Race, Gender, and Crime: Portrayals of African American Women in Local Television News

• In Event: Poster Session II

Abstract

In an adoption from social learning theory, George Gerbner (1969, 1971) developed a theory of enculturation: the idea that those who view television more heavily will adopt its reality in replacement of their own. Most concerning was the presentation of violence leading television viewers to find the real world a "mean and scary place." While Gerbner’s work was aimed specifically at how TV violence alters perception of fear, others have taken a more detailed look at exactly how portrayals of victims and perpetrators contribute to the recognition of danger and crime (Romer & Jamieson, 2014). This view extends to depictions of gender and race (Signorielli, 2009; Callahan & Rosenberger, 2015). Adding to this effect is so-called “reality” television and local nightly news. These shows influence viewer’s more directly as depictions are seem as a reflection of real life. Therefore, a more influential cultivation of who is a likely victim and who is a likely perpetrator creates differential views of fear (Parrott & Parrott, 2015). By evaluating the existing research, this paper seeks to understand how enculturation of violence applies to African American women in reality- type shows and local television news.

Author

• Diana Metzger, Texas Southern University