5 Common African American Stereotypes in TV and Film

African Americans may be scoring more substantial parts in film and television, but many continue to play roles that fuel stereotypes, such as thugs and maids. The prevalence of these parts reveals the importance of  #OscarsSoWhite and how African Americans continue to struggle for quality roles on both the small and big screens, despite having won  Academy Awards  in  acting, screenwriting,  music production and other categories. The Magical Negro Magical Negro characters have long played key roles in films and television programs. These characters tend to be African American men with special powers who make appearances solely to help white characters out of jams, seemingly unconcerned about their own lives. The late Michael Clarke Duncan famously played such a character in â€Å"The Green Mile.† Moviefone wrote of Duncan’s character, John Coffey, â€Å"He’s more an allegorical symbol than a person, his initials are J.C., he has miraculous healing powers, and he voluntarily submits to execution by the state as a way of doing penance for the sins of others. A ‘Magical Negro’ character is often the sign of lazy writing at best, or of patronizing cynicism at worst.† Magical Negroes are also problematic because they have no inner lives or desires of their own. Instead, they exist solely as a support system to the white characters, reinforcing the idea that African Americans aren’t as valuable or as human as their white counterparts. They don’t require unique storylines of their own because their lives simply don’t matter as much. In addition to Duncan, Morgan Freeman has played in some such roles, and Will Smith played a Magical Negro in â€Å"The Legend of Bagger Vance.† The Black Best Friend Black Best Friends typically don’t have special powers like Magical Negroes do, but they mainly function in films and television shows to guide white characters out of a crisis. Usually, female, the black best friend functions â€Å"to support the heroine, often with sass, attitude and a keen insight into relationships and life,† critic Greg Braxton noted in the  Los Angeles Times. Like Magical Negroes, black best friends appear not to have much going on in their own lives but turn up at exactly the right moment to coach white characters through life. In the film â€Å"The Devil Wears Prada,† for example, actress Tracie Thoms plays friend to star Anne Hathaway, reminding Hathaway’s character that she’s losing touch with her values. Also, actress Aisha Tyler played friend to Jennifer Love Hewitt on â€Å"The Ghost Whisperer,† and Lisa Nicole Carson played friend to Calista Flockhart on â€Å"Ally McBeal.† Television executive Rose Catherine Pinkney told the Times that there is a long tradition of black best friends in Hollywood. â€Å"Historically, people of color have had to play nurturing, rational caretakers of the white lead characters. And studios are just not willing to reverse that role.† The Thug There’s no shortage of black male actors playing drug dealers, pimps, con-artists and other forms of criminals in television shows and films such as â€Å"The Wire† and â€Å"Training Day.† The disproportionate amount of African Americans playing criminals in Hollywood fuels the racial stereotype that black men are dangerous and drawn to illicit activities. Often these films and television shows provide little social context for why more black men than others are likely to end up in the criminal justice system. They overlook how racial and economic injustice makes it more difficult for young black men to evade a prison term or how policies such as stop-and-frisk and racial profiling make black men targets of the authorities. They fail to ask whether black men are inherently more likely to be criminals than anyone else or if society plays a role in creating the cradle-to-prison pipeline for African American men. The Brash Woman Black women are routinely portrayed in television and film  as sassy, neck-rolling harpies  with major attitude problems. The popularity of reality television shows adds fuel to the fire of this stereotype. To ensure that programs such as â€Å"Basketball Wives† maintain plenty of drama, often the loudest and most aggressive black women are featured on these shows. Black women say these depictions have real-world consequences in their love lives and careers. When Bravo debuted the reality show â€Å"Married to Medicine† in 2013, black female physicians unsuccessfully petitioned the network to pull the plug on the program. â€Å"For the sake of integrity and character of black female physicians, we must ask that Bravo immediately remove and cancel ‘Married to Medicine’ from its channel, website, and any other media, the physicians demanded.  Black female physicians only compose 1 percent of the American workforce of physicians. Due to our small numbers, the depiction of black female doctors in media, on any scale, highly affects the public’s view of the character of all future and current African American female doctors.† The show ultimately aired and black women continue to complain that depictions of African American womanhood in the media fail to live up to reality. The Domestic Because blacks were forced into servitude for hundreds of years in the United States, it’s no surprise that one of the earliest stereotypes about African Americans to emerge in television and film is that of the domestic worker or mammy. Television shows and movies such as â€Å"Beulah† and â€Å"Gone With The Wind† capitalized on the mammy stereotype in the early 20th century. But more recently, movies such as â€Å"Driving Miss Daisy† and â€Å"The Help† featured African Americans as domestics as well. While Latinos are arguably the group most likely to be typecast as domestic workers nowadays, the controversy over the portrayal of black domestics in Hollywood hasn’t gone away. The 2011 film â€Å"The Help† faced intense criticism because the black maids helped catapult the white protagonist to a new stage in life while their lives remained static. Like the Magical Negro and the Black Best Friend, black domestics in film function mostly to nurture and guide white characters.

Modernization Vs. Dependency Theory Essays - 1487 Words

LDC Advisement: Modernization Theory vs Dependency Theory The path to modernization is one never clearly defined. The following report will attempt to analyze and critique our nation’s potential options concerning social and fiscal policy and use this information in an attempt to recommend future policy agenda. We will be dealing with primarily two theories on national (i.e. LDC) policy - modernization theory and dependency theory. Both have their own sets of costs and benefits as well as they do policy approaches. But before we go further, we must compare the two in attempt to see if either would compromise our government’s mandate. Currently our nation has found itself at a crossroads between the progress†¦show more content†¦However, we must be careful to temper this zeal if we choose to embrace our cultural heritage, as it could (as above) kindle anti-western feelings and furthermore, if left unchecked could result in a radical-conservative challenge to our standing government. These things being said, before we can hope to implement a successful economic program, we must first ensure that we can retain the support of the people in our endeavors. Significant economic progress may be difficult or impossible to accomplish if we cannot maintain internal stability. We need only to look to the status of the second world to recognize this fact. Open markets do not encourage western investment when coupled with uncertain governing bodies. Considering now again the two base theories, we are faced with a decision to make concerning economic policy. Globalization will be the first practice we may consider. Essentially this involves a western-style model for the state - free-markets, easy transfer of goods and capital, western values/ideology. It is perhaps the most direct way to capture the attention of the west and accordingly - their investments. We may be able to more easily receive IMF approved loans as well and enjoy a bit of added regional security due to the increased vested interest of the west. The biggest problem with adopting this philosophy isShow MoreRelatedModernization Theory Vs Dependency Theory1227 Words   |  5 PagesModernization theory vs Dependency theory While many theorists have numerous explanations towards underdevelopment, experts like David Brooks and Peter Hallward have described the natural disaster in Haiti to be brutally destructive primarily due to its poverty. With this said, by reducing the poverty level in countries such as Haiti, it is possible to avoid the many disasters that they face. Reducing poverty means that society must accept development. 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Definitions of Critical Thinking and Value of Critical Thinking

Question: Discuss about the Definitions of Critical Thinking and Value of Critical Thinking in Nursing. Answer: Introduction Critical thinking is an intellectual process that includes coherent enquiry to enable clinical reasoning and decision-making (Alfaro-LeFevre, 2015). While critical thinking is not aimed only at obtaining results or response, it is a complex process oriented towards possible solution of problems. It is a systematic process where the thinking proceeds from understanding the situation, defining the problem, looking for what contributes to the problem, its interactions with the environment, possible solutions, available resources, constraints, and best possible solution and also the method of implementing that solution (Yildirim, and Ozkahraman, 2011). Critical reflection is another extended skill of cognitive functioning that applies the process of critical thinking. Definitions of Critical Thinking The dictionary definition of Critical Thinking is the practice of dynamically and skillfully hypothesizing, relating, analyzing, blending, and assessing information to reach an answer or conclusion. Also, it is the methodical intellect that is pure, lucid, open-minded, and based on evidence. Critical thinking requires an appraisal based on cautious logical assessment. Various scholars have defined Critical Thinking as follows Goal-oriented, self-disciplined decree which effect elucidation, investigation, appraisal, and extrapolation, as well as description of the methodological, evidential, theoretical, evidence-based, or contextual contemplations upon which that judgment is based (Fischer 2011). It Include an obligation to use reason and evidence in the construction of any opinions (Mulnix, 2010). Importance of Critical thinking in Nursing The intricacy and dynamic nature of the healthcare along with the requisite for patient-centered upkeep, according to evidence-based practice, recognise Critical Thinking as a competent tool in education and in clinical practice.Nursing is a profession which directly deals with lives of patients and put nurses in situations where they have to take quick and rational decisions. Thus it becomes imperative that nurses incorporate critical thinking in their decision making process and make it a part of their personality. The ability of thenursing professional to provide quality care depends, largely, upon their critical thinking skills so as to improve clinical decisions. Critical thinking could be developed duringnursing education and then professional career. Definitions of Critical Thinking in Nursing There is a specialised conceptualisation of critical thinking with reference to the field of nursing care. The difference from that of other disciplines is because of clinical processes in the nursing discipline. Thus clinical application requires Critical Thinking to be a multi-disciplinary or rather inter-disciplinary process including rational skills and attitudinal outlooks. Also to be clinically applicable, Critical Thinking ought to be an organised, expedient thought process that requires methodologies in order to obtain the preferred outcomes. Moreover it is the process of examining, gaining, assessing, conceptualizing analyzing, and synthesizing information; its attributes are replication, framework, negotiation, and period (zkahraman, and Y?ld?r?m, 2011). The word Critical thinking has several different synonyms which are spoken frequently to refer to the same meaning: clinical thinking, clinical reasoning, clinical decree, clinical judgement, scientific decision-making, problem-solving, and nursing practice (Edwards, 2007). The procedure of clinical reasoning is highly mentioned in the academic texts, and is linked to the clinical decrees, resolution of problems, and taking diagnostic decisions. It has been referred to as the cognitive progression, which applies knowledge and experience towards problem solving during clinical practice (Gillespie, and Peterson, 2009). Clinical judgement is another term, defined as taking clinical decisions based on clinical reasoning and critical thinking. Initiatives to promote critical thinking in Nursing Several global establishments have taken initiatives towards incorporating Critical Thinking into nursing practice and education. For example, the National League for Nurses (NLN) included critical thinking as one of the criterion for accreditation of academic programs. The Joint Commission for Accreditation (JCA) for Healthcare Organisations included Critical Thinking as a norm and a key skill in nursing practice. However some problems remain associated with this criterion for accreditation, such as the abstract thought process, generalisability of critical reflection thoughts, and approaches used towards development of profession. The uncertainty of the fact that Critical Thinking requires various types of abstract measurements also depends upon familiarity and contextual factors (the work flow, and social and political factors). There are concerns to develop post-graduate training programs that embrace explicit approaches for the progress of Critical Thinking skills among nursing students. Some of the approaches are replications using questioning, anatomical models, reflective diaries, creating concept maps, group dynamics, and teaching tools based on reasoning. Studies have reported that simulation as an educational technique have shown good results in the development of Critical Thinking skills (Wood, and Toronto, 2012), Researchers have also associated simulation with the skills of clinical judgment, especially post-simulation interrogations (Lusk, and Fater, 2013). The interrogative process of critical thinking also helps in reflecting at new informations and thus increases wisdom and knowledge of new nurses as well as students (Forneris, and Peden-McAlpine, 2009). Similarly Group dynamics also encourage the development of Critical Thinking skills in nursing students. The students could also maintain a reflective diary which helps in regularising critical thinking as a routine exercise. Such an exercise helps in mastering the new knowledge as well as increasing the richness of academics. The students may also take the help of concept maps as an analytical tool which helps in arranging information in a logical sequence. The previous use of such tools by students or professional nurses helped them in bringing positive results to their work and academics (Wilgis, and McConnell, 2008). Conclusion The talent to reason rationally is a quintessential skill of nursing personnel; hence the scholarship of the method of correct argumentation is pertinent to the study of critical thinking. The ability to critically analyze an argument i.e. the reasoning is important. At the same time nursing personnel should be flexible and contemplate non-traditional substitutes and viewpoints. These supplementary abilities are what allow for critical thinking; a practice incorporating imagination and intuition in congruence with traditional modes of deductive inquiry. Critical Thinking, if applied rigorously to clinical nursing practice helps encouraging evidence based practice and competence in the profession. The mastery of Critical Thinking skills, in bringing about safe and competent care, may serve to improve clinical precision and decision-making skills, bringing favourable outcomes for patients. References Alfaro-LeFevre, R., 2015. Critical Thinking, Clinical Reasoning, and Clinical Judgment E-Book: A Practical Approach. Elsevier Health Sciences. Edwards, S.L. (2007). Critical thinking: a two-phase framework. Nurse Educ Pr, 7, 303-14. Fisher, A., 2011. Critical thinking: An introduction. Cambridge University Press. Forneris, S.G. and Peden?McAlpine, C., 2009. Creating context for critical thinking in practice: the role of the preceptor. Journal of advanced nursing, 65(8), pp.1715-1724. Gillespie, M. and Peterson, B.L., 2009. Helping Novice Nurses Make Effective Clinical Decisions: The Situated Clinical Decision?Making Framework. Nursing education perspectives, 30(3), pp.164-170. Lusk, J.M. and Fater, K., 2013. Postsimulation debriefing to maximize clinical judgment development. Nurse educator, 38(1), pp.16-19. Mulnix, J.W., 2012. Thinking critically about critical thinking. Educational Philosophy and theory, 44(5), pp.464-479. Ozkahraman, S. and Yildirim, B., 2011. An overview of critical thinking in nursing and education. American International Journal of Contemporary Research, 1(2), pp.190-196. Wilgis, M. and McConnell, J., 2008. Concept mapping: An educational strategy to improve graduate nurses critical thinking skills during a hospital orientation program. The journal of continuing education in Nursing, 39(3), pp.119-126. Wood, R.Y. and Toronto, C.E., 2012. Measuring critical thinking dispositions of novice nursing students using human patient simulators. Journal of Nursing Education, 51(6), pp.349-352. Yildirim, B. and Ozkahraman, S., 2011. Critical thinking in nursing process and education. International journal of humanities and social science, 1(13), pp.257-262.