The Filmic Construction of Tolerance: Representations of Interethnic Relations in Educational Films

Abstract

As in other West European countries, both ethnic minorities and immigration have become permanent features of Dutch society. Although there are differences between nationalities, it can be said that, on the whole, these minorities are socially and economically disadvantaged (Schumacher, 1987: 124, 173). In dealing with the problems involved, much use is made of educational films. These films are employed to inform ethnic minorities about rules and regulations of the Dutch welfare state and to provide the indigenous population with information about the cultural backgrounds of the newcomers. In our research, we analyse representations of interethnic relations in such films. In this article, we discuss some of the results of this detailed analysis. Educational films vary particularly with respect to the kind of contradictions they thematize, in their assumptions about the social actors involved and in the lines of development they sketch. In conclusion, we discuss the results of the analysis against the background of the myth of tolerance.