Gender Stereotypes In The Opportunity Journal

Whether we realize it or not, a large part of what attracts us to our favorite films and television programs is what we see of ourselves and reality in them—their verisimilitude. Whether it’s a sobering rags to riches underdog story, or a sci-fi thriller with robots and spaceships, what really cinches us are how we relate and sympathize with the characters. And naturally, in reflection of the racial segregation that’s historically plagued the United States, for most of cinematic history, those characters have been white, male, and heterosexual. And those that deviated from this template were, more often than not, either made caricatures of, or demonized.

It can be argued that, at some subconscious level, the media we ingest influences how

General antagonism

2. Exaggerated views and tolerance of socio-economic disparities

3. Exaggerated views related to criminality and violence

4. Lack of identification or sympathy

5. Reduced attention to structural and other big-picture factors

6. Public support for punitive approaches to problems

The journal goes on to corroborate these claims by referring to dozens of studies on the subject.

Naturally, this is exacerbated by the fact that many races continue to live in segregated communities where the only exposure they receive of other races comes from the media that they consume. This isn’t as problematic for ethnic communities, as the portrayal of white Americans in film and television covers every possible occupation, social class, and genre. However, when it comes to the media’s portrayal of POCs, it’s a different story. One needs only to look at the fact that the vast majority of films produced by black filmmakers that are celebrated by the Academy involve either low income struggles (Moonlight, Do the Right Thing, Boyz n the Hood, Fences), slavery (12 Years a Slave, The Color Purple, Amistad) or Civil Rights (Selma, Malcolm X, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner). While things have definitely improved in this regard in recent decades, roles continue to be limited for certain races when it

Wood argues that a lack of substantial representation in the media reinforces a number of negative stereotypes and false generalizations about the female sex. A number of these