Stereotypes in the Media Essay Example for Free

Stereotypes in the Media Essay Abstract The aim of this research is aimed to compare the frequency of stereotypes between different genres of prime time television shows. 36 Year 11 students were enrolled to record the number of stereotypes they saw portrayed in televised media. The results were collated to compare how many stereotypes appeared in the genres. Results indicated that News portrayed the most stereotypes, followed by comedy, then by drama. Results interpreted showed news stereotypes are considered more socially acceptable, whereas comedy stereotypes can be viewed as offensive and not suitable for children. Drama was very similar to comedy. Stereotypes and their Pervasiveness in the Media The media these days is littered with stereotypes. These stereotypes portray a multitude of different categories, such as age, race, religion, sex and sexuality, mostly in a negative light. The aged, for example, have bad hearing; Muslims are all violent and suicidal; and the French have a snobbish attitude, love for frogs legs, and a hate for the English. While stereotypes tend to have a grain of truth within them (the French really do hate the English), they tend to overlook the differences between individuals, making them too generalised and unreliable. Despite this inaccuracy, the media still does this often. While stereotypes are used in comedy â€Å"for the lulz,† they are deliberately used in this manner, unlike in certain news and current affairs shows, where it is used out of ignorance and efficiency. Because of the way media has stereotyped minorities, society has absorbed this into everyday use and many find it socially acceptable to use offensive stereotypes in everyday conversations. While comedy shows are not trying to offend and proliferate stereotypes, they in fact cause more harm than news and current affairs programs. The Simpsons, a television show known well for its satirical voice and comedic social commentary, is scattered with stereotypes, many of immigrants. Apu, an Indian convenience store owner who appears often in the show, is stingy and has a recognisably Indian accent and prays to his Hindu god, Ganesh. This inaccurate portrayal of Indian immigrants is perceived to be humourous by the public, but they are likely to apply these stereotypes to real people if their misconceptions are not corrected. This research aimed to compare the frequency of stereotypes between different genres of prime time television shows. The genres compared were comedy, drama and news. The hypothesis is that comedy will have the most stereotypes, followed by news, then by drama. Method Participants The participants in this investigation were 36 fifteen to sixteen year olds in year 11 of high school. The students were all academically selective and were mostly Caucasian. The participants chosen were all psychology students, taught by the same teacher. Parents had given permission to participate in this research and signed a permission slip for students to watch at least 3 prime time television shows within two weeks, one to be news or current affairs, the other two being of their choice. Apparatus A log sheet was given (see appendix A) to record the amount of time watching television, and the number of stereotypes noticed. Televisions were to be provided by the participants. So were pens. Procedure The 36 participants were instructed to watch television between the hours of 5 and 10pm. While watching television, they were to record the number of times they saw a stereotype being portrayed and comment on what was being portrayed. This took place over two weeks, after which the results were collated and analysed. Results The results are shown in chart form in Appendix B and C. Once the results were graphed there was not much of a difference between the genres. The data in the graph is collected from a number of participants’ log sheets. 30 people watched news, 21 watched comedy, and 19 watched dramas. The graph didn’t show a single genre to contain significantly more stereotypes. [pic] The graph above shows that there seems to be less of a gap between different stereotypes in comedy, while news has more stereotypes of age and less of religion. Drama has less stereotypes than the others, even when the lack of viewers is factored in. Race and gender are the stereotypes most portrayed by television. Discussion The data partially supports the hypothesis. Despite drama being the genre of television with the least stereotypes, comedy came second to news. News portrayed a lot more stereotypes of age. This is probably a result of violent attacks on old people in their homes. The least portrayed were sexuality, most likely a result of complaints of sexually explicit material being aired. The results do show a large amount of stereotypes are present in television shows. The stereotyping has a tendency to make things quicker and less time-consuming. After all, how is it possible to list all the political, social, economic, ideological and theological differences of a population of about 6 billion? The accuracy of this investigation is to be questioned. While it is possible to rely on this data, it is not going to be completely accurate and it may not demonstrate the true amount of stereotyping done on television. If, for example, all the news shos watched were from the same network, this would affect the results. Other networks may be more biased or even more impartial. The lack of regulation of the programs and networks would have had some effect on the accuracy of the results. Also, the method of recording the stereotypes might also affect the results. With a very vague system, it is impossible to be exact on what stereotypes are displayed, and whether they are a simple comment on turbans, or a full-fledged attack on the habits of old people. Very little research has been done into the number of stereotypes portrayed on television, as opposed to countless studies into the harmfulness of these stereotypes on impressionable children and even adults. The research shows that there are a lot of stereotypes on television, at least 5 or 6 per program. This research is part of understanding how television networks design their shows, and how stereotypes are used as they are instrumental to making changes to unfair depiction of minorities in the media. If the stereotypes are deemed inappropriate then it would be unlikely to make things any better when it comes to international relations and even domestic relations. There has been a lot of rage aimed at the Australians who assaulted two Indian students in Sydney. The acts of violence against minorities have escalated recently. Further research may venture into stereotyping of specific minorities, to examine the details of stereotyping.

Vikki and Tim decide to meet with a mortgage lender Essay Example for Free

Vikki and Tim decide to meet with a mortgage lender Essay Vikki Rocco, (age 26) has been living in her apartment for three years. Her savings system is well organized and she feels comfortable about the progress she is making with her financial goals. Her credit card balance is now paid in full monthly. She is continuing to save more than 10% of her gross salary in her 401(k) plan and she stay within budget. After dating for two years, she is engaged to Tim Treble (age 28), and they are planning to be married in nine months. Because they want to buy a house within the next 2 or 3 years, Vikki and Tim decide to meet with a mortgage lender to determine how large of a mortgage they will be able to afford an what they need to save. The mortgage lender asks them both questions about their finances that they hadn’t yet considered. Although Vicky feel comfortable with the questions, Tim is nervous when he forced to take a closer look at his finances. He discovers that he has much more debt than he realized. Vikki and Tim’s financial statistics are shown below : Assets Liabilities Checking Account *$10,500 (Vikki), $4,000 (Tim) Including their emergency funds Student Loan $9,000 Credit Card Balances (Tim) Car $2,500 (Vikki), $15,000 (Tim) 401 (k) balance $25,000 (Vikki), $8,000 (Tim) Income Monthly Expenses Gross Annual Salary $50,000 (Vikki) $48,000 (Tim) After-Tax Monthly Salary $2,917 (Vikki) $2,800 (Tim) Rent $750 (Vikki), $450 (Tim) Food $250 (Vikki), $350 (Tim) Student Loan $250 Credit Card Payment $300 (Tim) Entertainment-$300 Wedding Expenses $500 Gas/Repairs $350 (combined) Retirement Savings : 401 (k) Vikki $500 per month, plus 50% employer match on first 7% of pay. Tim $400 per month, plus 50% match on first 8% of pay

Whole Language Or Phonics Approach English Language Essay

Whole Language Or Phonics Approach English Language Essay Critically analyse and discuss the benefits and shortcomings in teaching reading through a phonics approach in comparison to a whole language methodology. What are your views about each approach? Support your arguments with references from related literature. Teaching students to read is a vital educational aim. Reading gives opportunities and opens up new worlds. Learning to read, will enable students gain new knowledge, enjoy texts, and do everyday life things. The phonics and the whole language approaches are two main methods to reading, a debate that still rages among educators, parents, and experts. Which approach to teaching reading works best? Whole language approach Teachers using the whole language approach are expected to provide rich environment texts for students combined with speaking, listening, reading and writing. This approach emphasise the meaning of texts over the sounds of letter and phonics instruction. Krammer and Holland found out that the whole language approach is considered a top down approach meaning the reader use his prior knowledge to interpret and construct his personal meaning of the text he is reading. In my opinion I think that this approach provides a better understanding of the text and a more interesting and creative approach to reading but it may come at the expense of accuracy and correctness. Phonics approach The phonics approach has five key elements to teaching. These are: Learning the letter sounds Learning letter formation Blending Identifying sounds in words Spelling the tricky words (Jolly Phonics: Lloyd, S.) Kelly believes that good phonic skills will help students become better readers. It provides a secure grasp of the essential sound and spelling patterns that words are composed of. There are 44 key phonemes in the English language. Some of these are single alphabet sounds such as s-a-t-p-i-n, but others may be combinations of letters like sh, ck or ie. (Kelly, 2009) Now, I will discuss the benefits and drawbacks in teaching reading through a phonics approach in comparison to a whole language methodology. Benefits in teaching reading through a phonics approach Using the phonics approach to reading helps the reader to build better the pronunciation and word recognition (Krammer and Holland). When an individual starts to pronounce words correctly, it also starts to build confidence to speak up more often (English for Life, 2008). Improved decoding success creates a secure reader. Facility and ease in identifying polysyllabic words, and in inferring their meanings from a knowledge of prefixes, suffixes, and roots, help students with comprehension (Chall, J. Popp, H.). Teaching phonics can help students develop the skills to read smoothly and accurately. When faced with a new word, a student will have an arsenal of tools with which to puzzle it out and call it by namerecognizing familiar letter combinations and accessing their recollection of similar words. Students who are secure in their ability to figure out unfamiliar words are more eager to read new and longer texts. (Matthews, 2010) Readers cannot rely only on the use of context and picture clues. Wiley Blevins stated that students need to have a repertoire of strategies to draw on to become skilled, fluent readers. Phonics approach helps with the spelling far more than the memorisation and guess work of the whole language approach (Krammer and Holland). A person will be able to pronounce and spell correctly when he hears words. For this reason, phonics will help him improve his reading and writing skills (English for Life, 2008). Drawbacks in teaching reading through a phonics approach Although the phonics approach might work for some students, it may not work equally well for others. This is due to diverse individual learning abilities. For example: Students with hearing challenges may find it difficult to connect sounds and letter groups. Students with dyslexia often reverse groups of letters, causing confusion with phonetic learning. Besides that, some children learn to read more easily using other methods. For instance, the whole language approach teaches children to recognise entire words, rather than individual sounds (Enne, V.). I agree with Krammer and Holland that when it comes to reading using the phonics approach a child may have difficulty understanding the full meaning of a text, due to the constant breaking down of words into parts. This will also bring boredom; children would not be able to enjoy the text contrary to the whole language approach. Fleury declares that phonics does not connect the children with literature, as the whole language approach does. The connection to literature helps to make reading more interesting. It is true that phonics helps children to sound out many different words but there are other words that do not follow simple phonetic rules. These words, called outlaw words, will still need to be memorised. Nearly 50 percent of all English words are outlaw words. (Available from: http://www.ehow.com/list_6856037_drawbacks-teaching-phonics_.html) Should you categorise students and push one teaching method? In my opinion I think that I balanced approach should be used in teaching reading. The National Reading Panel determined that phonics instruction is only one part of a complete reading program for beginning readers. Effective beginning reading programs should also emphasize reading fluency, vocabulary development, and text comprehension. (Available from: www.univo.edu.sv:8081/tesis/019961/019961_Cap2.pdf) In 1996, Honig, stated that a balanced approach is needed to teach reading. He described it as an approach that combines the language and literature-rich activities associated with whole language activities aimed at enhancing meaning, understanding, and the love of language with explicit teaching skills as needed to develop fluency associated with proficient readers. In the article Curriculum: Whole Language and Phonics: Can They Work Together? written by Cromwell, S. (1997) says that Supporters of the whole language approach think childrens literature, writing activities, and communication activities can be used across the curriculum to teach reading; backers of phonics instruction insist that a direct, sequential mode of teaching enables students to master reading in an organised way. There is an ongoing debate on which is the best way to teach a child how to read. Phonics helps children to pronounce better and recognise the words. It helps them far more than memory and guess work used in the whole language approach. Formulas learned in phonics can be applied repeatedly. On the other hand, using the whole language approach helps children to understand better different types of texts. It is much more interesting and creative to reading rather than the phonics approach. Whole language approach emphasises on meaning and comprehension. Children memorise large numbers of sight words and learn to read by reading. I do not have enough experience but I can speak from my 3 years of teaching practice. I believe that both approaches must be used hence using a balanced reading approach. Most children learn through an amalgamation of skills. Each method offers different strategies. One has to remove the idea of one size fits all and keep in mind that every child is different. There is no one best method to teach children. Educationworld.com says that Many combinations and permutations are necessary to provide an optimal learning environment for an entire class of readers A teacher must be careful when teaching reading keeping in mind the different abilities of his students and focusing on literature and fun. After all, it is the teacher who makes the difference in the learning process. I believe that a teacher should provide time to read to his students often, choral read with them and also give them time to read both alone and in pairs. I remember that when I used to teach phonics through word games, to year 2 students, it used to work. Students where learning by having fun. Spending only a brief time each day on phonics and doing no more than one worksheet daily I eliminated boredom. It is important to try other reading approaches for students who are not able to learn phonics easily. Through research, I found out that recorded books or story writing might help. I make it a point that in my classroom I have a library. Unfortunately I have been in some schools where school libraries are not available. Students who have social problems how can they be exposed to literacy? It is highly important to expose children to books. It is important to have books in classroom so that students can browse, read and discuss them. Krammer and Holland state that when using a balanced reading approach, a teacher should provide as much structure as possible and some step-by-step skill work, especially for analytic students, while emphasising literature and fun. Also, a teacher should provide sufficient tools for decoding words, using small amounts of direct instruction in phonics for auditory and analytic learners. Tape-recording phonics lessons will help students to work independently to improve their skills. Visual learners tend to benefit from the whole language approach while auditory learners rely more on phonics since they hear the sound of letters and identify words. A balanced reading approach will probably be most beneficial! Finally I conclude using a balanced approach to teach reading will probably be most beneficial. IAE (2003) discovered that both research and classroom practices support the use of a balanced approach in instruction. The motive for this is because reading depends on efficient word recognition and comprehension. I agree that therefore instruction should develop reading skills and strategies, as well as build on the learners knowledge through the use of authentic texts. (Bernhardt, 1991; Bernhardt, 2000; Hulstijn, 1991; Kamil, Mosenthal Pearson, 2000; Snow Burns Griffin, 1998)

To Save or Not To Save - That Is the Question Essay example -- Conserv

When you look at a bald eagle, you see how powerful and majestic this bird is, which is how many people feel about the United States; that’s why the bald eagle is our national emblem on our Great Seal. It would be a dishonor to our Nation to have such a worldwide-recognized symbol of The United States extinct, but in fact that’s exactly what almost happened. To help the bald eagle regain it’s numbers, on December 28, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon signed The Endangered Species Act. â€Å"The law established procedures for conserving plants and animals in danger of extinction and those that are threatened, or likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future (Cooper, â€Å"Endangered Species Act† 855). Since its establishment, the Endangered Species Act has been a topic of debate on whether the way the act is set up now has been worth the securing of land, including land that is privately owned, the time to research and the money that has been spent . Once species are listed as either threatened or endangered of becoming extinct the first move is to figure out what can be done to help them. What kind of habitat does it need to thrive? Is it isolated to only a few regions of the country or widely located? Could it be introduced into new regions, whether rural or urban, and still have a chance of survival? The lands that are being protected range from mountains to national parks to any neighborhood across the country, so that the smallest plant to the largest wild animal has an environment where they can continue to thrive. Some species have been reintroduced and their populations have recovered enough to bring them out of the endangered status and off of the Endangered Species Act listing. Wolfs and grizzly bears are two out of the nu... ...ecies Act have their valid points. The two sides need to work together discuss which animals are vital to the balance of the eco-system and which plants could help create medicine that fight illnesses like cancer. The laws need to reflect not only the time and money involved in saving the world’s species of plants and animals but also protect the livelihood of the populations of people who are involved in such areas. The balance between the two is possible as long as both sides work with each other not against each other. Works Cited Arrandale, Tom. "Disappearing Species." CQ Researcher 17.42 (2007): 985-1008. CQ Researcher. Web. 24 Mar. 2012. Cooper, Mary H. "Endangered Species Act." CQ Researcher 9.37 (1999): 849-64. CQ Researcher. Web. 24 Mar. 2012. ---. "Endangered Species Act." CQ Researcher 15.21 (2005): 493-516. CQ Researcher. Web. 24 Mar. 2012.

Cultural Rape in Heart of Darkness and The Jewel in the Crown :: comparison compare contrast essays

Cultural Rape in Heart of Darkness and The Jewel in the Crown      Ã‚   The comparison of Heart of Darkness and The Jewel in the Crown may lead to some interesting questions. The authors of these two great works have found their way into the literary cannon for well-founded reasons. Both texts seem to continue to bring the reader to ask questions of both the text and the readers own moral values. One of these value based questions deals with racism. It may well be that both of these great works may be examples of racism being subjected upon the people of two separate continents. Both of these situations may be compared to not the rape of a woman, but the rape of a people and their ideologies.    As Paul Scott wrote The Jewel in the Crown his story seems to tell a tale of an English woman in India who had been raped. On the surface of course this is the story meant for the reader to find. However, underlying the issue of rape there may be another story. Scott writes, "This is the story of a rape, of the events that led up to it and followed it and of the place in which it happened. There are the action, the people, and the place" (Scott 3). This single statement may have more truth within it about the author's intent in his story. When Scott writes that with his story is that of a rape we must ask of whom?    The written character that is raped is Daphne Manners. Her original home is Britain. The same country that has colonized India becomes an important issue in the story. It is important to see that Scott describes the fact that, "Mr. Gandhi began preaching sedition in India" at the same time he introduces the rape theme (Scott 3). Scott is hinting to the reader his real intention behind his story. Gandhi's act of sedation was one wrapped in hopes of attaining equality and freedom from Britain for his people. Britain had control of his land and its people.    Scott is not the only author aware of racial inequality in Britain's colonization of foreign continents. Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness is also a complaint of racial inequality concerning Britain's colonization. His is a complaint of the control of certain parts of Africa.

Computers and Family Life :: Technology Essays

Computers and Family Life Computers have had both positive and negative effects on family life. As more and more families are beginning to own there own computers, the effects of computers are becoming more recognized. Negative effects include the separation/isolation of family members, and parents bringing their work home instead of leaving it at work. Linking extended families together is one positive effect that computers have had on family life. Overall computers have had a negative effect on family life. One negative effect of computers on family life is less human contact between family members. In my family, all of us have our own computers that are kept in separate rooms. So if I’m checking my mail on my computer, and my sister is in her room on her computer, we are isolated from each other and cannot talk to each other face to face. This results in less face to face human contact between family members. But just having one computer for a family can still cause less face-to-face contact. If one person is using the computer no one else wants to just sit and do nothing while the computer is being used, so they will go to a different room and each person will end up doing their own thing. Causing less family time, and less human contact within the family. The use of computer games is another thing that has caused less human contact between family members. Before computers were used in the home, if someone wanted to play a game, they usually had to find at least one other family member to play a board game or card game with them. That forced families to send more time talking to each other. Now if someone wants to play a game that requires more than one person, they can just go on the computer and either play online against another person, or they can play against the computer. Playing games on the computer makes in easier to be isolated from physical contact with other family members. Now that you don’t have to ask person in your family to play a game, most families don’t spend as much time talking to each other and learning about each other. Another negative cause that computers have on family life is that many people now bring their work home with them instead of leaving it at work the way they used to.

National Security vs. Civil Liberties Essay

The recent September 11th attacks have caused many Americans to wonder about the personal sacrifices to be made in order to keep the nation â€Å"safe and free.† With mixed results, it has become a common practice throughout history to restrict personal freedoms in the name of national security. Many questions arise from this process: Where is the line drawn? If liberties are restricted do they ever truly return? If it is true that we are doomed to repeat history if we fail to learn from it, an examination into the circumstances of the Japanese American internment in 1942 may inform the ways to most effectively deal with the security concerns faced by Americans today. There is a paradox in American theories of democracy and freedom. As the United States has fought abroad in the name of freedom, we have simultaneously restricted the personal freedoms of people in the country. When President Franklin D. Roosevelt engaged in battle in World War II, it was not only to retaliate against the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor but to bring down the Nazi regime that was murdering people in Europe. At the same time, Roosevelt had nearly 120,000 Japanese Americans, the majority of whom were American citizens or legal permanent residents, rounded up into internment camps, violating their civil rights to be treated with fairness and equality, without discrimination and the Fifth Amendment liberty of due process. In 2001, people are quick to dismiss the idea of an internment of American citizens, suggesting that the country has come a long way from 1942. The hypothesis that the government might conduct surveillance or use illegal wiretaps to monitor groups or individuals that it suspects of domestic terrorism seemed foreign before September 11th, and now has become a way to gain more information about potential suspects. These new measures, included in the USA Patriot Act, delicately trace the line between national security and civil liberties. A brief look at how the Bush administration has extended its powers since September 11th includes the detaining without charge of thousands of Muslim and Arab-American men without release of information to kin nor legal access, a new Bureau of Prisons regulation which allows Justice Department officials to listen in on conversations  between suspects and their lawyers and a new legislation, which includes warrant-less searches, roving wiretaps and a redefinition of a â€Å"domestic terrorist.† American society is not yet comfortably distanced from the practices of history that have threatened the civil rights and liberties Americans enjoy. Fred Korematsu’s speaking engagements continued in 2001, as he warned college students to stay aware of what the government is doing, and to stand prepared to defend their freedoms. In times of crisis, as presidential power expands, domestic policies must take shape to ensure the protection of Americans, from foreign and domestic threats. The Bush administration has a difficult task ahead, to keep Americans safe while maintaining the freedom which makes this country great. The delicate issue of interviewing Arab Americans has presented a challenge and continues the debate among Americans about how many of our civil liberties become expendable when the country is at war.