其他摘要:This essay will argue the importance of film media´s influence on contemporary American attitudes towards race in an urban context. The essay will focus on Hollywood´s changing representation of the South Bronx, which became a symbol of urban ills in American inner cities in the 1970s and 1980s, and how this representation became more positive in the 1990s. The paper will explore the "chicken and egg" syndrome: whether media only reacts to reality, or actually influences behavior and in turn reality. First it will be essential to look at the case of the Bronx in a historical context, particularly because what happened to the Bronx paralleled the decline of many urban areas across the nation. The question will be posed as to the future of inner city areas in American culture now that the picture of the inner city is looking rosier. Is this change in focus merely due to economic change? Will it disappear once the economy turns downward again, or is it part of a wider trend, a reinvestment in our cities? And how will the events of September 11 impact on Hollywood¿s representation of American cities?
关键词:South Bronx; film and media studies; urban history; racism; ethnicity