Lesson 5 - ethnicity

1. AS Media
Studies
Representation (5)

2. WALT
 Understand the final

3. Audience Positioning
 This theory was created in 1973 at Birmingham
University the theory considers how message are
produced, diss. The theory considers that the audience
are active in consuming the media and are able to
decode encoded message within the product. The
decoding of the product includes the verbal messages
spoken but also the visual messages conveyed through
e.g. body language or for TV / Film the cinematic visual
language used. This theory also excepts that the
individual based on there background and views can
decode a message within a product differently than
another person. The

4. Audience Positioning
 The decoding can fall into three categories;
 Dominant reading - the viewer full accepts the preferred
reading of the product, within the intentions of the creator /
writer.
 Negotiated reading - The viewer broadly accepts the
preferred reading of the text but may make small changes
to this to reflect their own views and opinions.
 The Oppositional reading - The viewers own views will put
them in direct opposition with the views being represented
within the Media product and therefore will completely
reject the views being represented.

5. Semiotics
 the study of signs and symbols as elements of
communicative behaviour; the analysis of
systems of communication, as language,
gestures, or clothing.
https://prezi.com/y8bt
jn21oiho/stuart-hall-
reception-theory-
1980/?utm_campaign
=share&utm_medium
=copy

6. Audiences – Key Terms
 Homogenous - Of the same or similar nature
or kind. Uniform in structure or composition
throughout, as of a chemical mixture.
 Heterogeneous – A viewer who has a widely
different opinions or views, does not like
similar things as others – more niche and
different.

7. Example
 Consider what the different readings of this
clip might be.
 To answer this you will need to think about
how different viewers might see this. Consider
the type of viewer their interest age and how if
could affect their views.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSsGuh4
Ajhk

8. Representation
 Media representations of ethnicity

9. Ethnicity
Dictionary Definition
 1. relating to or characteristic of a human group having racial, religious,
linguistic, and certain other traits in common
 2. relating to the classification of mankind into groups, esp on the basis of
racial characteristics
 3. denoting or deriving from the cultural traditions of a group of people:
the ethnic dances of Slovakia
 4. characteristic of another culture: the ethnic look ; ethnic food
 Your ethnicity is defined by your cultural identity which may demonstrate
itself through customs, dress, food. Ethnicity suggests an identity that is
based on a sense of place, ideology or religion. You can be British but of
Jewish ethnicity.

10.  Britain is a multicultural society.
 7.9% of the UK population are from ethnic
minority groups.
 Ethnic minority groups are at the forefront in
their use of the new media.
 So, what should we expect in terms of ethnic
minority representations within the media?

11. Stereotypes of Ethnicity
Alvarado’s (1987) stereotypes in the
representation of ethnicity and race;
 EXOTIC
 DANGEROUS
 PITIED
 HUMOUROUS.
 A recent revision of this has added the
SEXUALISED stereotype

12. Introduction
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efiW2K8g
ASM

13. Change
 Representation of people from other cultures in the media has
changed dramatically since earlier days where they were
defined in their potential for comedy and ‘foreignness’
 Fawlty Towers: http://bit.ly/1jCS7JS

14. 1970’S
 Love Thy Neighbour
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1dakp4F
T0w
 Til Death Do Us Part
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KonChsnU
O6Y

15. Otherness
 People from other cultures still tend to be
defined by their ‘otherness’. This can be see
as either positive or negative.

16. Stereotypes and mis-
representation
 Some stereotypes and mis-representations can be
dangerous as the representation that is constructed by
the media is often the only experience of these cultures
some audiences will have.

17. Tokenism
 Some programmes have representations of ethnic
minorities. These tend to focus on the stereotypical
aspects of that culture, for example arranged marriages.
Do you have any examples?

19. Ethnicity in Media
 Video – Essay
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZAIkubqt
Nc
 Discuss.

20. Young Blacks
 Young black people have been demonised by some
areas of the media and are presented as linked to
violence and gang culture

21. Key ways in which ethnic minorities
are represented within the media
 Underrepresented
 Represented in a
stereotypical way
 Represented negatively
 As criminals
 As a threat
 As culturally abnormal
 As unimportant
 As dependent
 As invisible
 These are the findings of
Van Dijk, who has
examined media
representations of ethnic
minorities.
 He made these findings
via content analysis of
thousands of news items
over several decades.
 So, what can we say
about Van Dijk’s
findings in relation to
representativeness?

22. Moral panics….
 The findings of the previous thinkers (Van Dijk, Akinti, Agbetu)
indicate that Black people are newsworthy because they are bad
news!
 Rarely are Black people portrayed as normal functioning individuals
within everyday society.
 Watson notes that moral panics often result from such stereotyping
of Black people within the media, particularly the panic that they are
potentially criminal.
 Think headlines!!
 Such headlines back up Hall’s study of a 1970s moral panic around
the ‘Black mugger’.
 More recently, moral panics have remained around the idea of Black
crime – particularly gang crime
 In 2003, David Blunkett (Home Secretary) said he was ‘appalled’
by lyrics in rap & hip-hop music.
 Kim Howells (Culture Secretary) claimed a particular Black band was
glorifying gun culture.
 In 2005, ASA criticised 50 Cent’s film poster for glamorising gun
crime.
 In 2006, David Cameron (leader of Conservative party) criticised
BBC Radio 1 for playing gangsta rap as such music ‘encourages
people to carry guns & knives.

23.  However, there are many negative representations
of black people, portrayals which seem
deliberately designed to inflame the fear and
hatred of other cultures - how positive a
representation is the archetypal African-American
gangsta?
 Yet these are representations coming from within
black culture itself...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64AQ3BzhWKI

24. Activity 2: Representation of ethnic
minorities is, by and large, based on
stereotypes. (In pairs, 3 mins) Can you think
of recent examples of media texts that offer
stereotypical portrayals of black culture?
WHY do you think such stereotypes (a) are
created and (b) continue?

25. Ethnic minorities are a threat!!
 Through his content analysis Van Dijk has said a
common stereotype is that ethnic minorities are
posing a threat to the majority.
 This is seen through news content, again
contributing to moral panics.
 Main ethnic minorities that are portrayed as
posing a threat are:
1. Immigrants
2. Refugees & asylum seekers
3. Muslims

26.  Asian racial features, names, accents, or
mannerisms as inherently comic or sinister.
Because distinctive Asian characteristics are less
common in the United States, movies and TV
shows often fall back on them for quick and easy
gags or gasps
Fisher Stevens as Ben Jabituya
Ben Jabituva

27. Immigrants
 This group is seen as a threat in terms of their numbers.
 Common media coverage focuses on how their presence
is affecting housing, jobs etc.
 In 1995, a government trade minister resigned because
he was unhappy with the lack of European border controls
– leading to illegal immigration into the country.
 Philo & Beattie explain this resignation set off media
hysteria about immigration & the consequences of it.
Immigration portrayed in an alarmist way & reported as
threatening the British way of life. Sensationalists
language, such as ‘flood’ & ‘tidal wave’ also used.
 Philo & Beattie basically believe that such media
coverage created a moral panic about immigration,
particularly as no positive stories about the contribution of
ethnic minorities were presented.

28. Which ethnicity do you see?
Can you recall the last time you saw a sikh
represented in the media?
Do you think sikhs are often represented
POSITIVELY or NEGATIVELY in the media?

29. Which ethnicity do you see?
When was the last time you recall seeing this
ethnicity represented in the media?
Do you think Romany gypsies are often
represented POSITIVELY or NEGATIVELY?

30. Which ethnicity do you see?
When was the last time you recall seeing this
ethnicity represented in the media?
Do you think people of mixed race are often
represented POSITIVELY or NEGATIVELY?

31. Which ethnicity do you see?
When was the last time you recall seeing this ethnicity
represented in the media?
Do you think Chinese people are often
represented POSITIVELY or NEGATIVELY?

32. Which ethnicity do you see?
When was the last time you recall seeing this ethnicity
represented in the media?
Do you think Muslims are often represented
POSITIVELY or NEGATIVELY?

33. Representation of Ethnicity –TV Drama:
extract: Top Boy season 1 ep 1. (2011)
Channel 4 Top Boy 2011 (season 1 ep 1)
Channel 4
Watch the next section of Series 1 Episode 1 of
‘Top Boy’ (4oD, available on Youtube).
Deconstruct the codes used to create the
representations (audio, visual, technical)
How is the representation constructed?
Link this to theory. (Alvarado) – dangerous/pitied
Consider audience. Why is this representation
constructed?