Overcoming the “Other’s” Stigma: Arab and Muslim Representations in US Media and Academia

Abstract

The present work focuses on Arab and Muslim representations in U.S. media and academia. It suggests to offer an overview of the collective and often stereotyped image of such categories amidst shifting ideological and political contexts. While it rests upon deep investigation of the literature underlying Orientalist discourse, it by no means aims to delve into the controversy purporting to the core tenets of such an age-old trend tackled extensively by renowned scholars like Edward Said and Jack Shaheen. Rather, it endeavors to contribute novel insights into the way Arabs and Muslims are depicted and perceived in the United states, by deconstructing certain Orientalist binary frames to demonstrate, ultimately, how both spheres of influence (media and academia) mimic the same political language and work in conjunction to propagate a Eurocentric culture. The study, eventually, adopts a quantitative approach based on the analysis of literature contents using statistical data to justify and substantiate discussed arguments. It, regrettably, does not cover all American media outlets due to the immensely broad scope of the addressed matter.