The work at hand explores the depiction of African American men in the media and the consequences these specific ways of representation can have on their lives in US American society. Without narrowing the topic down to one particular media type, the present work will focus on both fictional and non-fictional forms of representation, including depictions in movies and TV series as well as displays in the news. By doing so, it shall untangle the tightly interwoven web of both fictional and non-fictional depictions that ensnares African American men in an opposing, yet overlapping way.
African American men’s position in contemporary US American society cannot be investigated under the assumption that their current situation results from a monocausal incident. Without confining the frame of investigation to one specific time period, the present work is oriented towards the most current research results, figures and developments available. As data availability depends on the topic of each subchapter individually, the general time frame cannot be narrowed down specifically. Also, as current events are triggered by various chains of causation, they can never be interpreted without being historized, culturalized and politicized. Therefore, they will be set in context, which might create the impression of partially exceeding the idea of topicality. However, the center of attention will stay on topical events that influence on-going developments in the US.
Table of Contents
1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 PROCEDURE
1.2 MAIN RESEARCH QUESTIONS AND HYPOTHESIS
2 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
2.1 TRIANGULAR APPROACH: INTOXICATED INTERSECTIONALITY FOR BLACK MEN
2.2 PRIME TIME: WHEN MEDIA PRIMING TURNS INTO MEDIA FRAMING
3 BLACKOUT: THE POLITICS OF VISIBILITY
4 BLACKLIST: LACK OF QUALITATIVE REPRESENTATION
4.1 BLACKFACE: COLORING CRIME
4.2 BLACKBOX: HYPER-SEXUALIZATION OF BLACK MEN
5 B(L)ACKLASH: RESHAPING MEDIA REPRESENTATIONS OF BLACK MEN
5.1 FROM CATEGORIZATION TO INDIVIDUATION
5.2 DE-CORPORALITY PROCESS
6 CONCLUSION AND DISCUSSION
Research Objectives and Core Themes
This thesis examines the representation of African American men in contemporary US media and analyzes the societal consequences of these portrayals. By bridging cultural and media studies, the research explores how stereotypical depictions of black males contribute to systemic discrimination and shape public perceptions of reality.
- Intersectionality as a framework for understanding race, gender, and class.
- Media priming and cultivation theory as mechanisms of social influence.
- The quantitative and qualitative misrepresentation of black men in cinema and news.
- Historical roots of criminalization and hyper-sexualization in media discourse.
- Strategies for reshaping representation and challenging institutionalized bias.
Excerpt from the Book
Blackface: Coloring Crime
While in the previous chapter it was argued that there is a quantitative misrepresentation of African American men in the media, this chapter will be concerned with a qualitative inquiry and examine how at the same time there is a blatant overrepresentation of black males in regard to their depiction as criminals. This overrepresentation becomes particularly relevant when the representation of blacks in connection to crime is not limited to fictional forms of representation anymore, but can also be found in non-fictional media. Malika Cyril, Executive Director of the Center for Media Justice, argues:
Black people, black men in particular, […] are overrepresented in news as criminals. When I say overrepresented, that means they are shown as criminals more times than is accurate, that they are actually criminals […] based on FBI statistics. (Cyril qtd. in 13th 2016: 00:27:50)
According to this statement the number of African Americans shown as criminals in the news is not compatible with factual arrest rates. This does not mean that people shown in the news are not criminals; it primarily means that the media representation of criminals in regard to race is not evenly distributed, as it either ignores the coverage of crimes committed by people of other races or overrepresents whites as victims of crimes committed by blacks (Oliver 2003: 7). Above-average representation of African Americans as criminals, e.g. handcuffed, while being arrested, or in jail (Oliver 2003: 6), conveys the impression that African Americans are by some means prone to criminal offences. Not only are black men overrepresented as criminals relative to actual arrest rates, but also relative to their numbers in US American population (Eberhardt 2010: 441). By over-proportionately representing black men in relation to crime, it needs to be subsumed that the audience is purposefully manipulated with the intention to trigger negative emotions and opinions towards that ethnic group.
Summary of Chapters
1 INTRODUCTION: Outlines the problem of racial discrimination in the US and the pervasive influence of media representations on societal perceptions.
2 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK: Establishes an interdisciplinary foundation using intersectionality, cultivation theory, and media priming to analyze social identity and media impact.
3 BLACKOUT: THE POLITICS OF VISIBILITY: Analyzes the quantitative representation of African Americans in popular film and the exclusionary nature of the media industry.
4 BLACKLIST: LACK OF QUALITATIVE REPRESENTATION: Investigates the harmful overrepresentation of black men as criminals and the hyper-sexualization of the black male body.
5 B(L)ACKLASH: RESHAPING MEDIA REPRESENTATIONS OF BLACK MEN: Explores revolutionary art projects and social movements aiming to challenge traditional stereotypes and foster more authentic representations.
6 CONCLUSION AND DISCUSSION: Synthesizes the findings, confirming the link between biased media framing and real-world prejudices, and suggests future directions for media accountability.
Keywords
Media Representation, African American Men, Intersectionality, Media Priming, Cultivation Theory, Criminalization, Hyper-sexualization, Mass Incarceration, Black Masculinity, Racial Stereotypes, Systemic Racism, Media Accountability, Social Construction, Hollywood Diversity, Counter-stereotypes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this thesis?
This thesis explores the specific ways in which African American men are depicted in US media and the negative consequences these depictions have on their social and economic lives.
What are the central thematic areas?
The work covers quantitative media visibility, the criminalization of black men in news and fiction, the hyper-sexualization of black bodies, and movements working toward more accurate representation.
What is the primary research goal?
The aim is to determine if reinforced stereotypical media representations negatively impact the lives of African American men and if these portrayals lead to pervasive social prejudice.
Which scientific methods are employed?
The author uses an interdisciplinary approach, combining intersectionality (for identity and power analysis) with media studies theories like cultivation theory and media priming.
What does the main body of the work address?
The main part examines numerical data on media representation, the qualitative framing of black men as "criminal" or "hyper-sexualized," and case studies of art projects fighting these stereotypes.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include media representation, intersectionality, criminalization, hyper-sexualization, systemic racism, and social justice communication.
How does the author define the "New Racism" in media?
It is defined as a mixture of traditional, persistent racist patterns combined with new, subtle forms of discrimination that keep African Americans at the bottom of the social hierarchy.
What role does the 13th Amendment play in the author's argument?
The author discusses the "criminality clause" in the 13th Amendment as a legal loophole that facilitates the mass incarceration of African Americans, turning the prison system into a modern tool of racial control.
How is the "Blackbox" metaphor used in this context?
The metaphor describes the black male body as something acted upon and inscribed with external, stereotypical meanings by mainstream culture, leaving little room for black men to define their own identities.
- Quote paper
- Anne Jeck (Author), 2017, Media Representations of African American Men and their Consequences for US American Society, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/975873
