Media and Stereotype

from the last lesson i have learned how the media give a big impact to create a stereotype. I add my knowledge by reading some article, and i find that stereotypes can appear in the media because of the biases of writers, directors, producers, reporters and editors. But stereotypes can also be useful to the media because they provide a quick identity for a person or group that is easily recognized by an audience. When deadlines loom, it's sometimes faster and easier to use a stereotype to characterize a person or situation, than it is to provide a more complex explanation.
But stereotypes can be problematic. They can:

• reduce a wide range of differences in people to simplistic categorizations
  
  
• transform assumptions about particular groups of people into "realities"
  
  
• be used to justify the position of those in power
  
  
• perpetuate social prejudice and inequality

More often than not, the groups being stereotyped have little to say about how they are represented.

My experience about this kind of stereotype happen when i saw news program in television about a fatal crash in Jakarta. A woman driving a black minivan, with her three friends as passengers, lost control of the vehicle and plowed into 12 pedestrians in front of the PLN office at Gambir, Central Jakarta, on Sunday, claiming the lives of eight people and injuring the other four, a police officer has said. The drivers name is Apriyani Susanti, The police say Apriyani was under the influence of drugs and alcohol when the multipurpose Daihatsu Xenia she was driving swerved off Jl. M.I. Ridwan Rais while travelling at high speed, and plowed into two groups of pedestrians. Seven people died at the scene, while two others died later in hospital. Three other people were injured and hospitalized. At first i felt really angry with her, and  the media continue to preach the negative things about her, but there are some media that tried to saw this incident from other side, they tried to looks Apriyani as usual people who can make an mistake.
From this writing i learn to be more wise...^_^

Stereotype

What I’ve learn from the last lesson is stereotype occur when there aren’t enough understanding between dissimilarity. In my opinion the word stereotype have negative connotation, usually it use to judge other people, communities or organization.

My experience about stereotype happen when I choose to join in PGSD, many people have stereotype that PGSD is unpopular study programme. At first it was same like what I thought, but after several time, and learned what teacher should be and do I found that its not true. Being elementary teacher is a big honor, they have responsibility to tought material and build children’s characterized. Now I feel rightfully proud for being elementary teacher. In this case I found that This stereotype happen when other people doesn’t have enough understanding about this programme. There are many ways to break this stereotype, can you mention it? If yes, you can write your comment here. ^_^

When We Talk about Culture

Indonesia has a lot of culture, the costume, the food, the tradition, the ceremony. You can spent more than a year to know all Indonesian culture, because almost in each place you can find something different about the culture. That reason make me being  proud to be Indonesian.

Actually im never live in new place with different culture, so im not really learn a new culture, but I can learn other culture from book, magazine, television program, My aunt is one of people who give me the best stories about other culture. My aunt and my uncle ever lived in Papua for 5 years, my uncle worked as an elementary teacher in there. My aunt told me that their house located in the river side, the river was a wide river but the water is salty because its near with the sea. That’s why the water from rain really useful  for them, for cooking, washing cloth, bath, and drink. Usually the rain felt two times a month, when it felt they will retain the water in huge drum, they use the water for their daily live. Then at the end of semester, when the student already get their report book, the parents would send something to my uncle such as crop and fish as their gratitution because  he has teach their children. A simple thing but means a lot. The other stories come from my friend, he come  from Kalimantan. He told me about their teenager social intercourse, in his place the teenagers can not playing only they have been married.

Other source that tell about culture is book. My favorite book to learn other culture is “naked traveler”, the writer is Trinity, she is a backpacker. The book tells about her tour experience when visit a state or tourism site. She has visit many state, and many tourism site in Indonesia and other country. The most I like from this book is the writer comment, she said that although she has going around all over the world, she found that  his country is the best place, with all its weakness Indonesian still be her home, her nicest place to live.

That are my story about learning other culture, a simple story but I hope its give you a new things to learn. Nice to see your comment about my written and I can wait to read yours. ^_^