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“Why do white people have thin lips?”: Google and the perpetuation of stereotypes via auto-complete search forms

Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review

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“Why do white people have thin lips?”: Google and the perpetuation of stereotypes via auto-complete search forms. / Baker, Paul; Potts, Amanda.
In: Critical Discourse Studies, Vol. 10, No. 2, 2013, p. 187-204.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review

Harvard

Baker, P & Potts, A 2013, '“Why do white people have thin lips?”: Google and the perpetuation of stereotypes via auto-complete search forms', Critical Discourse Studies, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 187-204. https://doi.org/10.1080/17405904.2012.744320

APA

Baker, P., & Potts, A. (2013). “Why do white people have thin lips?”: Google and the perpetuation of stereotypes via auto-complete search forms. Critical Discourse Studies, 10(2), 187-204. https://doi.org/10.1080/17405904.2012.744320

Vancouver

Baker P, Potts A. “Why do white people have thin lips?”: Google and the perpetuation of stereotypes via auto-complete search forms. Critical Discourse Studies. 2013;10(2):187-204. Epub 2013 Jan 22. doi: 10.1080/17405904.2012.744320

Author

Baker, Paul ; Potts, Amanda. / “Why do white people have thin lips?” : Google and the perpetuation of stereotypes via auto-complete search forms. In: Critical Discourse Studies. 2013 ; Vol. 10, No. 2. pp. 187-204.

Bibtex

@article{1307beb95aa3427a98a89b5ed17b737c,
title = "“Why do white people have thin lips?”: Google and the perpetuation of stereotypes via auto-complete search forms",
abstract = "This study highlights how the auto-complete search algorithm offered by the search tool Google can produce suggested terms which could be viewed as racist, sexist or homophobic. Google was interrogated by entering different combinations of question words and identity terms such as {\textquoteleft}why are blacks…{\textquoteright} in order to elicit auto-completed questions. Two thousand, six hundred and ninety questions were elicited and then categorised according to the qualities they referenced. Certain identity groups were found to attract particular stereotypes or qualities. For example, Muslims and Jewish people were linked to questions about aspects of their appearance or behaviour, while white people were linked to questions about their sexual attitudes. Gay and black identities appeared to attract higher numbers of questions that were negatively stereotyping. The article concludes by questioning the extent to which such algorithms inadvertently help to perpetuate negative stereotypes.",
keywords = "discourse analysis, google, stereotypes, Linguistics & English Language",
author = "Paul Baker and Amanda Potts",
year = "2013",
doi = "10.1080/17405904.2012.744320",
language = "English",
volume = "10",
pages = "187--204",
journal = "Critical Discourse Studies",
issn = "1740-5904",
publisher = "Routledge",
number = "2",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - “Why do white people have thin lips?”

T2 - Google and the perpetuation of stereotypes via auto-complete search forms

AU - Baker, Paul

AU - Potts, Amanda

PY - 2013

Y1 - 2013

N2 - This study highlights how the auto-complete search algorithm offered by the search tool Google can produce suggested terms which could be viewed as racist, sexist or homophobic. Google was interrogated by entering different combinations of question words and identity terms such as ‘why are blacks…’ in order to elicit auto-completed questions. Two thousand, six hundred and ninety questions were elicited and then categorised according to the qualities they referenced. Certain identity groups were found to attract particular stereotypes or qualities. For example, Muslims and Jewish people were linked to questions about aspects of their appearance or behaviour, while white people were linked to questions about their sexual attitudes. Gay and black identities appeared to attract higher numbers of questions that were negatively stereotyping. The article concludes by questioning the extent to which such algorithms inadvertently help to perpetuate negative stereotypes.

AB - This study highlights how the auto-complete search algorithm offered by the search tool Google can produce suggested terms which could be viewed as racist, sexist or homophobic. Google was interrogated by entering different combinations of question words and identity terms such as ‘why are blacks…’ in order to elicit auto-completed questions. Two thousand, six hundred and ninety questions were elicited and then categorised according to the qualities they referenced. Certain identity groups were found to attract particular stereotypes or qualities. For example, Muslims and Jewish people were linked to questions about aspects of their appearance or behaviour, while white people were linked to questions about their sexual attitudes. Gay and black identities appeared to attract higher numbers of questions that were negatively stereotyping. The article concludes by questioning the extent to which such algorithms inadvertently help to perpetuate negative stereotypes.

KW - discourse analysis

KW - google

KW - stereotypes

KW - Linguistics & English Language

U2 - 10.1080/17405904.2012.744320

DO - 10.1080/17405904.2012.744320

M3 - Journal article

VL - 10

SP - 187

EP - 204

JO - Critical Discourse Studies

JF - Critical Discourse Studies

SN - 1740-5904

IS - 2

ER -