Un-Settling Stereotypes: Photo Agency Visual Representations of Syrian Refugee Resettlement in the United States

ABSTRACT

News photographs of Syrian refugees fleeing conflict have been found to perpetuate stereotypes of dehumanization, victimhood, security threats, non-integrable, and dependency. This content analysis examined pictures from news photo agencies to assess the extent to which images of Syrian refugees living in the United States were laden with these same stereotypes. Results revealed that the majority of images did not visually frame Syrian refugees as dehumanized, victims, and security threats, but many images did reinforce stereotypes about refugees being non-integrable and dependent.

KEYWORDS:

• Visual framing
• refugees
• Syrians
• representation
• content analysis
• visual stereotypes

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Indiana University New Frontiers in the Arts & Humanities Program.