movie. This movie also gives an account of how the characters are affected by these issues. I decided to write this paper about a movie that established a huge influence on me. The classic movie, “Remember the Titans,” displays a lot of the moral values that I carry on a day to day basis as member of the Armed Forces. This move was based on a time period in the 1970s and dealt mainly with social issues like intolerance, typecasting, and racial discrimination. The hard work and unity displayed by the TC Williams football team and despite the challenges they faced were able to make the state championship was the basis for me selecting this movie. Integration laws and a federal mandate compelled two schools in Virginia to close, and the white and black students were integrated into the high school of TC Williams. This integration resulted in immediate tensions in the new racially diverse school...
Words: 846 - Pages: 4
... * * * * Representation Of Race In Media * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Much of our perceptions of the world are based on narratives and the images that we see in film, television, radio, music, and other media. These are some of the outlets that construct how individuals see their social identities, as well as learn and understand about what it is to be black, white, Native American, Asian, South American, etc. (Dow, Wood, 2006, p. 297). You will get a better understanding of this once you understand the concept of ideologies. Ideologies are what create our perception of the world around us, whether it is political, social, economic, etc. Ideologies are not the product of individual intention or conscious, rather we create our intentions within ideology (Marris, Thornham, 2000, p. 267). These ideologies exist before we are even born; they form the social constructions and conditions that we are born into. But, ideologies are just a practice, and it is produced and reproduced in apparatus of ideological production. The media is a great example of an apparatus of ideological production (Marris, Thornham, 2000, p. 273). It produces social meanings and distributes them throughout society. However, as long as ideologies continue so will social struggles such as racism, which we will discuss in this essay. Media elites represent different races through media based on their ideologies. This has a predominant...
Words: 1829 - Pages: 8
...TERM PAPER The portrayal of race in entertainment media is a fluid concept that is constantly changing, just as our views on different races change over time. Although I feel that the media makes a more conscious effort to remove degrading racial stereotypes from films, the acknowledgement of the existence of these stereotypes confirms that they are still present. After watching a movie from three different time periods, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975), Stand and Deliver (1988), and Our Family Wedding (2010), I have found that representation of race in film has largely remained the same, while the acknowledgement of existing stereotypes has become more obvious. The 1960’s-1970’s was a time characterized by Irish Mob Wars (Durney 2000), Hollywood conservative backlash films, and the ongoing misrepresentation of American Indians in film (Larson 2006). One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is a movie is about a criminal who pretends to be crazy so that he can serve his sentence in the relatively comfortable confines of an insane asylum rather than a prison. We see the results of the historical events represented in characters from this movie such as Randle Patrick McMurphy, Mr. Turkle, the ward’s guards, and Chief Bromden. The Irish have been infamous for their mafia and organized crime, especially in the Cleveland area. Perhaps their most publicly recognized contribution to the media’s fascination with violence is the Mob Wars of the mid-1970’s (Durney 2000). These huge...
Words: 2080 - Pages: 9
...the song directed by Paul Haggis was released, the music video received several criticism from music reviewers however it still was successful and was liked by multiple viewers. The music video was a fund raising effort to help the victims of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, not only is the song a fund raising effort but it shows hope that there is a possibility for every single race to unite and help one another. The new version of the song was posted on YouTube to raise awareness all over the world and also to gather donations from people of different races from different countries. The music video posted on YouTube composed of various notable artists from distinct races like Jamie Foxx, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Lil Wayne, Kanye West and many more to increase the popularity of the music video and to gain more attention. The song does not mention anything about race in the video however it sends a message that neither skin color nor race should be a hindrance on helping others that are in need. The song also shows that despite the presence of racism in the world, people can live with different races in harmony and even collaborate with one another to achieve a certain goal. People make the world a better place by simply helping their fellowmen specifically the citizens in Haiti in their path to recovery. Majority of the viewers perceived the video to be helpful for Haiti; however others perceived it to be useless because of their belief that the donations would not reach...
Words: 370 - Pages: 2
...The article, Race and Ethnicity in the Media, written by The Critical Media Project: USC Annenberg, addresses the role media plays in influencing our views and thoughts concerning race, the difference between privilege and the other, and the progress society made dealing with racial discrimination. The article begins with the media’s role in describing race and ethnicity, and using that definition to shape people’s understanding of their roles in their identity, history, and daily lives. Many individuals have a misapprehension of what race and ethnicity mean. Race is a classification system of individuals and/or groups based on physical appearance whereas ethnicity depicts the “place of origin or nationality, one’s cultural background or ancestry, one’s language and by extension, one’s belief system” (USC Annenberg). The roles of race and ethnicity are seen every day in everyone’s lives....
Words: 452 - Pages: 2
...Americans are moving toward Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream of racial equality, yet a gap between races remains. This racial segregation is prevalent in the media, particularly in advertisements, magazines, and television. Today’s media have been more inclusive of different ethnic minorities, as the numerical representation of, for example, African Americans has increased. The media, however, have been condemned for exhibiting and perpetuating the racism still existent in our culture. This critique is due mainly in part to the media’s contribution to the social construction of minority stereotypes. Through the media, stereotypes generally distort the images of minority groups, thereby revealing white Americans’ attitudes toward minorities, particularly African Americans. The most dominant attitude promulgated by the media is one that emphasizes low status roles of African Americans. Although more minorities are being represented in contemporary media, the progression of race relations is often diminished by racist overtones that insinuate inferiority of African Americans. Subordination of African Americans through media stereotypes reflects an asymmetrical stance on race relations. An asymmetric race relation is founded in the notions of white domination and black inferiority, with whites on the higher end of the seesaw. While most degrading stereotypical portrayals of African Americans as slaves, porters, coons, and bucks, have faded, depictions of African Americans still remain...
Words: 2331 - Pages: 10
...MUD08243876 Differences in cultural capital mark the differences between the classes” Pierre Bourdieu How do class, gender, sexuality or race work in relation to taste today? Using at least two key theorists discussed on the course, explain how ideas of taste are presented in any two media texts. The concept of good taste and class has always been a sensitive subject for those perceived as lacking enough taste or class to fit in the higher echelons of society. Historically, taste. class and it’s symbols have always been defined by the social elite. It was been incredibly difficult for outsiders to gain access to the knowledge that ensured the ruling class were in a position to define taste for the rest of the population. There has however always been a drive in the lower classes to earn acceptance and even entry to the higher class of society. This drive has been a major factor to the success of capitalism, giving birth to mass production and economic well fare. Renowned french sociologist Pierre Bourdieu theorised on cultural, social and symbolic values in order to analyze what constituted taste and class. (Swartz, David. 1997) Bourdieu believed that if one possessed a great deal of cultural capital (knowledge of the arts, language or artistic flair) one would be perceived as a higher class than someone without the same knowledge. Bourdieu argues that all members of society exist in a multidimensional social space:...
Words: 2414 - Pages: 10
...Combating Racism with Media Everyone on Earth has come in contact with one thing, racism. Unfortunately, we have not found a solution to a problem that affects us all. In all honesty, racism will not stay the same. It will either get better or worse. When racism is deceased, it will not be adventitious. Sweeping this problem under the rug and waiting for it to unravel itself is like waiting for a rock to move; it is not going to happen. Therefore, we should not have any qualms against racism. We should aspire to have courage and to bring racism to the surface. Spreading this problem to every corner of the earth and accessing racism together is what it is going to take if we want to eliminate racism forever. How will this happen? Media. With...
Words: 995 - Pages: 4
...Braveheart The mass media plays a large role in modern society. Indeed, many have argued that people spend more time in “mass-mediated” interaction than in actual human interaction. The mass media, then, would seemingly be an excellent position to initiate social change, positively affect social problems, and help combat social ills that are considered normal patterns of behavior. Yet, the mass media has largely failed in addressing and helping to solve social problems. As seen through its presentation of the three major variables of race, class, and gender, the mass media has actually served to contribute to the social problems it covers, reinforcing them, and creating an inter-related cycle in which these problems continue. TV has become perhaps the primary vehicle that society receives its information and presents its values and expectations. One of the most important roles television plays is its presentation of news and information. What a station chooses to present as newsworthy can play a strong role in how people view their society and the world around them. Often, television news sources have followed a philosophy of “if it bleeds, it leads”, focusing on violence in urban environments. This violence occurs more frequently in black neighborhoods, resulting in what amounts to essentially as a steady, nightly stream of reports on violence in the inner-city by and among African-Americans. In this way, the television media plays a strong role in formulating...
Words: 1731 - Pages: 7
...the press and media are impressions of Gene Roberts and Hank Klibanoff's, The Race Beat: The Press, The Civil Rights Struggle, and The Awakening of a Nation. The role of media is seen from generation to generation. The book records the progression of how the media reported the Civil Rights Movement and the issues and circumstances involving race that the media utilized. The Race Beat examines the United States press. It demonstrates many years of disregarding the issues of racism and recognizing the significance of the civil rights. White press reporting of African-Americans in the south was overlooked. Only the negative things were recognized. Discrimination had an impact on communicating what was going on at this time. This has transformed into one of the most essential news periods of America's time. It shows the role that the press had in...
Words: 1101 - Pages: 5
...Impact of Media Messages on Children’s Perception of Race and Gender Student’s Name Institution Impact of Media Messages on Children’s Perception of Race and Gender Introduction Children are sensitive to what they see and hear. The contemporary world exposes children to all sorts of audio and visual media. These media contain various messages concerning race and gender. Out of such media messages, children are in a position to create perceptions on various races and gender. Disney movies are an example of the media that are consumed by children. The movies impact a lot on how children understand the meaning of race, class and gender. The continued consumption of such media by children would only serve to further shape their various perceptions. This paper sets out to show that there are numerous media messages that can impact on the understanding of race and gender by children. The media is powerful in terms of the messages it relays to the audiences. The social judgments of viewers can be greatly influenced by what they see on television news (Mastro, Lapinski, Kopacz & Behm-Morawitz, 2009). According to Mastro, Lapinski, Kopacz & Behm-Morawitz (2009), the Whites in the United States of America perfect in racial prejudice against their fellow black countrymen and women. The Whites perceive the Black as being aggressive and overly violent. This negative depiction of the Black Americans by the White Americans is hugely contributed to by media exposure. The ethnic...
Words: 1519 - Pages: 7
...Alfriz Mella Professor Gusrang Sociology 101 In today’s society, crime in the United States is no longer one dimension. Although the number of violent crimes in the United States has dropped within the last 40 years according to the FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice reports, I believe that there are many factors that would determine the outcome of the fate of perpetrator. Most crimes are still committed nowadays because of one or two causes, which could be class, race, age, or gender related. This paper will summarize a crime story, and tell how the race affects the media, and the public perception of the crime. A 20 year-old active duty solider named, Tevin Geike, was stabbed to death last Sunday morning, October 6, by his fellow Army men, who are African-American, while walking at a block in Lakewood. The victim, who at the time was with some companions, an all-white male, were on their way back from the club at 2 a.m., to the Joint Base Lewis-McChord, after celebrating his upcoming discharge from the military. A vehicle carrying the accused suddenly stopped by, and the men in the car yelled at the victim and his friends, and began name calling and hurling racial slurs such as “cracker”. When Geike retaliated by shouting back at the group in the car, that’s when trouble started. The men in the car turned around their vehicle towards where the victim and his friends were walking, got out of the car, and after a verbal confrontation, one of them stabbed the 20-year...
Words: 1119 - Pages: 5
...last few decades British governments have been committed to tackling various aspects of direct and indirect racial discrimination with the incentive of promoting 'equality of opportunity' and remedying other social disadvantages suffered by black minority communities in British society’ (Solomos 1989:2). Equality of opportunity in this sense is associated to the concept of racial equality, which can simply refer to ‘social equality for peoples of all races’ (Crenshaw 1988). In spite of this however, there remain deeply entrenched processes of discrimination resistant to legal and political interventions throughout society (Solomos 1993). This essay will discuss the claim ‘there ain’t no Black in the Union Jack’ in relation to these processes of discrimination which have encouraged the mis representation and exclusion of Black people within British society. The first part of the essay will outline the meaning of race and racism in the 21st century. It will then go on to discuss processes of exclusion, which are reinforced by the media and politicians representation of black migrants and the existence of so called ‘White spaces’. These exclusions of black people can be seen to prevent them from identifying as British thus excluding them from being part of ‘the Union Jack’. Whilst the concept of racism has been restricted by the notion of ‘colour’ as it has concealed the full range of ways in which racism has operated in Britain, including against Jews, Gypsies and the Irish (Jewesbury...
Words: 1843 - Pages: 8
...The Role of the American Government in creating Race Wars and Racial Tension There has been a long standing history of cultural divide in this country. The United States of America was built upon this premise. Race has always been a defining factor of what position you have been placed in society. America was founded upon a revolutionary approach, and once America was conquered by Europe, they set their government up to only include Europeans. The system was developed by Anglo-Saxons as a self-serving mechanism that excluded all other races. The Native Americans experienced this first hand when their country was occupied by British, French, and Spanish crusaders. This, amongst other invasions, led to the first examples of racial wars and tension in American history. We have seen this play out throughout the generations of our ancestors, who have experienced this state of racial tension, segregation, and slave ownership on both sides of the equation. America has always had racial tension from its inception. Several Civil Wars have occurred on American soil, and race has been an issue in most of them. We have been taught in society that being a certain race can define your future and potential for success. This has been proven in every aspect of American life. The infrastructure of the United States was built by several different races, some by choice, and some through slavery, and this is the driving force behind the deep seeded tension experienced by current Americans today...
Words: 1975 - Pages: 8
