Television/Film as Sexist/Racist

The dominant ideology portrayed in television frequently reinforces the primary position of the male and the subordinate–and therefore unequal–position of the female in contemporary society. This is typically displayed in the roles of men and women as portrayed in the same program (their relative statuses; authority and power; traditional vs. modern portrayals; etc.). Discuss this with reference to several programs/films from a particular time period. Alternatively, you may discuss television/film as racist by appropriately adapting the guidelines given above for the sexist analysis. In each case, you are dealing with how disempowered groups are portrayed in the medium you select. Most importantly, your task is not to simply describe your examples, but to analyse their content.