Ethnic Stereotypes in Media

What are ethnic stereotypes?

If asked about ethnic stereotypes, we'd likely all be able to name a few based on what we've heard and seen around us. But what exactly are 'ethnic stereotypes' in sociology? Let's take a look!

The meaning of ethnicity

While different people may have different levels of commitment to their ethnic group, there is plenty of evidence to show that people from the same ethnic backgrounds do share some common identity traits.

Fig. 1 - There are several important aspects to consider when defining the word 'ethnicity' in the social sciences.

The meaning of ethnic stereotypes

In sociology, the word 'stereotype' is used to refer to oversimplified views and assumptions about groups of people - they are over-generalisations about the characteristics of people in those groups. As you may well know, stereotypes aren't unique to ethnicity - they exist across other social domains as well, such as sexual orientation, gender, and age.

The problem with stereotypes is that they ignore the existence of individual differences. Whether a stereotype is 'positive' or 'negative', it is harmful all the same. This is because it leads to assumptions that people who belong to a certain group must subscribe to every norm and value of that group.

If and when someone strays from that stereotype, they may be marginalised or judged because they fail to meet the expectation of belonging to a certain group.

Examples of ethnic stereotypes

Some common examples of ethnic stereotypes:

• South Asians are forced into arranged marriages.

• Chinese students are good at maths.

• Black people are very good athletes.

• French people are snobby and rude.

Media stereotyping of ethnicity in sociology

Studying media representations in sociology is very important because the mass media is our main source of entertainment and information about the world around us. As we know, the media plays a significant role in shaping our norms, values, and interactions. Sociologists argue that unpacking our media content is vital if we are to understand how it affects us.

Representation of ethnic minorities in the media

Media scholars have found that ethnic minorities are often represented as a 'problem' in stereotypical ways. For instance, Asian and Black people are often represented through negative imaging in the media, with more complex and nuanced differences between and within ethnic minority groups being ignored.

Racism in the press

Ethnic minorities are often shown to be the cause of social unrest and disorder in a community, perhaps through rioting or committing more crimes than their White counterparts.

Fig. 2 - The press is often racist in its portrayal of ethnic minorities.

Stuart Hall (1995) identified an important difference between overt and inferential racism.

• Overt racism is more obvious, in that racist images and ideas are represented approvingly or favourably.
• On the other hand, inferential racism appears balanced and fair, but is actually racist underneath the surface.

Racism in film and TV

There are many prominent tropes with problematic ethnic minority representations in film and television as well. Let's take a look at a couple of them.

The White saviour in film and TV

A common trope in Hollywood productions is that of the White saviour. A familiar and hotly debated example of this is The Last Samurai (2003). In this film, Tom Cruise plays a former soldier who gets tasked with suppressing a Samurai-led rebellion in Japan.

After he is captured by the Samurai and understands their point of view, Cruise's character teaches them to defend themselves against the Japanese imperialist army and is ultimately responsible for achieving the Samurai's goals.

Despite being described by Japanese critics as being well-researched and intentioned when it was released, the film has been subject to a lot of debate in more recent years.

White actors' racist portrayals of ethnic minorities

In the early 1960s, Blake Edwards adapted Truman Capote's famous novella, Breakfast at Tiffany's, for the big screen. In the film, the character of Mr Yunioshi (a Japanese man) is played by Mickey Rooney (a White man) in a very stereotypical, overtly racist manner in terms of both his actions, personality, and way of speaking. Upon the release of the film, there was very little criticism geared toward the character.

However, after the 2000s, many critics have called out this representation as offensive, not only because of the character itself, but also because Mr Yunioshi is a character of colour being portrayed by a White person. This is indicative of a shift in what is accepted in media content over time.

Changes in the media representation of ethnicity

Let's look at how the media landscape is changing.

Media representation of ethnicity in film and TV

The rise of public service broadcasting led to the emergence of Black cinema in Britain. Shows and films that were made for minority audiences have become popular with White audiences, and there has been a shift toward minority ethnic actors playing ordinary characters without typecasting them.

Statistics show that there have also been improvements in the representation of ethnic minorities in film and TV - so much that the difference is notable over just the past few years.

According to the 'Hollywood Diversity Report' by the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), White actors made up 89.5 per cent of lead roles in Hollywood movies in 2014. In 2022, this statistic is down to 59.6 per cent.

Advertising

There has also been a rise in the representation of non-White actors in advertising. It is common for companies to incorporate narratives of diversity in their advertising campaigns, such as those from Adidas and Coca-Cola.

News

Studies show that since the early 1990s, there has been an increase in anti-racist messages being conveyed by digital and print news media. It has also been found that immigration and multiculturalism are more positively represented in the news than was previously the case.

However, sociologists and media scholars are careful not to exaggerate these changes, as biases (whether deliberate or not) against ethnic minority groups are evident in news to this day.

The affirmative action debate

Despite a clear upward trend in ethnic minorities being cast in - and even creating - media content, some argue that a lot of this has been achieved for disingenuous reasons.

The process of giving minority groups more opportunities for remedying past and existing instances of discrimination is called affirmative action. These types of policies or programs are often implemented in employment and educational settings.

However, it is believed to be implemented in Hollywood just for appearances - that is, to make producers and casting directors appear more inclusive than they really are. This is often done by increasing on and off-screen diversity in minimal or problematic ways.

Moreover, statistics show that films with more diverse casts are generally better received by audiences - this means they are more profitable. However, behind the scenes, ethnic minorities (whether in the cast or production crew) also tend to be paid less than their White counterparts.

This is another reason why critics suspect that diversity in Hollywood is not meaningful. They argue that, while the situation looks more equitable from the outside, filmmakers still operate in a fundamentally inequitable way on the inside.

What are some ways to prevent ethnic stereotyping?

Seeing as we consume a hefty amount of media from day to day, we ought to consider how we can challenge and overcome the ethnic stereotyping that we are exposed to - particularly in the field of sociology.

Of course, ethnic stereotyping doesn't only occur in the media - it can also be seen in the workplace, the education system, and the law. As sociologists, our main goal is to identify social problems and study them as sociological problems. Being aware of the existence of ethnic stereotyping, as well as where it comes from, is a good first step in attempting to prevent it from proliferating further.