The rising tide of crime in North America exists primarily in the
minds of the media. Television has created a perception that crime has
multiplied, double or triple, in the past quarter-century due to violence.
In fact, US Justice Department survey data shows, crime in the US has
dropped 24 percent since 1971 and violent crime is down 2 percent.
Crime statistics serve the media well. The single-minded reporting of
violent news, the presentation of violent movies and violent reality-based
"cop" shows has made violent crime a growth industry for the television,
press, and media.
Violence bombards us constantly. Networks shoot in sequence one
violent scene after another, delivering untold numbing horror into Canada's
living rooms, bedrooms, and nurseries. Taped TV violence, unlike real
violence, repeats over and over in an accelerating pattern. The sounds and
scenes of violence echo, firing in every direction without concern for
targets or casualties. Canadians are developing a vision of themselves as
hopeless victims of criminal forces they cannot control and cannot
understand.
While TV grows rich on violence, the nation is threatened by loss of
self-esteem, fear of crime, and fear of our neighbours. ...
Overall, the rights and status of women have improved considerably in the last century; however, gender equality has recently been threatened within the last decade. Blatantly sexist laws and practices are slowly being eliminated while social perceptions of "women's roles" continue to stagnate and even degrade back to traditional ideals. It is thes...
The roots of affirmative action can be traced back to the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act where legislation redefined public and private behavior. The act states that to discriminate in private is legal, but anything regarding business or public discrimination is illegal (?Affirmative? 13). There are two instances when opposin...
TV Violence: Friend or Enemy? Television violence is a contributing factor to aggressive behavior in children. Recently focus has been placed on this issue, since the majority of violence occurs during prime time and in cartoons. ?It?s not watching that?s bad for kids, it?s what they watch and how much.? (Seplow 2) Parents must a...
Air bags have become a requirement in all cars today. They are meant for protection in the front seat of a vehicle. When combined with safety belts, air bags have saved thousands of lives and prevented injuries in crashes, but this is mostly true for adults. Air bags are like medications and other public issues, they have unintended adverse effe...
Television is not just a form of entertainment, but it is an excellent form of study of society?s view concerning its families. This study focuses on the history of television beginning in the early 1950s and will run through present day. It examines the use of racial, ethnic and sexual stereotypes to characterize the players of th...