The Message is in the Mail: A Content Analysis of African American Representation on United States Postal Stamps from 1940 to 2003
While numerous studies have examined how African Americans are portrayed in various forms of mass media, not very much data have been published concerning representations of African Americans on United States Postal Service (USPS) stamps. This research will utilize a critical/interpretive content analysis procedure to examine all of the USPS stamps issued that included African Americans from 1940 through January 2003. Four hypotheses will be explored to determine how African Americans are represented on USPS stamps: (1) Men will be represented more frequently than women; (2) the majority of African Americans' occupational and professional roles will be entertainers or athletes; (3) few, if any, civil rights leaders/social activists/political figures will be portrayed; and (4) although religion is a central component of the African experience, no religious figures will be represented.
School:
University of Texas at San Antonio
Department:
Communications
Research Advisor:
William E. Berry
Department of Research Advisor:
Institute of Communications Research
Year of Publication:
2003