I’m working on a Communications exercise and need support.
In this module, we have been discussing that language and cultural bias affects the process of intercultural communication. For this Reaction-Response, start by considering the following:
Sociolinguist Calvin Gidney did a study of language patterns in animated kids’ entertainment. So far, his research team has analyzed around 30 shows and 1,500 characters using measures such as ethnic and gender identification, physical appearance, hero/villain status, and linguistic markers. Their findings suggested that lots of kids’ shows use language to mark certain traits in a given character. In many of the cases studied, villains were given foreign accents. Meanwhile, the study found that most of the heroic characters in their research sample were American-sounding; only two heroes had foreign accents. Since mass media is a prominent source of cultural messaging for children, this correlation of foreign accents with “bad” characters could have concerning implications for the way kids are being taught to engage with diversity in the United States.
(Fattal, I. (2018). Why Do Cartoon Villains Speak in Foreign Accents? The Atlantic. Retrieved from: www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2018/01/why-do-cartoon-villains-speak-in-foreign-accents/549527/. Access the complete article to learn more about Gidney’s work.)
Write a well-structured response of 300-350 words that answers the following questions:
- How would you explain the role of accents in the cultural bias of cartoons?
- What are some of the potential consequences of using foreign accents in the representation of villains in cartoons?
- What recommendations would you make to kid’s TV content creators to prevent cultural bias in their articulation of characters?
GRADING CRITERIA:
Remember that in a Reaction-Response we are looking for the following:
a) Structure and Organization: Structure your reaction so that your introduction and conclusion refer to the same idea.
b) Sources and Evidence: Identification and use of concepts and theories from the class to support your reaction.
c) Grammar, Syntax, and Mechanics: Ensure your reaction is organized well and free of grammatical and spelling errors.
d) Personal insight: Articulate your experiences and reflections clearly.
*Important Note about Academic Integrity / Citing Sources: For this assignment, students are expected to make connections with the course material. To avoid plagiarism and adhere to ASU’s academic integrity policy, any time you include others’ ideas in your work, you must make that clear by attributing it to the source. Always clearly mark direct quotes with quotation marks. Please see the rubric provided for additional details and citation example
