Race And Disability Handout

Mr Smith

AS Representation – Unseen moving image

Race Stereotyping of race is seen as more harmful than stereotyping of gender, as media representation may constitute the only experience of contact with a particular ethnic group that an audience (particularly an audience of children) may have. Racial stereotypes are often based on social myth, perpetuated down the ages. Historically in the UK most racial stereotypes have centred around Asian’s, Afro Caribbean’s and the Irish. List as many stereotypes as you can which you associate with the following ethnic minorities: • • •

Afro Caribbean Asian Irish

The above groups represent a much larger proportion of the UK population than their TV coverage would suggest. Attention is now being paid to the representation of other ethnic groups, notably Eastern European, who, although a small group in terms of overall population, dominate the news agenda in such a way which would make their presence seem potentially more damaging or dangerous. There is anxiety expressed in the UK about the portrayal of ethnic minorities, particularly in soap operas.

Disability in the Media The word "disabled" causes much debate. The 'dis' suffix is a negative one, implying reversal, and disabled heads a list in the dictionary of many negative words - disappoint, discard, disconsolate, discourage, disintegrate, dismay, disrepute etc. That same dictionary defines the word "disabled" as meaning "Made ineffective, unfit or incapable". Quite rightly, those members of the population who find themselves labelled feel tarred with a distasteful brush. Verbal codes aside, the iconography surrounding the word suggests a similar plight, hence the European Union symbol: Here is someone who is not simply "in" a wheelchair (are all disabled people in wheelchairs? I think not...), but who relies on the structure of the chair to give them arms. It is small wonder that the word "disabled" immediately connotates wheelchairs, and concepts such as broken, dependent, pitiable etc. Given the semiotics of the situation, it is small wonder that media representation of the disabled is limited and largely stereotypical. If the word "disabled" can be represented in such a simple symbol as the one above, we are reducing a large and diverse group of human beings to something less complicated than your average road sign. While great strides have been made in recent decades in the representation of gender and race, there are still many prejudices attached to the representation of disability. In magazines, the only images of the disabled we tend to see are those in charity advertisements, and their disability is the main focus of the representation. Often we are encouraged to pity the person represented, or give them support in another way. Ideologically speaking, disabled is not considered sexy, and does not sell stuff.

Mr Smith Name…………………………………………