How Media Influence the Intergroup Relationships Between LGBT and the Non- LGBT Community in China

DOI

10.2991/assehr.k.220110.052How to use a DOI?

Keywords

media; LGBT; intergroup relationships; social identity theory

Abstract

The life of the LGBT community is filled with challenges, which might have negative influences on their mental and physical well-being. While certain countries are improving equal rights for the LGBT community through legislation, others are lagging. For example, the Chinese LGBT community fights for their rights but often failed. Drawn upon empirical evidence, diverse representations of the LGBT community on media can increase public understanding and enhance inclusive attitudes towards this group. Thus, this project aims to examine how these benefits generated from media representations can be applied to the intergroup relationships between LGBT and non-LGBT communities in China.

By reviewing current literature, this project summarized empirical findings of intergroup relationships and media representations in China and found a prevalent amount of stereotypical and discriminatory depictions of the LGBT community among television, films, as well as news reports. Drawn upon the social identity theory, such depictions of the LGBT community, as a social minority group, has detrimental effects on intergroup relationships, including dampening the positive distinctiveness of the LGBT community, disseminating prejudice and harmful messages, and exacerbating intergroup relations between LGBT and non-LGBT individuals.

Following the review summarized in this paper, this project suggests that Chinese media should have used its platform to promote inclusive and diverse representations of the LGBT community. Such acts will have long-enduring effects on improving intergroup relationships. Moreover, the advent of communication technologies provides an alternative means for the LGBT community to gain positive distinctiveness. Social media provide a relatively free and vibrant space for the LGBT community to act collectively but also use social creativity to express themselves in a positively distinct fashion.

Copyright

© 2022 The Authors. Published by Atlantis Press SARL.

Open Access

This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC license.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Yize Tan
PY  - 2022
DA  - 2022/01/28
TI  - How Media Influence the Intergroup Relationships Between LGBT and the Non- LGBT Community in China
BT  - Proceedings of the 2021 International Conference on Public Art and Human Development ( ICPAHD 2021)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 267
EP  - 273
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.220110.052
DO  - 10.2991/assehr.k.220110.052
ID  - Tan2022
ER  -