What is a 'stereotype?'
- A simplified representation which focuses on certain characteristics of a group and assumes these to be shared across all group members
- Inherent within a stereotype is a judgment on this character
Eg. 'All women are bad drivers'
'all millwall fans are gypsies'
'all tottenham fans are jewish'
'all muslims are terrorists'
How do the media use stereotypes?
- To communicate complex information about a character, time period, location etc. as quickly as possible
- They do this, as they do not simply create stereotypes, they reflect the stereotypes that have already been created in modern culture
- By using these stereotypes, the media can be said to be reinforcing the ideas behind the and consolidating the views they contain
- Often the media is criticised for creating stereotypes, but they are usually part of the audiences way of thinking bout the world anyway
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