Stereotypes of race and ethnicity

For this essay, you will reflect on and relate Marlon Rigg’s documentary, Ethnic Notions, to Stuart Hall’s notion of stereotypes as well as his claim that difference “can be threatening, a site of danger, of negative feelings, of splitting, hostility, and aggression toward the other” (2013, 288). Use specific examples from the film and from Hall’s work, either by discussing specific scenes and passages or referring to specific ideas about representation and stereotypes of race and ethnicity found in the documentary and the reading. Finally, discuss whether you believe the stereotypes discussed in Ethnic Notions continue to shape our society today. If so, where and in what form do we still see these stereotypes?

Be specific in your analysis and reference examples from the Ethnic Notions and Hall’s “The Spectacle of the ‘Other.’” Feel free to bring in other class readings as well (Tuchman, hooks, Said, and Ronson come to mind). There are no correct or incorrect interpretations. Instead, you will be graded on your ability to work with class concepts and present evidence to back up your arguments.