Seeing "what we see"
beyond projection and representation of criminality in mainstream media
pp. 791-803
in: International handbook of semiotics, Berlin, Springer, 2015Abstract
The USA imprisons more of its population, absolutely and per capita, than any other nation in the world and Louisiana leads all states within the USA in these numbers. These statistics and the author's work with incarcerated youth in Louisiana lead to a discussion on the disproportionality of minority youth representation behind bars. Attitudes toward criminals (including youth) and their sentencing grow stiffer, but often without social interrogation of those attitudes and their origin. Among the most primary influences are the media representations, "projections," of criminality particularly as broadcasts (fictional and ostensibly factual) increase the metonymical relationship between criminals and color. Cultural studies, generally, and semiotics, specifically, provide a means of transcendence beyond those representations and a manner of inquiry by which they can be deconstructed. Moving beyond these stereotypical depictions and incorporating more active, critical perspectives when consuming such media is imperative in correcting the racialized inequities in the correctional industry.