week 3

Learning Resources

Please read and view (where applicable) the following Learning Resources before you complete this week's assignments.

Reading

• Course Text: Rosenblum, K. E., & Travis T. C. (2016). The meaning of difference: American constructions of race and ethnicity, sex and gender, social class, sexuality, and disability (7th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
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    • Section I, Reading 24,"From Friendly Foreigner to Enemy Race"
    • Section I, Reading 12, "What's Class Got to Do with It?"
    • Section I, Reading 13, "The Silver Spoon: Inheritance and the Staggered Start"
    • Section II, Reading 31, "Cause of Death: Inequality"
    • Section III, Reading 33 "The Myth of the “Culture of Poverty”
    • Section III, "Framework Essay"
• discussion week 3

Influence of Media on Stereotypes

In Week 1, you considered constructionism, which suggests that political, legal, and economic social processes influence perceptions of race and ethnicity. Media is an example of a social process that influences perceptions of race and ethnicity. Media includes film, television, print, the Internet, and radio. One way that media influences perceptions of race and ethnicity is by depicting stereotypes. A stereotype is a depiction of a member of a group that suggests that all members of that group share the same characteristics. Examples of stereotypes include the following: Asians are good at math, blacks have rhythm, and Mexicans are lazy, to name a few. When individuals repeatedly view imbalanced portrayals in the media, they may perceive others in a way that is consistent with the stereotypes portrayed. Stereotypes may be positive or negative. In your text, Framework Essay III explains how Asian Americans often are stereotyped positively, while African Americans often are stereotyped negatively.

To prepare for this Discussion:

• Review the "Framework Essay" in Section III and Readings 13, 31, and 33 in the course text. Pay particular attention to stereotypes and media representations of racial and ethnic groups.

• Think about how media influences racial and ethnic stereotypes.

• Consider positive and negative stereotypes.

• Watch televised media, which may include a television sitcom, a drama, a news program, a talk show, and commercials. Identify one example of a positive stereotype and one example of a negative stereotype.

• Consider how the stereotypes in the media that you viewed may influence viewers' perceptions of race and ethnicity.

With these thoughts in mind:

Post by Day 4 one example of a positive stereotype that you viewed. Explain why you identified the stereotype as positive. Then, post one example of a negative stereotype that you viewed. Explain why you identified the stereotype as negative. Finally, explain how the stereotypes that you identified might influence viewers' perceptions of race and ethnicity. Provide specific examples to illustrate your explanation.

Be sure to support your postings and responses with specific references to the Learning Resources.