Race is a socially and arbitrary constructed classification of humans based on physical characteristics and skin color.  The dominant cultures reveal some race as superior and others inferior thus causing hostility towards individuals within particular groups (Barrera, 2002).  The weekly reading reveals the construction of racism by the dominant cultures that exist in the media and popular culture.  Notably, the reading ‘Athena’s Daughters Television’s New Women Warriors’ examines the controversial and complex relationships that exist between violence and feminism as revealed by popular TV shows that feature women as warriors (Early & Kennedy, 2003).   This reading is marked as ‘racial others’ by providing a cutting-edge forum helpful in recognizing the increasing roles of women in popular cultures as they cast as action heroes. From the reading ‘Opening Faces’ by Kaw, racism is constructed by the dominant culture that influences the politics of Asian American women and cosmetic surgery (Kaw, 1994). The social relations among Asian American women determine their social relations in the popular culture as influenced by politics of surgery.

In my thinking, media culture exists as sounds and images which helps in producing fabric of everyday life, shaping social behavior and providing the mechanism that aid people to forge their identities.  For instance, the television, radio, and film as products of media culture provide the models which dictate what it means to be a male or female.  The popular texts such as rap music, TV cop shows, and advertising media articulates particular ideological positions that produce the dominant culture that determines social orientation.  Therefore, the aspect of racism is constructed by popular culture as individuals pursue to change their identity to fit in specific dominant culture such as rap music. Also, media culture dictates on what culture is acceptable among people thus revealing racism as media personality seeks to change their identity to fit specific roles.

References

Early, F. H., & Kennedy, K. (Eds.). (2003). Athena’s daughters: Television’s new women warriors. Syracuse University Press.

Barrera, M. (2002). Hottentot 2000: Jennifer Lopez and her butt. Sexualities in history: A reader, 411-417.

Kaw, E. (1994). A> Opening= faces: The politics of cosmetic surgery and Asian American women.@ in Many mirrors: Body image and social relations, ed. Nicole Sault. New Brunswick.