Media Influence on Perception of Muslim Women: A Macro Perspective

Taking a macro level approach, this paper will be arguing that structural institutions like the media makes use aware of our national identity. Along with this, it shapes our understanding of other cultures whether positive or negative. Many people who watch movies or television shows can see that there is an abundance of negative portrayals of Muslim women, whereas it is often tough to see positive ones. This paper will deconstruct how this negative representation showcases aspects of colonialism, racism, and white supremacy in western society.

The Muslim culture is constantly seen as repressive and traditional towards women and their sexuality. Focusing on portrayals of women, the media shows common stereotypes of women as oppressed victims of Muslim patriarchy. On the other hand, our North American culture is seen as civilized and ultimately the best. This cultural misrepresentation is deeply connected to racism and to the concepts of Islamophobia and Orientalism.

To begin with, one must understand how race is socially constructed in our western society. An ongoing myth is that race is biological rather than constructed. However, Lopez states that races are not marked by certain genes but rather it 's a social construction that has created the basis for racial categorization. Furthermore, he states that."Races are constructed relationally, against one another ,rather than in isolation"(Lopez 54).Here one can see the notion of the dichotomy. When it comes to categories, essentially one category would be compared to the opposite. These dichotomies are universal and includes categories like gendered categories or in this case, the normal and abnormal culture. Through the media one can see that white supremacy is seen as th...

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...t them differently, both negatively and positively. Until Muslim women start being accurately represented in the media, they will continue to be excluded. Thus, the West needs to be more educated regarding Muslim cultures and discontinue portraying them in such a negative and narrow way. These Muslim women are negatively impacted by this negative representation as it alienates them from the rest of the Canadian nation. These women feel that there is a frequent inaccuracy in how they are portrayed which is problematic because these negative connotations make people believe that all Muslim people are homogenous. Another strategy is for Muslim women themselves to increase their Islamic knowledge and to actively assert their identity. This paper expanded my knowledge of the structures and institutions, and the power they have on our understanding of different cultures.