‘‘naturalizing’’ them over time (Kinnaird and Hall 1995; Morgan and
Pritchard 1998; O’Barr 1994). Given that social realities serve to guide
and situate individuals’ interactions and value systems (Hall 1995), the
selective promotion of realities in which racial/ethnic minorities are
limited to marginal roles can further perpetuate power disparities
among social groups (Morgan and Pritchard 1998; O’Barr 1994; Wearing and Wearing 1996). These processes work precisely because of
their positioning within a power-laden sociocultural structure (Hall
1997a) that continuously influences the manner in which minority
groups are represented. Traditionally, studies focusing on the examination of such representations have been conducted within the context of marketing in Southern countries (Britton 1979; Cohen 1989;
Dann 1996a; Echtner 2000; Echtner and Prasad 2001). These investigations have expressed significant concerns regarding the pejorative and
stereotypical roles transferred to ethnic hosts. Pictorial examples have
often shown ethnic/racial minorities in servile or entertainment roles
(Morgan and Pritchard 1998) or attired exclusively in national dress
engaging in similar folksy rituals (O’Barr 1994).