Tessa Perkins:
Tessa Perkins believes that stereotypes are a complicated process and that there are many assumptions that can be challenged.
Perkins believes there are 5 assumptions that could be wrong or challenged:
Stereotypes are not always negative such as English people are polite
That stereotypes are not limited to being about minority groups or those with less status/power such as the stereotype of "Upper class twits" or that "white" people have very little culture
That they can be about the persons own group
That they don't stay the same and can change with the change of culture and time
That they aren't always untrue and can be accurate
Tessa Perkins believes that stereotypes have implications on society such as:
They are normally (not always) incorrect about the group and often negative
They are about a group that society as a whole have limited contact with, which leads to less knowledge and the stereotypes being created.
They are often centered around minority and lower class groups which nearly always creates a negative image, leading to the upper class being viewed with more.
People often link stereotypes to the group and then don't really change their minds, this can lead to a very negative image of the group which causes a self fulling prophecy from the group as they act negatively like how they are believed to act.
Due to the stereotype of the group, other members of society's behaviour towards this group can be predicted which can cause unfair and harsh treatment of the group members.
Stereotypes must have some truth within them as they are key part of understanding the world and are so influential on understanding society.
Perkins assumptions that can be challenged are definitely challenged in the Hotel Babylon clip; nearly every stereotype in the clip are negative such as ethnic minorities not being very clever and have low status and lower pay jobs like cleaning. The only positive representations in the clip is when the white security guards stand up to the white policemen; however as this is not a stereotype and is a unconventional representation it show how stereotypes are often negative. The Hotel Babylon clip dose show how stereotypes are not just limited to minority groups; although the minority groups were stereotyped in this clip so were the larger groups like white females. In this clip the stereotype of white females having a simple clerical job, who is pretty and can be quite revealing is met as show by the receptionist, who is a white female, dressed to please male audiences (the male gaze) and has a simple basic job.
Leon Festinger:
Leon Festinger believes that we seek to find confirmation of our thoughts and ideas. He believes that we don't like to change or alter our ideas unless there is a lot of proof. This can explain why people like/enjoy Hotel Babylon and other similar TV Drama's so much. They appear to enforce and prove the stereotypes that everyone has grown so comfortable with and offer the reassurance that these ideas are correct. As according to Festinger we find this comforting as we are always looking for confirmation that these ideas are true and accurate, hence why programmes like Hotel Babylon are so
popular.
Alvarado's Racial Stereotypes Theory:
Alvarado's theory is that race is represented in four different ways:
1) Pitifully-he believes that some races are represented to make the audience feel pity for those being represented. An example of this when African families/children are represented as starving and dying from poverty. This evokes pity and feeling of wanting to help from the audience.
2) Dangerous- Some races are represented as dangerous such as sometimes Asians in particular men. When one member of the race is represented this way the ideas and representation are often connotated and spread to the rest of the race.
3) Exotic- This is where the race is represented as different due to them being from somewhere so far away and often comes across as sexy. This in particular happens to women and the race of Latino Americans, this is represented by suggestive dancing, flirtatious behavior and racy costumes.
4) Comically- This can often happened when there is only one member of that race in group of members of a different race. This can happen when a Welsh person is a group of English people ect... this carries one to stereotype the rest of the race this way.
Roland Barthes
Roland Barthes theories are used to understand/explain how texts and media texts are understood by an audience. He explains this by cultural codes which is done by looking at cultural norms and influences. He believes that how each person of the audience understands and views the media texts is massively effected by how they personally understand society and their own views.
Barthes believes there will be a least one of the 5 codes in any text or narrative. He also believes that texts can either be open or closed; open being the text can understood in many different ways and closed being the text can really only be understood one way.
Barthes 5 Codes:
Hermeneutic/Enigma Code- this is where a mystery within the text, clues can be hinted at throughout the text however no real answers are given. These enigmas lead the audience to want to know more and to carry on following the text. If the enigmas are left un-answered at the end of a text it can frustrate as much as excited the audience.
Proairetic/Action Code- this is where the text carries action within it. This can build the tension and suspense for the audience. The action that builds can indicate the next event in the text or narrative, which leads the audience to guess what is happening next.
Semantic Code- this part of the text can hint at or clearly have different meanings. The specific part of the text that dose this called Semes and this can connotate other meanings for the audience, allowing the audience to see past the literal meaning.
Symbolic Code- this about the part of the text that symbolizes and is closely linked to the semantic code. Symbolism covers a wider area of the text to create a broader and more in depth meaning whereas semes are more specific. Symbolism is used to show contrasting and opposite ideas, a deeper meaning, to increase tension and suspense and carry on the character development.
Referential Code- this is intertextuality which refers different areas of knowledge. This creates familiarity for the audience such as using ideas like the foundation of science and history.
