Although it has often been seen as a production which exploits the racial prejudices of the American society, on the other hand it tries to deal with them and point them out through laughter. The question then arises, "does the charge of prejudice come from the fact that the movie laughs and pokes fun at it instead of excoriating it? Would it have been better if it had dealt with it in the same dour, overcast manner adopted by many anti-racist activists? Would a waggling finger and pursed lips be better than a laugh at the bastards' expense?" (Tremlett, 2002). Therefore, some views consider this approach to be more useful than hard line activists.
In relation to this approach, there are studies made which argue that discussion an issue, such as racial discrimination, by using humor as a tool, is an important and most of the times useful technique. More precisely, "Humor lends itself particularly well to use as a conflict device because of its almost boundless limits in subject matter, and because its nature is such that it often contains more or less well concealed malice" (Burma, 1946). This malice tends to determine a numer of categories for jokes related to Black people. In this sense, "An obvious division of race-conscious humor into four categories immediately presents itself. That is, the joke may be by Negroes and pro-Negroes; by Negroes and anti-white; by whites and pro-white; by whites and anti-Negro" (Burma, 1946). It is considered that the second and the last categories are the most common. Indeed, from a point-of-view, they may be considered innocent, as there is only humor involved. On the other hand, depending on the language, they may be offensive and even attacking.
The other side of the use of humor in discussions related to race and discrimination is the increase in the awareness of the process as part of everyday life. More precisely, depending on the language and context, the jokes made at the expense of particular cultural items cans offend, more than they can amuse (Espey, 2002). Therefore the impact may be the opposite of the one intended.
However, one of the least positive influences racist humor may have on the receiving public is the development of hate (Jackson, 2005). Therefore, it is...
Racialization is where two, racial groups have become so disgusted with one another that they will begin to take negative views of each other .Where, WASP's would often see blacks as the lowest ethic groups in society, while they would view other ethnics groups in more positive light (but only to a certain extent). A good example of this can be seen with the way many individuals will not
Television and Cultural Plagues in America American society is both one of the most litigious and one of the most violent in the world. But violence is not the only cultural quagmire: Sexual promiscuity -- along with the itinerant sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies -- is another cultural minefield. And of course, racism, drug use and alcohol abuse are other major, seemingly unsolvable problems. A common thread behind these social
The racism in the criminal justice system is noted by Schneider and Ingram (1993) to be a consequence of social construction of some members of the society that in turn has an influence on design, program implementation as well as institutional structure in a manner that clearly puts at a disadvantage some members of the society. The Sentencing Project (2008) indicated that racial disparity in the federal, state and local judicial
In colonial times, they were known to be Appalachians, Portuguese, Turkish slaves or even Gypsies. Their dark skin and mixed, doubtful origin made them a target for the ridicule and hate of the white population. During 1800s the Melungeons lived on the border between Virginia and Tennessee and the name was used as an insult. The truth however was revealed when the results of a DNA study were printed in
Beginning in the 1890s, America's position toward Latin America began to change, largely based on Secretary of State James G. Blaine's ideas. A historian writes, "Blaine's policy toward Latin America had two main objectives: promotion of peace and increased trade. Both were in a sense anti-European" (DeConde, 1963, p. 295). During this time, negotiations were underway to build what would eventually become the Panama Canal through Central America, so there
history seems only like a carefully curated set of facts, figures, and events that when taken together promote a specific ideology or worldview. Thus, Americans focus almost exclusively on people, places, and events that uphold the idea of American exceptionalism. Wars and the conquests of men overshadow the lives of women, and Europeans are given precedence. The quote by W.E.B. DuBois underscores the inherent falseness in approaching history, given
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