Measuring Anti-Americanism in Editorial Cartoons

UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Rick L. Bunch, Professor and Director of Center for GIScience (Creator)
Robert E. Lloyd (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/

Abstract: Objective- Anti-Americanism has been subjected to minimal statistical analysis. Further, scant attention is paid to what constitutes anti-Americanism for Americans. The objective of this article is to measure Americans' perceptions of anti-Americanism. Methods- Using a range of quantitative methods, including Pearson's correlation coefficient, Shannon's entropy measure, and Cohen's d statistics, we measure students' evaluations of editorial cartoons after 9/11. Twin measures of message and equity, along with participant and cartoon variables, are used to calibrate anti-Americanism in Spanish and U.S. editorial cartoons. Results- Our results indicate that message ratings, that is, anti- or pro-American, were more dependent on the nature of the cartoons than of the participants. White males rated these editorial cartoons as more equitable than other participants. The study shows that Spanish cartoons were rated significantly more anti-American. Conclusion- The article concludes that the use of U.S. icons is key to seeing anti-Americanism, along with gender, race, and origin of cartoon.

Additional Information

Publication
Social Science Quarterly, 90, 652-673
Language: English
Date: 2009
Keywords
anti-Americanism, perceptions, editorial cartoons, message, equity, research

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