Muslim Women's Representation in American Pop Culture
General Material Designation
[Thesis]
First Statement of Responsibility
Minasian, Hannah
Subsequent Statement of Responsibility
Arjomand, Noah
.PUBLICATION, DISTRIBUTION, ETC
Name of Publisher, Distributor, etc.
Indiana University
Date of Publication, Distribution, etc.
2020
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
Specific Material Designation and Extent of Item
85
DISSERTATION (THESIS) NOTE
Dissertation or thesis details and type of degree
M.A.
Body granting the degree
Indiana University
Text preceding or following the note
2020
SUMMARY OR ABSTRACT
Text of Note
Portrayals in television and film can influence audience's viewpoint formation, and when it comes to Muslim women this holds true. Therefore, it is important to educate the American public on this as opinions can lead to real-world consequences that can have a negative impact on the minority at hand. Ten movies and ten television series were watched and coded, plus their critic and audience reception noted, for a content analysis. In television and film, Muslim women are commonly represented in secondary character positions as oppressed and/or victims of Middle Eastern descent and are commonly depicted as wearing a veil and having an accent, but not particularly religious as they do not vocalize it. With audience and critic reception, the positive portrayals of Muslim women had a better average score than negative portrayals. This resulted in a call for filmmakers and series creators alike to redirect their efforts in creating more normalized representations of Muslim women in the American cultural industry, rather than the negative portrayals that are so often seen.