FREE ESSAY ON GENDER, CLASS, AND RACE STEREOTYPES IN AMERICAN TELEVISION

GENDER, CLASS, AND RACE STEREOTYPES IN AMERICAN TELEVISION

Gender, Class, and Race Stereotypes in American Television
A Content Analysis
Gender, class, and race stereotypes abound in contemporary society, much like 
they have done throughout human history. With the advent of television, however, 
stereotypical assumptions have become so pervasive, and so diffused, that some call for 
a serious and purposeful scrutiny of television's contents. On the following pages, 
various content analyses of television programs will be addressed, followed by
discussions on the greater implications race, class, and gender stereotypes have on
society. 
The research method most often used in studying media images is called content analysis.
Content analysis is a descriptive method in which researchers analyze the actual content
of documents and/or programs. By systematically counting items pertaining to a specific
category, researchers are able to conceptualize a larger theoretical framework based on
their observations of media content (Wiseman 1970). 
Content analyses of television programming show, that during prime time hours, men make
up the vast majority of characters shown. Furthermore, women characters found during that
same time frame are mainly in comedies, while men predominate in dramas. Thus, the
implications are that men are to be taken serious, while women should not. (Tuchman
1978). Similarly, content analyses on soap operas reveal highly stereotypical
representations of the genders. In soap operas, strong, willful women are predominantly
depicted as villainous, while the more benevolent women are suspect of vulnerability and
naivety (Benokraitis 1986). Furthermore, another sharp gender-stereotypical contrast on
television content can be seen in advertisements. In fact, 75% of all television ads
using women are for kitchen or bathroom related products (Tuchman 1978) 
On average, women tend to be portrayed in roles in which they are underestimated,
condemned or narrowly defined, resulting in one researcher termed the symbolic
annihilation of women by the media (Tuchman 1978). Conversely, men are usually depicted
in high-status roles in which they dominate women (Lemon 1978).
These stereotypical images of men and women found in the media, not only foster
gender-stereotypes, but also those of class and race as well. Studies done on the
relative dominance characters portray revealed that both men and women of professional
occupational status are more likely to be found in dramas. Working-class characters,
however, are found predominantly in comedies, where they are presented in
class-stereotypical roles. The resulting impressions are, as one researcher concluded,
that working class lives are funny, whereas serious drama occurs elsewhere. (Andersen
26). In the same vein, studies find that men are most dominant on television, except in
situation comedies, where low-status status women supercede men in relative dominance. (
Lemon 1978). In addition, these stereotypical patterns above are further confounded by
race.
In terms of race, white characters on television far outnumber members of minority
classes. Although estimates are that African-Americans watch television significantly
more than whites, or around 10 percent, they are a small proportion of the characters
seen. Despite a trend towards reducing that discrepancy, there are still limited positive
images of African-Americans on television. When African-American characters appear, they
have been shown to exhibit a narrow range of character types. Almost half of all
African-Americans on television are either portrayed as criminals, servants,
entertainers, or athletes; rarely are [African-Americans] portrayed as loving, sexual,
sensitive people. (Andersen 26). Despite this dire misrepresentation of African-Americans
in television programming, their situation is paradoxically positive when compared to
other minority groups.
Asian-Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans are virtually absent from television
programming. When they do appear, they are usually in the form an occasional diversion,
exotic objects, or marginal and invisible characters (Andersen 56) To further accentuate
that statement, content analyses provides a clear-cut conclusion. In pertinent data from
1984, it was shown that of the 264 speaking roles on television, Hispanics had only 3.
Furthermore, two-third of Hispanic characters on television assumed the role of a
criminal (Stables 1985) The invisibility of minority groups on television can be seen in,
as one researched termed, the 'disappearing' roles they respectively hold. For example,
on many television programs minority men and women silently appear in backgrounds to
cater to the needs of dominant households or individuals (Andersen 56). 
The greater societal consequences for this stereotypical portrayal on television can be
seen clearly in children's television programming and the resulting impressions they have
on children. Children's programming include even fewer women than do adult shows, in
addition, as with adult shows, female characters are likely to be seen as comical,
household-bound, or as victims of domestic abuse (Gerbner 1978). The influence of gender
stereotyping on television can be seen on the fact that children who spent the most time
watching television are also those who demonstrate the most stereotypic sex-role values.
To further solidify that apparent causal effect, a large proportion of elementary school
children reported that they learned about how African-Americans look and dress from
watching television. (Andersen 87).
The tremendous influence television has on contemporary American culture has been
compared by some to that of a national religion. Social scientist Gerbner concludes, 
Television is used practically by all the people and it is used practically all the time.
It collects the most heterogeneous public of groups, classes, races, and sexes, and
nationalities in history into a national audience that has nothing in common except
television or shared messages. Television thereby becomes the common basis for social
interaction among a very widely dispersed and diverse national community. As such it can
only be compared, in terms of its functions, not to any other medium but to the
preindustrial notion of religion.
If television provides for the maintenance of culture, then it must resist social
movements that challenge the culture and seek to transform social institutions. The media
does not fully resist such changes; rather, they defend the traditional system by
co-opting new images that social movements generate. Consequently, we now see liberated
images of women on television, but ones that still carry stereotypical gender
assumptions. For example, women may be shown as working, but they are still all
beautiful, young, rich, and thin. (Andersen 29)
Segregation by race, class, and gender juxtaposes the human potential. It expands
cultural divides and gives people little access to the lives of others. Therefore, it is
not unreasonable to assume that television offers, for some, the only indirect experience
of the vastness the human cultural and individual palate has to offer. Unfortunately, in
light of all that has been covered above, television fails miserably in portraying the
human potential. Despite increased awareness of harmful stereotypes, cultural habits are
hard to shake. A simplified worldview based on stereotypes, however comforting it may be,
is only achieved by the sacrifice of understanding. Thus, in order to gain understanding
of others, and consequently one's self, one should perhaps look elsewhere than towards
television.
Bibliography
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Hyde, Janet S. and Marcia C. Linn Gender Differences in Verbal Ability: A Meta Analysis.
Psychological Bulletin 104 (1988) :53-69
Rothenberg, Paula S. Race, Class, & Gender in the United States: An Integrated Study. New
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