Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

Date of Award

2026

Document Type

Honors Paper

Degree Name

Sociology-BA

Department

Sociology, Criminology and Justice Studies

Advisor

Eric Jones

First Committee Member

Carla Corroto

Second Committee Member

Cynthia Laurie-Rose

Third Committee Member

Eric Jones

Keywords

Race, Film, Media, Social Construction, Black

Subject Categories

Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Ethnicity in Communication | Higher Education | Race and Ethnicity

Abstract

Media, such as film, plays a pivotal role in representing marginalized groups to general audiences. The portrayal of Black people in advertisements, novels, art, and film has perpetuated harmful stereotypes which associate Black men and women with negative traits that justify their marginalization, such as the "Coon" stereotype that frames Black men as lazy or the "Mammy" stereotype that positions Black women as subservient. Stereotypes in film are produced through images, but language plays a vital role in constructing general audiences' understanding of Black people as well. Through a rhetorical analysis of seven films released between 2016 and 2026, I identify how Black characters are constructed on screen through language, using Smitherman's African American rhetorical modes. My findings suggest that the usage of Smitherman's rhetorical modes in films released between 2016 and 2026 reveals how language in film captures the intersection between the characters’ shared Black identities as well as their various sexualities, genders, and socioeconomic class.

Licensing Permission

Copyright, all rights reserved. Fair Use

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