ÖNYARGI ÜZERİNE BELGESEL FİLMLERİN ETKİSİ: ÇÖP BELGESEL FİLMİ ÖRNEĞİ
THE EFFECT OF DOCUMENTARY FILMS ON PREJUDICE: THE EXAMPLE OF THE DOCUMENTARY FILM GARBAGE

Summary/Abstract: Throughout the history of cinema, documentary film has been a powerful narrative tool with its structure that makes reality its subject. With this aspect, documentary films can be effective in the attitudes and behaviours of the audience. This study aims to test the effect of documentary films on prejudiced attitudes, which different groups have used to influence the masses in the historical process. For this purpose, the power of the documentary film Garbage, which is about the life of people working in municipal garbage dumps, to change attitudes towards individuals working in garbage dumps was examined. The study sample comprised 103 university students and staff (age mean = 22,43, SD 6,39). A questionnaire consisting of a Personal Information Form, Social Distance Scale, Empathic Tendency Scale and Prejudicial Attitude Scale was used in this study. In addition, sentence completion statements were presented to evaluate the participants' stereotypes and feelings towards the garbage collectors. This study took measurements from the experimental and control group participants at two different times within the pretest and posttest phases. While the participants in the experimental group watched the documentary film Garbage, the participants in the control group watched the documentary film Bademler. As a result of the data analysis, it was determined that the pretest and posttest positive emotion and negative emotion scores of the participants in the experimental group changed in the expected direction. There was a significant effect on the social distance levels of the participants in the experimental and control groups, which was in the opposite direction from what was expected. When the responses related to sentence completion were analyzed, it was determined that the positive expressions of the experimental group participants towards the people working in the garbage dump increased compared to the control group. In addition, it was determined that the participants in the experimental group had more empathic expressions towards the people working in the garbage dump after watching the documentary. These findings were discussed within just world belief and priming effect. This research will contribute to the knowledge of documentary cinema and prejudice and the programs to be developed to reduce prejudices. In addition, it is expected that the research will form the basis for situations such as the expansion of the areas of influence in communication studies and the increase in the social contribution of cinema.

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