Chapter 11 Answers to "Test Your Knowledge" and "Questions for Critical Thought" questions

Maslow identified the following stages: physiological needs, safety, belonging and love, self-esteem, and self-actualization. Without respect, individuals cannot achieve self-esteem and never reach the top of the hierarchy, preventing them from achieving self-actualization.

Disrespect of particular groups in the popular discourse helps to maintain the status quo of inequality by assigning status to groups based on attributes such as race, class, gender, etc. that reflect negatively on certain groups while elevating others.

Othering is the process by which an individual (the “Other”) is characterized as different or alien. By assigning a powerful and virtuous status to the in-group (the “norm”) and a frail and insidious status to the “Other,” the process of othering encourages those identified as the “norm” to consider those identified as the “Other” inferior and dangerous, which can cause discrimination and feelings of isolation. Those who experience othering may be denied opportunities and access available to the in-group and, therefore, experience unequal conditions.

The Bechdel test is a means of analyzing a film for meaningful female characters. The criteria are: (1) The movie has at least two women in it; (2) Who talk to one another; (3) About anything other than a man. Answers to the second part of the question will vary.

A trope is a type of cliché used in creative contexts that is overused to the point of instant recognition from the audience. By studying tropes, sociologists can see how groups are recognizably, consistently represented in popular culture, and consequently how that affects their ability to gain and hold respect in the real world.

False. The Russo test is for LGBTQ+ characters.

True.

body language

This question asks you to consider Maslow’s stage theory in which people, after satisfying their physiological, safety, and belonging needs, seek to develop self-esteem by satisfying their need for respect. The inability to gain respect from others can result in an incomplete sense of self. With this in mind, you can consider the effects of failing to satisfy these fourth-level needs, such as alienation, deviance, and anti-social behaviour. How might these social effects manifest in physical harm such as illness or death? This would be a possible sequence: inability to gain respect => rejection of society => alienation => medication through substance abuse => overdose or bodily harm

You should first establish an explanation of “othering,” specifically referencing Said’s concept from Orientalism (1978). Othering requires the making of in-groups and out-groups, where the out-group is differentiated from the dominant norm and usually perceived as inferior. Said specifically cites how this can be used to justify colonial practices where racialized people are deemed inferior and, therefore, less human or in need of civilizing. Does Canada, as a settler colonial nation, continue to engage in acts of othering? How might this benefit Canada’s political motives, such as justifying claims to land, securing territory, or controlling dominant narratives? How might othering affect people’s perceptions of Indigenous Peoples within Canada and, therefore, politicized events surrounding Indigenous Peoples and the government (e.g., land claims)? Can you think of any political leaders in our current moment who identify and portray certain people as different, incapable, or inferior? How might such a leader use the consequences of this othering – public fear, anger, and distrust – to effect political agendas, like securing an election or galvanizing certain groups of people? In discussing prevention strategies, you can consider how the subject of othering might resist such portrayals – such as through Indigenous resurgence in Canada – or how the broader citizenry might rally to defend marginalized groups of people, such as through mass protests. In terms of preventing forms of othering from occurring in the first place, you can consider how such forms are disseminated within a population, such as through mass media. How can inaccurate media portrayals be challenged or prevented?

This question asks you to think beyond the information presented in the chapter. You can start by thinking about how the groups mentioned in the chapter experience under- or misrepresentation. In discussing other groups, you can consider your own experiences, or the experiences of people you know. Do you feel that you are properly represented in the media? What stereotypes or common representations can you recall from movies, TV shows, and media outlets like the news or social media? Do you tend to see certain groups of people overrepresented in the media? If so, which groups of people tend to be excluded from media representation? After identifying some potential groups, you can then compare those groups’ experiences of under- or misrepresentation to those of the people described in the chapter. An important concept to consider here is the effect of intersectionality. If someone identifies with multiple marginalized groups, they are likely to experience misrepresentation on multiple levels, such as an Indigenous woman who might be subject to sexist and racial stereotypes.

You can consider your own experiences with media and what you can recall of certain groups. Have you heard about a film recently that stars a Black actor? How many female leads are there compared to male leads in the movies and shows that you watch? You may claim that underrepresentation has decreased as values have generally become more progressive, citing popular examples such as Black Panther, Crazy Rich Asians, and Hamilton. However, you should also consider representation in news cycles. Since the news tends to focus on violence and crime, does the news tend to underrepresent certain groups of people while overrepresenting others? Have certain groups of people come to dominate news media representations? In explaining this, you can consider the societal context: how has society changed over the years? Consider factors such as forms of media, social values, social attitudes, and political and social movements. In terms of barriers to increasing visibility, you can consider who has control over who gets represented in media. This ranges from people from film studios to news media conglomerates. What incentives might they have to represent some people more or some people in a certain way? You can also consider how little or how much control individuals, or even groups of people, have over their own representation.

While the chapter does discuss the idea of “normal” in relation to norms and dominant ways of behaving, thinking, and appearing, you have an opportunity here to express your own definition of normal. One person’s idea of what is “normal” might differ in significant ways from another person’s. You can think about how your idea of “normal” has changed with different experiences, or simply over time with age. In thinking about the variability of normality, you can then draw conclusions on the feasibility of constantly conforming to one idea of normal.