Media Effects of Cultivation: Stereotyping and Perception in the African American Community
Overview
This paper examines cultivation theory, originating from George Gerbner's work in the 1960s, and its effects on social reality perception, particularly within the African American community. The author synthesizes relevant research articles to demonstrate how prolonged media exposure shapes beliefs, attitudes, and values, with specific focus on how stereotypical media portrayals influence viewer perceptions of marginalized groups.
What this literature review covers
- Introduction to cultivation theory and mainstreaming/resonance concepts
- Article One: Overview of cultivation theory and systemic differences between television and real world
- Article Two: Stereotypical portrayal of African Americans and long-term media exposure effects
- Article Three: Cross-cultural perception study examining African American views of Arab populations
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Media Effects of Cultivation
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Media Effects of Cultivation
Originating from George Gerbner in the 1960s, the cultivation theory hypothesizes that repeated and lengthy exposure to media influences social reality and perceptions. For instance, people watching television risk perceiving the real world as a reflection of the messages advanced by television programs. Another aspect of the cultivation theory is that heavy media consumers develop a homogeneous perception of the world when mainstreaming and resonance occur. Today, mainstreaming is a common occurrence and Western media dominates many people or regions across the globe. Resonance occurs when media messages coincide with the lived experiences of the consumers, creating a one-sided world view. The paper is a brief report of some of the relevant research articles that inform on the media effects of cultivation in the African American community.
Article One
In this article, the author defines cultivation as a sociocultural theory where television viewership shapes the beliefs, attitudes, and values of viewers. If the world of television did portray an accurate view of the real world, then media would have a little independent impact on perceptions (Schrum, 2017). Schrum further emphasizes that the world of television is different from the real world in systemic ways. An example is that the media world is more violent than the real world. Another example of the difference between the real world and the world projected in television is that the television world overrepresents wealth, affluence, materialism, and consumption.