19th Annual Student Research Conference
Social Science
Portrayals of African American Men through Top-Rated Prime Time Television Dramas
Nina M. Ellis-Hervey
Dr. Royce Kallerud, Faculty Mentor
Since African American men are taking on more dramatic roles, which—unlike comedies—allow viewers to see the positive and negative elements of their personal lives in depth, this study examines whether past stereotypes are still present in these roles. While it was predicted that African American male characters would be portrayed more stereotypically than white leading characters, it was found that in the shows chosen and viewed that the characters had no great differences. Though African American men were not shown to be portrayed more negatively, viewers of current mixed-cast dramas are still exposed to subtle negative stereotypes and as a result these dramas reinforce the racist ideology behind these stereotypes.
Keywords: African American men, Prime Time, Television
Topic(s):Sociology/Anthropology
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 29-3
Location: VH 1412
Time: 10:15