Representation: Why It Should Matter to You
There has been an increase in individuals calling out the media or governments for lack of representation. But why is it important?
Representation was not a common word used in my childhood and for a long while I did not think much of it. However, in retrospect, I can see the effect the lack of representation had on my upbringing. Feeling uncomfortable wearing my ethnic clothes in public and finding it tedious to learn my mother tongue are just a few examples. And I am not alone in this. Many immigrant children would have at least at one point in their lives been uncomfortable about their identity, particularly if their ethnic group seems to be the minority around where they live. Recently, however, there has been an observable shift in the landscape with individuals from minority groups being represented in many arenas right from mass media and the workplace to politics.
Representation is defined as “the way someone or something is described”. Whether it is mass media or the executive committee of an organisation, representation plays a major role in our everyday lives. Representation allows individuals from minority groups to be able to openly express themselves creating a community where diversity is valued and everyone feels seen.
A lack of representation has an adverse effect on mental health. Young individuals report that a lack of representation makes them feel alienated and ultimately reduces their levels of self-esteem. If there is no one that looks like us in the public domain who do we look up to?
However accurate representation is more important than mere representation. And through this article, we will look at how representation in media, the workplace and politics affect our everyday lives.
Shortcuts For The Busy Reader
Why Is Representation Important?
a. Media
Mass media often shapes how we perceive the world around us. From how we understand others to how we interact with them, media serves as a guide for us regarding the current structure of society. They also have a strong hold on steering the narrative to or from a range of socio-political issues.
Much of the earlier representation in mass media portrayed a singular national identity that by default would exclude groups of minorities creating a clear divide within society. For example, post 9/11, much of the media coverage tended to homogenize all Muslims - overgeneralizing predominantly negative attributes and characteristics, to all Muslims. This misrepresentation perpetuated discriminatory behaviours against the religion and its followers.
Similarly, TV shows at the turn of the century would include minority ethnic groups to a limited extent with little to no cross-racial interactions. Furthermore, portraying minority groups as victims or lacking financial resources tends to make younger generations of said minority groups feel more isolated from society.
Even now, we can observe some form of misrepresentation of minority groups in mass media. No matter the leaps we have made in gender equality, gender stereotypes still prevail. Children’s programs often show male characters to be physically more aggressive, order others around and are shown to have no fear and be polite. We can observe this for other minority groups as well such as the LGBTQ+ community. Queer characters are portrayed through stereotypes such as the ‘feminine’ gay guy or the ‘butch’ lesbian. These kinds of stereotypes not just misrepresent a community but reinforce a heteronormative and patriarchal structure in society, widening the gap between two or more communities.
However, not all media lacks representation or misrepresents a minority group. TV shows/movies like Crazy Rich Asians, Bridgerton, Pose and Black Panther have all been praised in recent times for having not only a more diverse cast but also a narrative that honours and acknowledges the lives of these minority groups. Nonetheless, we are still not there yet; 79% of minority groups that are poorly represented feel that more on-screen diversity is required.
b. Workplace
We spend an average of 40 hours in the workplace a week. And other than to earn money, many of us aspire to progress in our careers. So what happens when individuals of minority groups do not see the organizations representing them in the executive committee of the organisation? They feel that the promotion they have been working so hard towards is unattainable to them.
A company with a diverse and inclusive team have been found to be better in decision-making processes and outperform their competitors. In fact, there has been an increase in organisations introducing roles such as diversity leaders or Chief Diversity Officers (CDO). According to Indeed, there was a 20% increase in 2018 for CDO vacancies than in 2017. Thus, showing that organisations are working towards making the workplace more diverse and inclusive.
Yet organisations have a long way to go. A recent study published by Stanford University states that only 13% of the C-suite roles are held by individuals from underrepresented communities in Fortune 100 companies. Representation in the workplace needs to be observed in the top roles to ensure multi-layered diversity across the hierarchies of an organisation.
c. Politics
Take a minute to consider the politicians of your country. Are they mostly men who are middle-aged or older? According to the UN, there are 28 countries with 30 women as heads of state and based on this, it will take us 130 years to achieve gender equality, particularly for the highest positions of power. That’s right 130 years.
A Government that lacks diversity does represent the demography of its country accurately focusing on one particular group, leaving countless others voiceless and their interests unfulfilled. Underrepresented Governments cannot connect with all the people it represents often making us believe that our participation does not influence any form of social change.
Representation is an essential part of how we perceive the world. It more often shapes our worldview and subsequently our behaviours when interacting with other groups. Thus, it is important for there to be not only representation but accurate representation of individuals, majority and minority groups alike, giving everyone the equal chance to have a voice within society.
References Aubrey, J. S., & Harrison, K. (2004). The gender-role content of children's favorite television programs and its links to their gender-related perceptions. Media Psychology, 6(2), 111–146. https://doi.org/10.1207/s1532785xmep0602_1 Evra, J. V. (2004). Television and child development (3rd ed.). Routledge. Fürsich, E. (2010). Media and the representation of others. International Social Science Journal, 61(199), 113–130. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2451.2010.01751.x Graves, S. B., & Asamen, J. K. (1993). Television, the Portrayal of African Americans, and the Development of Children's Attitudes. In G. L. Berry (Ed.), Children & Television: Images in a Changing Sociocultural World (pp. 179–190). essay, SAGE Books. Poole, J. (2013). Queer Representations of Gay Males and Masculinities in the Media. Sexuality and Culture, 18(2), 279–290. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-013-9197-y |