Croteau/Hoynes: Media/Society, 5th Edition
Chapter 6: Social Inequality and Media Representation
Discussion Questions
1. Are media portrayals “realistic”? Why or why not?
a. What do people mean when they use the world “realistic”?
b. What does it mean to call something “realistic”?
c. Should media be “realistic” in portraying the social world? Why/why not?
2. How are the racial (or gender, or LGBT) stereotypes that were used in the early years of
radio, film, and television different from the stereotypes that circulate today? What
stereotypes do you think get reinforced on the Internet?
3. What are the pros and cons of small/niche audiences for racial representation and diversity?
4. How can “positive” images be problematic? What can these images erase or elide? Why do
critics and organizations critique some “positive” images?
5. How do you feel about current representations in television and film? Representations of
which groups trouble you the most?
a. Middle and upper-middle class people are vastly over-represented in mass media
content. What effects does this create?
b. Women tend to be sexualized in many media products. Why is this worrisome?
c. Blacks as overrepresented as violent criminals in many television shows. Why does
this matter?
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