Carolyn A. Stroman

Blacks and Television: A Review of the Research Literature.

A review of more than thirty years of empirical literature on blacks and television provides support for a number of propositions pertaining to the portrayal of blacks, television as a source of information, viewing behavior and effects.

Television Viewing and Self-Concept among Black Children.

Past research suggests that television has a negative influence on Black childrens self‐concept. To test this assumption, this study examined the association between amount of time spent watching television and perceptions of self‐concept among 102 Black children. The major finding was that television viewing was related positively to the self‐concepts of girls and unrelated to boys’ self‐concepts.

The Socialization Influence of Television on Black Children

The family, schools, and churches have long been recognized as major agents of socialization. Increasingly, television is being added to the list of institutions assuming key roles in the socialization process-the process by which one learns information, cognitive processes, values, attitudes, social roles, self-concepts, and behaviors that are generally accepted within American society (Berger and Luckmann, 1967; Dorr, 1982). Berry (1980) maintains that many youngsters use televised information, messages, and portrayals as a way of reinforcing and validating their beliefs and, in the process, grant television a role comparable to the traditional socializing agents. Similarly, Comstock et al. (1978) describe television as a source of vicarious socialization that competes with other socializing agents in providing role models and information that affect childrens attitudes, beliefs, and behavior. A great deal of the concern expressed by parents, educators, and others about the possible influence of television on children is linked to the notion expressed above that television performs some socialization functions. Cognizant of the fact that television programs and characters may exert an influence on childrens behavior, attitudes, values, and beliefs, Black parents and professionals became particularly concerned that television might (1) influence Black childrens attitudes toward

Media Use and Perceptions of Crime.

P There has long been a tradition in mass communication research of linking the media, particularly television and newspaper, with public opinion formation. The rationale for studying the medias impact on public opinion lies in the notion that the public utilizes information appearing in the media for the formation of opinions about and perceptions of a given phenomenon. The present work focuses on the impact of the media in the formation of public opinion about crime. Specifically, it examines how differences in media usage are reflected in differences in perceptions of the causes and fear of crime. Since the majority of people have little direct experience with crime (and especially its causes), it seems reasonable t o assume that public perceptions of crime are. to some extent, formed on the basis of information received from media presentations. This assumption is buttressed by studies which indicate that: I ) 95% of those polled cite the mass media as their primary source of information about crime; 2) the media provide details about crimes which enable users to discuss the causes of crime and solutions to the crime problem; and 3) crime, in comparison to other topics, is a well-covered topic.1 A number of content analyses provide us with knowledge regarding media coverage

SOMOS: evaluation of an HIV prevention intervention for Latino gay men

Latino gay men face multiple barriers to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention, in particular a lack of intervention programs that integrate prevention messages with cultural norms and address issues of social marginalization from multiple communities (gay community and Latino community), homophobia and racism. In order to address these specific issues, a multilayered HIV intervention was designed to incorporate and integrate psychosocial and community factors through multiple session groups, social marketing and community presentations. Participants learned strategies for effective community leadership and were encouraged to provide HIV education and address internalized homophobia in their communities. There were a total of 113 Latino gay male participants. Pretests and post-tests at 90-day follow-up were administered to measure knowledge, attitudes and behaviors related to HIV infection, self-efficacy, internalized homophobia and connectedness (i.e. gay community affiliation and social provisions); a risk index was calculated to measure level of behavioral risk for HIV infection. Participants demonstrated lower risk indices and a decrease in partners at 3 and 6 months after the intervention. There was also an increase in reported social support resources, along with an increase in group identification. Connectedness was a strong predictor of the number of sexual partners at the 90-day follow-up. This homegrown program represents a culturally responsive, highly needed and relevant intervention that should be subjected to further rigorous testing.