Television's Imageable Influences: The Self-Perception of Young African-Americans - Hardcover

Cosby, Camille O.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0819195219 ISBN 13: 9780819195210

Publisher: University Press of America, 1994

Synopsis

Camille O. Cosby presents a startling examination of how young African-Americans are dramatically impacted by the pervasive negative images of their culture that are regularly portrayed on television. Dr. Cosby shows how American media establishments have engineered a climate of ignorance and disenfranchisement by fostering misinformation and indifference. She maintains that a national viewers' boycott of programming containing such negative images is the first step towards making the television industry face up to its responsibility as the most powerful communications tool in our nation.
Contents: Statement of the Problem; Influence of Perception on Human Behavior; The Impact of Television Images on How Individuals View Themselves; What Specific Aspects of Self Are Addressed by Particular Television Imageries of African-Americans? What Possible Influences Do Particular Television Imageries Have on Self-Perceptions of Selected Young Adult African-Americans? What Specific Aspects of Self Are Addressed by Particular Television Imageries of African-Americans? What Possible Influence Do Particular Television Imageries Have on Self-Perceptions of Selected Young Adult African-Americans? Nielson Media Research; Personal History Form and Profiles of Interviewees.

About this title

From the Back Cover

The worldwide influence of African-Americans as a major creative and economic force in Western popular culture is well documented. What is less understood is African-Americans' lack of participation in defining how their cultures and media images are projected. We live in an age when self-esteem is considered a prerequisite for success. How does it feel to view pervasive negative references to your culture on television? What impact would it have on your psyche to see your people constantly portrayed as "the devoted servant", "the chicken and watermelon eater", "the sexual superman", "the natural-born musician", or "the social delinquent", among many other derogatory images? Can we afford to tolerate such ignorance and indifference to the conscious denigration of African-American cultures or any other culture?

Edition details

• Publisher: University Press of America
• Publication date: 1994
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0819195219
• ISBN 13: 9780819195210
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 192