Question

Find a stereotype and give a true example of what adolescents would see in media of each of the 6 descriptions listed below.

a.Sex

b.Age

c.Race/Ethnicity

d.Family dynamics (what does a family look like)

e.World View (how do we see the world/other countries/wars/etc.)

f.Religions

Answer 1

Stereotypes can be defined as an oversimplified but rigid idea, image or thought about an individual, community or specific population. Media can sow seeds for lot of these stereotypes based on gender, race, religion etc as follows:

• Gender: Media through films, adveetisements or soap operas often show females as being the damsel in distress, the vulnerable one who is rescued by a prince charming.Example of this would be the movie 'pretty woman' where in the protagonist is rescued from her adversities by the man who later in the end becomes her lover.
• Age :In media age stereotypes are often shown where adolescents are shown to be more curious, adventure seeking while people who are old are more grumpy and lonely. Example of this would be movies such as high school musical where adolescents are shown as being adventorous and curios while thetolder generation more mellowed.
• Race/ethnicity : Racial or ethnic sterotypes are often played around in media. Example of this would be in the series 'Big Bang Theory' the character Raj has a clichéd Indian accent and is shown as a nerd which may or may not be necessarily true for an Indian.
• Family dynamics : Family dynamics are often clichéd in films and TV series also for kids shows sometimes. For example in the cartoon series 'dexter' s laboratory' the father is always shown as going for work while the mother is always smiling and working in the kitchen no matter what the situation be which is far from truth if we consider real life families.
• World view: Though news channels are supposed to give a non biased and objective view of the world often sterotypes in subtle forms such as 'third world countries' come up
• Religions : Media often portrays christianity in good light while the villian or bad guy is often shown as someone from an islamic faith.