Level(s): Grades 10 to 12
Overview
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In this lesson students explore the ways that ethnic and visible minorities are portrayed in Canadian entertainment media. The lesson begins with an introduction to the media education key concept – "media are constructed to represent reality" – and a discussion about the constructed nature of media products and how media "re-presents" people, ideas and events from a particular viewpoint. This is followed by a discussion about stereotypes and possible consequences of under-representation. Next, students read and discuss the essay "Ethnic and Visible Minorities in Entertainment Media" and look at Canadian regulatory systems that ensure equitable representation in broadcast media. As a summary activity, students form groups and conduct diversity surveys of prime time Canadian television. (These surveys are modeled on the
Fall Colors: Prime Time Diversity Report conducted annually by the American children's advocacy organization Children Now.)
Learning Outcomes
Students will think critically about:
- the "constructed" nature of media
- how media "re-present" people and events to viewers from a specific point of view
- the importance of equitable representation in media
- the effects of media representation in society
- the role of stereotypes in media and the possible negative consequences of stereotyping
- the Canadian regulatory systems for equitable representation in broadcast media
- the effectiveness of Canadian broadcasting goals for equitable representation
This lesson also reinforces statistical math skills such as compiling and assessing data and creating graphical representations of information.
Preparation and Materials
Make a copy of
Bring in
- Photos or magazine spreads of a popular celebrities or athletes
- Five or six copies of the current TV Guide
Procedure
Class Discussion
Introduction: Representation
We're going to begin today's class with a key concept for media education. (In large letters on the blackboard, write "Media are constructed to represent reality.")
- What does this statement mean?
- What are the two most important ideas in this statement?
The first important idea is that media are constructed – that all aspects of media productions are created by individuals, with a purpose, and from a particular perspective. Media productions involve a whole range of choices about what to leave in – and what to leave out.
For example, what decisions might a filmmaker make when he or she "constructs" a movie? (The filmmaker has to decide how to dress the star, which angle to shoot from, how to frame the image, what sound clips to use, and when to stop the camera rolling. Later, with the editor, he or she must decide which footage to include in the final production.)
The second important idea is that media productions represent reality. Because media portrayals of people or situations are constructed from a specific point of view, they are by their very nature limited and different from the actual people and events.
(Erase "represent" and write "re-present.")
If I were to change this key concept slightly, how would you interpret it now? (This is a more accurate reflection of how media take people and events and "re" present them to us.)
(Take a magazine image of a celebrity or athlete and show it to students.)
A simple way to illustrate this is by looking at this picture. I think we can all agree that the actual person is probably very different from this representation of him (or her) and that looking at images like this one isn't even close to the experience of being in the same room with the human being.
Although media images and media broadcasters re-present people, places and things, they can't really give us the actual experience. Media representations are, by definition, imperfect copies that leave out a lot of information. This fact is particularly important when it comes to understanding the importance of representation of various groups of people in the media.
(Put the "Representation" overhead onto the projector.)
- Would you agree or disagree with this statement? Why?
- What "minorities" or "groups of people" might be included in this? (Groups might include racial or ethnic minorities and groups defined by gender, class, sexual orientation, ability, age, etc.)
- If people in the media's eye are considered important, what is the implicit message about those who are absent? (Invisibility can feed the impression that these groups are unimportant, or non-existent.)
- How might a group's invisibility in the media affect attitudes within the general public?
- How might invisibility or under-representation in the media affect the attitudes or feelings of members within a particular group?
Chronic under-representation of minorities in media contributes to another portrayal problem. When few minority faces, voices and realities are shown, those portrayals that are included have a stronger impact – a situation made even worse by the media's fondness for stereotypes.
- Can anyone tell me what a stereotype is? (Stereotypes – an oversimplified portrayal of characteristics typifying a person – are a form of representation directly connected to the "construction" aspect of media. Because media producers are constricted by time or production constraints, they often use a kind of "visual shorthand" to quickly establish "who's who" for the audience.)
- In order to be easily understood, stereotypes rely on accepted clichés. Can you think of any? (The buxom "dumb blonde", the eye-glass wearing "nerd," the "mouthy teen," the "foreign" villain, etc.)
- Classifying people into groups is part of human nature, but when might stereotypes become problematic?
(Stereotypes become problematic when they reduce a wide range of differences in people to simplistic categorizations; transform assumptions about particular groups of people into "realities"; are used to justify the position of those in power; perpetuate social prejudice and inequality; and fuel feelings of otherness – "us" vs. "them.")
Racial Representation in Entertainment Media
We're now going to shift our focus a little, from general media representation to racial representation in entertainment media. But as media messages about race are often combined with messages about gender, class, and so on, I'd like you to keep other groups in mind as we discuss this topic.
Before discussing racial representation in the media, it's helpful to take a snapshot of diversity in our country. It's well known that Canada has a reputation of being one of the most racially diverse nations on earth.
- Do any of you know what percentage of Canadians report belonging to a visible minority? (According to Statistics Canada, in 2001, close to 4 million Canadians reported belonging to a visible minority, which represents over 13 per cent of the non-Aboriginal population aged 15 and over. In urban centres such as Toronto, visible minorities make up over half the population. In addition, a little over 1 million Canadians, 3 per cent of the population, report Aboriginal origins.)
(Place the "Canadian Population" chart on overhead projector and review with students.)
Now think about entertainment media – movies, TV shows, music videos and even video games. Do you think entertainment media reflect the diversity of our country? (Permit time for students to discuss their thoughts.) Which groups would you say are most represented? Which are least represented?
(Distribute the essay "Ethnic and Visible Minorities in Entertainment Media" and have students answer the following questions. When they are done, take up their answers as a class.)
- According to the Simon Fraser University study, in 2002 how did Canadian programming rate when it came to reflecting the diversity within the Canadian population? Do you think the situation is any different now?
- Did representation in video games fare any better or worse? Would you agree with the Children Now findings? Why or why not?
- When you're thinking about representation of various groups of people in popular entertainment, what factors need to be considered? (It's not only visibility that counts: the nature of the portrayal is also important. Are the portrayals realistic? Are positive and negative roles distributed equally? Do people of colour have main roles, or are they only bit players? Where people of colour are cast because of their race or ethnicity, is this casting appropriate or relevant to the story? Are non-white characters portrayed in a rich and complex manner, and shown in a variety of roles?)
- What about representation behind the scenes? How does this relate to the perspectives and people we see?
- According to this essay, how does representation (or invisibility) in popular entertainment affect children? Do you agree or disagree with the author? Why or why not?
Voluntary Industry Diversity Codes
In Canada, there's a system in place to ensure equitable representation in Broadcast media. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) – the regulatory agency that governs radio and television content in Canada – clearly states that Canadian television programming should reflect the country’s cultural diversity, and when broadcasters apply for or renew their licences, they are expected to demonstrate a commitment to cultural diversity through specific initiatives.
In response to the CRTC, the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) has created voluntary industry guidelines on portraying ethnic and visible minorities. Nearly all broadcasters (96 per cent) are members of the CAB, and they are expected to:
- ensure balanced coverage of issues
- refrain from broadcasting stories, news items or imagery that may incite hatred or contempt of others, based on ethnic or national heritage, colour, or religion
- be sensitive to the use of offensive language or stereotypical portrayals
The guidelines also require that broadcasters' commitment to cultural diversity be reflected in their hiring and training practices.
The issue of racial and ethnic diversity is also addressed by the CAB’s Code of Ethics. This code prohibits the broadcasting of abusive or discriminatory material based on race, ethnicity, age, sex, physical ability or marital status.
The application of these guidelines is overseen by the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC), an industry organization that hears viewer complaints about programming content and tries to resolve them through mediation at the local level, between broadcaster and complainant. Most complaints are resolved this way.
Group Activity
Entertainment Media Survey
(Students will need one week to survey programs and two or three classes to compile, analyze and present data.)
Each year, the American children's advocacy organization Children Now surveys minority representation on prime time television and releases its findings in the Fall Colors Prime Time Diversity Report. In this exercise, students will be conducting their own diversity audits of popular TV shows.
Divide the class into five groups. (Ideally, groups should comprise five or six students in order to split the time needed to view programs) Each group will be conducting a diversity survey of a week's worth of prime-time programming (Monday-Sunday, between 8 and 11 pm). Students will need to develop a viewing schedule that covers this time period.
Group 1: An American TV station
Group 2: A Canadian youth-oriented TV Station (for example, YTV)
Group 3: A local TV station that's an affiliate of a national network (Canwest Global, CTV or CHUM)
Group 4: Canada's public broadcaster, CBC
Group 5: A second local TV station (not affiliated with a national network, if possible)
Additional survey topics could include: twenty top movies, music videos (the Much Music Countdown provides a good cross section for analysis), most popular kids programs (these can be found in the Canadian Teachers' Federation report "Kids Take on Media" or from the Ryerson Chimp reports – see sidebar at right); or the top twenty video games.
Distribute copies of the current TV Guides and "Diversity Survey Guidelines" to each group. In addition to viewing programs on these stations, students can visit official Web sites for more information. They may also want to videotape the opening credits of shows in order to complete their surveys.
Once groups have completed their surveys and compiled their data, they will present their findings to the class and submit their diversity reports for evaluation.
Comparisons between groups might include:
- Differences between local and national broadcasters (for example, over half the population of Toronto report belonging to a visible minority, compared with the national average of around 13 per cent. Given this discrepancy, do local Toronto stations feature more racial diversity than national stations?)
- If you compare American programs with Canadian programs, is there a difference in the numbers and types of groups represented?
- Are prime-time programs on children's television more diverse than prime-time programs on general stations?
- How does public broadcasting compare with private broadcasting in portraying diversity? Is there a difference?
Extension Activity:
- Copies of student reports could be sent to the relevant broadcasters or local media.
