The Black Gangster and the Latino Cleaning Lady DISCRIMINATION and PREJUDICES on TELEVISION
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RESEARCH DOCUMENTATION The Black gangster and the Latino cleaning lady DISCRIMINATION AND PREJUDICES ON TELEVISION Ana Eckhardt Rodriguez The article summarises the stereo- of minority groups and the roles that nic minorities and religion (see, e.g., typical roles assigned to members are offered to them on television. Posi- Katz & Braly, 1993, 1935; Karlins et al., of minorities in TV and points out tive feedback and examples are then 1969). In earlier studies, results showed recognisable changes. presented. that black people and African Ameri- Eurodata (2018). One Television Year in the World. cans were characterised, for example, In 2017, the global average TV viewing Available at: https://www.eurodatatv.com/en/one- as ”athletic”, “rhythmic” (both posi- time stood at 2 hours and 56 minutes. television-year-world [4.3.18] tive stereotypes), but also as ”low in Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung (2010). Rassismus & Diskri- However, this figure varies a lot around minierung in Deutschland. Available at: https:// intelligence”. Pettigrew and Meertens the regions of the world (Asia: 2 hours heimatkunde.boell.de/sites/default/files/ dossier_ras- (1995) analysed both blatant and subtle and 25 minutes, Europe: 3 hours and 49 sismus_und_diskriminierung.pdf [8.10.18] racism in Western European countries. Browne Graves, Sherryl (1999). Television and preju- minutes, North America: 4 hours and dice reduction: When does television as a vicarious Amongst others they found that the 3 minutes; Eurodata, 2018). During this experience make a difference? Journal of Social Issues, French study participants voiced more 55(4), 707-727. time, people are often confronted with prejudice against North Africans than Harwood, Jake & Anderson, Karen (2002). The presence stereotypical portrayals of minorities, and portrayal of social groups on prime-time television. Asians, while Dutch participants discriminating actions and out-dated Communication Reports, 15(2), 81-97. showed more prejudice against Turks perspectives that are reproduced with- than Surinamers (see also Hagen- out reflection. Most of the time, this is doorn & Hraba, 1987). Additionally, not purposely intended by producers PREJUDICES AND they found that negative stereotypes but rather happens subconsciously DISCRIMINATION OF do re-appear again, in particular the (e. g., Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, 2010). As MINORITY GROUPS perception of “lazy” Blacks in Britain one of the leading media channels that and the Netherlands, and “dishonest” shapes the daily lives of many people, Prejudices nowadays are no longer North Africans in France. This is in line it is important to understand and criti- blatant but have rather developed with the results of an earlier study, cally assess these stereotypes, especially to a subtle and indirect form, the so- which found that the general ste- to prevent a systemic reproduction called “latent prejudice” or “everyday reotypes are not changing but rather of prejudices. While there are some racism” (Pettigrew & Meertens, 1995; personal beliefs are undergoing a shift television programmes that provide a Bergmann & Erb, 1986; Essed, 1990). (Karlins et al., 1969). balanced and realistic representation of This new type of prejudice, according The way these stigmatisms and ste- minorities, the presence of stereotypi- to van Dijk (2012), is a system of ethnic reotypes are voiced and reproduced cal roles prevails (e.g., Browne Graves, dominance along 2 dimensions: 1) the in discourse is particularly important 1999; Harwood & Anderson, 2002). social dimension; and 2) the cognitive for the media and television, as they This includes the limited types of roles dimension. The former includes every- reproduce our ideas about these that minorities are offered, as well as day social practices of discrimination minority groups. Mass media has the overall under-representation in against minorities and ethnically dif- the ability to shape the prejudices of television. Diversity and realistic rep- ferent groups, including discourse. The people who have little direct contact resentations on television not only in- latter refers to stereotypes, prejudices, to and with minority groups and crease inclusivity but bring many other and ideologies of minorities and ethnic communities (IFJ, 1997). For instance, benefits. While improvements have groups. Both lead to discriminatory studies have found that people watch- been recorded, much work remains to practices against those groups. Many ing shows depicting African Americans be done. This article provides a short studies focus on prejudices, ”specific or people with darker skin as suspects overview over re-current prejudices traits” that people associate with eth- of law suits rather found them to be 22 32/2019/E RESEARCH DOCUMENTATION guilty than white suspects (see, e.g., groups are thus under-represented on ries Ally McBeal. In the show, “while she Hurwitz & Peffley, 1997; Oliver et al., TV, to such an extent that it does not is different from the typical submissive 2004). Therefore, it is problematic match the real and diverse world. Asian female stereotype, her sexuality that the majority of programmes are In Germany, for example, one study is used to define her as a person. Her to date not representative of the real- found that the TV show Gute Zeiten background is not completely explored, ity and often based on those (latent) Schlechte Zeiten (Good Times, Bad adding to her mysteriousness as a char- prejudices. Times), one of the longest running acter on the show. At the same time, she shows in the country and first screened is devoid of emotion – another Asian Pettigrew, Thomas & Meertens, Roel (1995). Subtle and blatant prejudice in Western Europe. European Journal in 1992, only started having a character stereotype.” (Sreedhar, 2013) of Social Psychology, 25(1), 57-75. with a Turkish background in 2008. It Dyer, Richard (1997). White. London/New York: Rout- Bergmann, Werner & Erb, Rainer (1986). Kommuni- ledge. kationslatenz, Moral und öffentliche Meinung. Theo- has up to date very few characters with retische Überlegungen zum Antisemitismus in der BR Turkish background, even though it is Phul, Patrick (2011). Migranten in der Medienwirk- Deutschland. Kölner Zeitschrift für Soziologie und lichkeit. Bachelor‘s thesis. Cologne. Sozialpsychologie, 38(2), 223-246. the largest minority group in Germany Morris, Rachel (2000). Gypsies, travellers and the me- Essed, Philomena (1990). Everyday racism: Reports (Phul, 2011). dia: Press regulation and racism in the UK. Tolleys from women of two cultures. Alameda: Hunter House. Communications Law, 5(6), 213-219. van Dijk, Teun (2012). The role of the press in the re- Goethe Institut (2014). Medien und Minderheiten – production of racism. In Michi Messer, Renee Schroeder Binary representation Fragen der Repräsentation im internationalen Ver- & Ruth Wodak (Eds.), Migrations: interdisciplinary gleich. Available at: http://www.goethe.de/lhr/prj/ d30/ perspectives (pp. 15-29). Wien: Springer. Another common way to define and ver/dok/de13758463.htm [20.9.18] Katz, Daniel & Braly, Kenneth (1933). Racial stereotypes show minorities is from a binary per- Sreedhar, Anjana. (2013). 5 most offensive Asian char- of one hundred college students. The Journal of Abnor- acters in TV history. Article in Salon. Available at: mal and Social Psychology, 28(3), 280-290. spective. This binary representation https://www.salon.com/2013/09/22/tvs_5_most_of- fensive_asian_characters_partner/ [20.9.18] Katz, Daniel & Braly, Kenneth (1935). Racial prejudice includes the characteristics of good vs. and racial stereotypes. The Journal of Abnormal and bad, civilised vs. primitive, ugly vs. exces- Social Psychology, 30(2), 175-193. sively attractive, repelling-because-dif- Karlins, Marvin, Coffman, Thomas & Walters, Gary (1969). On the fading of social stereotypes: Studies in ferent vs. compelling-because-strange- STEREOTYPICAL PORTRAY- three generations of college students. Journal of Per- and-exotic (Morris, 2000, p. 215). It also sonality and Social Psychology, 13(1), 1-16. ALS AND ROLES PLAYED BY includes the dualism of the “good” and Hagendoorn, Louk & Hraba, Joseph (1987). Social MEMBERS OF MINORITIES distance toward Holland’s minorities: Discrimination the “bad” minority group. The “good” against and among ethnic outgroups 1. Ethnic and group usually being characterised by In the media and television, one main Racial Studies, 10(3), 317-333. stereotype prevails: that of the criminal International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) (1997). hard work, while the “bad” group by Media and tolerance. UN/UNESCO Seminar on Pro- stealing and criminality, and with being foreigner, the “bad” minority group. In moting Independent and Pluralistic Media (10-13 Sep- tember). Sofia. Available at: http://unesdoc.unesco.org/ “too-different-to-share-the-Western- Germany, for example, one study found images/0011/001117/111758Eo.pdf [8.10.18] values” (Goethe Institut, 2014). One that Turkish men are often represented Hurwitz, Jon & Peffley, Mark (1997). Public percep- example of this binary representation is as “machos”, wearing trendy clothes, tions of race and crime: the role of racial stereotypes. American Journal of Political Science, 41(2), 375-401. the characterisation of Sinti and Roma. a lot of jewellery, and gel in the hair, Oliver, Mary Beth, Jackson, Ronald, Moses, Ndidi & Here, the dichotomy includes “the good as well as in connection to crime and Dangerfield, Celnisha (2004). The face of crime: Viewers’ gypsy”, the ”mysterious”, “carefree”