1) The document discusses the representation of ethnicity in media texts and how different ethnic groups have historically been portrayed. 2) African Americans were often shown as lazy, ignorant, or criminal while contemporary representations also include angry or violent depictions related to drugs and gangs. 3) The blaxploitation genre emerged as a response to push back against stereotypical portrayals and show African Americans as powerful. 4) The document also discusses theories like cultivation theory and concepts like diaspora identity, tokenism, and how different groups like Asians and Native Americans have been represented over time.

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2. RReepprreesseennttaattiioonn ooff EEtthhnniicciittyy:: KEY WORDS:
Stuart Hall:
referred to the
representation in the
media of people who are
different from us as ‘the
secret fascination of
“otherness”. Difference
can be used by media
texts both positively and
negatively – in order to
celebrate and to divide.
Over time ‘difference’
has been seen to be
natural and therefore
unchangeable.
lazy easily frightened
AAffrriiccaann--AAmmeerriiccaann
RReepprreesseennttaattiioonnss
joyous
naive
Superstitious
ignorant
servile
primitive
simpleminded
chronically idle
inarticulate
buffoon

3. RReepprreesseennttaattiioonn ooff EEtthhnniicciittyy:: KEY WORDS:
Blaxploitation:
this was the retaliation
of the black community
re-inventing themselves
away from the
archetypical ‘lazy’ and
‘simple-minded’
characters. Instead they
wanted to be seen as
tough and powerful.

4. RReepprreesseennttaattiioonn ooff EEtthhnniicciittyy:: KEY WORDS:
Diaspora
identity:: the result
of forced or voluntary
migration where people
experience both a sense
of belonging to a
cultural group that is
‘other’ to the dominant
culture of their country
of residence.
angry drugs
AAffrriiccaann--AAmmeerriiccaann
RReepprreesseennttaattiioonnss
Violent
criminal dangerous
gangs

5. RReepprreesseennttaattiioonn ooff EEtthhnniicciittyy:: KEY WORDS:
Cultivation
Theory: George
Gerbner believed that
the more time people
spend ‘living’ in the
television, the more they
are to believe social
reality portrayed on
television. The
Cultivation Theory leaves
people with a
misconstrued perception
of what is true in our
world.
 The Race Relations Act (1976) states that
media institutions may not broadcast or
publish any material which might be deemed
offensive to ethnic and racial groups.

6. RReepprreesseennttaattiioonn ooff EEtthhnniicciittyy::
Tokenism is a practice of limited inclusion or
artistic and/or political representation of members
of a traditionally marginalised group, usually
creating a false appearance of inclusive practices
rather than discrimination.
These characters are often represented as blue
collar workers.
E.G – Purposely including a member of a minority
race such as a black character in an all white cast

7. RReepprreesseennttaattiioonn ooff EEtthhnniicciittyy::
In small groups research how other races have
been portrayed throughout the years in the
media:
– Asian (orientalism/ Islamophobia)
– Native American
– European
– Oriental
– Latinos
KEY WORDS:
• Hegemony
• Cultivation
theory
• Ideology
• Diaspora
identity
• Tokenism
• Colonialism
• Functionalism
• Alvarado
Theory

8. RReepprreesseennttaattiioonn ooff EEtthhnniicciittyy:: KEY WORDS:
• Hegemony
• Cultivation
theory
• Ideology
• Diaspora
identity
• Tokenism
• Colonialism
• Functionalism
• Alvarado
Theory
Introduction
Who is your group?
What are the archetype representations of your group?
Historical Representations
How has the media represented this group in the past?
What was the purpose of this? What were the ideologies behind representing them in this
way?
Find examples to show how they were represented.
Main focus
How are your group represented today? Are they negative or positive?
Have the ideologies changed over time? Why do you think this is the case?
Is the representation progressive or recessive? i.e does it move the representation forward
or does it conform to past stereotypes?
Find a range of examples to show how they are being represented.