Soc172a Advertising and Society

1
Soc172aAdvertising and Society

• Lecture 12
• Stereotypes of Others in Media

2
Portrayals of Others in Ads

• Much of our knowledge of others in the world
  gained through media, advertising, and travel
  brochures
• Images of others are simplistic and often show
  others as subservient or subordinate or hostile
  and dangerous
• i.e. travel brochures and ads contain hidden
  messages (OBarr, 1994 Edelheim, 2007)

3
Ethnic Minorities in Canada

• Inadequately represented in media although 15 of
  Canadians are immigrants and over 50 of
  population in some urban centres are visible
  minorities
• Critics cite economic reasons for this
• Canada has attempted to rectify through creation
  of Race Relations Council on Advertising (1990)

4
Ethnic (cont.)

• In mainstream entertainment media, typical hero
  is white, male, and young
• However in news, ethnic minorities are
  over-represented in crime stories, even though
  the reality is the opposite
• Creates a very negative stereotype of ethnic and
  visible minority groups
• See www.media-awareness.ca for more detail

5
First Nations Peoples

• Invisible in advertising itself
• In other media only shown historically
• No personality development
• Common portrayals in media include
• Indian princess
• Native warrior
• Noble savage
• Young people mostly exposed to negative
  stereotypes or very Westernized images of First
  Nations people
• (see www.media-awareness.ca for further info)

6
George Gerbner on Stereotyping and Media
Portrayals of Various Groups

• Video The Electronic Storyteller Television and
  the Cultivation of Values
• George Gerbners Cultivation Theory
• MEF 2000