For this 3-4 page essay, you will analyze how the media represents people from different ethnic/racial/cultural backgrounds on television shows or movies of today. The group that you choose to analyze should be a group that you, in some way, are a part of. In other words, choose an aspect of your culture/social identity and discuss how people who are part of that group are depicted through mass media. However, despite the fact that you are choosing a group that you’re a part of, you should not include your personal experience within this essay directly. You shouldn’t use “I” or “me.” Keep your writing academic in nature. You are simply using your experience as an inspiration or jumping point to build your perspective.

Your goal is to discuss the details of how this particular group is represented and how these depictions have the potential to effect social thinking and behavior. In other words, you will be discussing the mass media effect (influence that the media has on people’s everyday lives) of the representations of the cultural group you’ve chosen to analyze. You are going to play the role of “rhetorical critic” (an informed consumer of rhetorical discourse who is prepared to analyze rhetorical texts). Messages in mass media (TV shows and movies specifically) are meant to “say something.” There is a clear message, sometimes even an argument at the foundation of even the most lighthearted shows and movies. Your goal is to uncover aspects of these arguments and find out how they have the potential to affect society in large and small ways. Some possible questions to consider:

• Are the representations overwhelmingly positive/negative?
• Do you notice a mix of accurate and inaccurate representations? Does is clearly sway to one side or the other?
• Do they implement the “zoo approach”?
• How if at all are the depictions relying on stereotypes?
• Does the fact that the depictions are dramatic or comedic in nature effect the potential ways audiences will perceive the representation of this cultural group?

You will highlight at least 5 different examples from different TV shows or movies that depict people from the same cultural/social group.

Choose one aspect of cultural group membership to focus your research on. This could be based in:

• Race
• Ethnicity
• Nationality
• Physical or cognitive ability
• Sexual orientation
• Gender/gender identity
• Religion
• Or any other aspect of cultural group membership that you’d like to focus on (ask me if you’re not sure you’re on a good path)

Include at least 3 academic sources to support your discussion and include the textbook as well. Your research should help you with your discussion and perspective regarding the ways that mass media in general is depicting people of the cultural group you’ve chosen to discuss.

Rubric

Cultural Representations in Mass Media

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