In his article on racism, culture, and identity, Connolly (1998) argues that racism is internalized and formative. In other words, it not only affects the way in which people see themselves and others, but it also shapes their actions and behavior, thus promoting certain discourses about race. Throughout our discussion Jane’s ideology and behavior exhibit certain themes. Her discourse displays fear, discomfort, and misinformation when it comes to topics pertaining to people of Black, Latin American, and Non-caucasian heritage. But why is this?
In order to better understand racism one must take into account the particular social contexts in which it manifests (Connolly, 1998). As Roghoff (2003) highlights, each generation comes prepared to learn …show more content…
While the media is valuable in its role as a conveyer of information and knowledge, it can be equally dangerous given its ability to firmly mold our ideas about the world around us. Furthermore, our world has become increasingly saturated with media throughout the past few decades, thus altering the way in which we view and respond to it. So how can we distinguish between the good and the bad- between fact and fiction? In Butler’s (2010) work on media literacy she specifically addresses the importance of ensuring that individuals are prepared to understand and assess the boundless quantities of media and technology that are swirling around them. Unfortunately, as she argues, our schools and educational institutions have not prioritized the implementation of effective media literacy …show more content…
The skills that accompany it are transferable and usable in many different contexts. Through media literacy we can give individuals the power to take information into their own hands- to better understand not only mainstream media, but technology, politics, literature, art, music, social issues, and more. It offers us an outlet in which we can responsibility work to engage our students and foster their ability to think critically about what they see, hear, and experience. If our students are not educated to be media literate, then the effects will be widespread. Jane is an example of those consequences, as mainstream media propaganda in conjunction with media illiteracy are a recipe for disaster. If we want to cultivate a society of free-thinking individuals who are equipped to actively reflect upon and evaluate the information they receive and challenge the norms that they have been strategically socialized to accept, then we must ensure that media education is deemed just as a much of a priority as any other subject area. Otherwise, our citizens, like Jane, will be uninformed, less likely to distinguish between fact and fiction, and more apt to show prejudice towards diversified
In order to better understand racism one must take into account the particular social contexts in which it manifests (Connolly, 1998). As Roghoff (2003) highlights, each generation comes prepared to learn …show more content…
While the media is valuable in its role as a conveyer of information and knowledge, it can be equally dangerous given its ability to firmly mold our ideas about the world around us. Furthermore, our world has become increasingly saturated with media throughout the past few decades, thus altering the way in which we view and respond to it. So how can we distinguish between the good and the bad- between fact and fiction? In Butler’s (2010) work on media literacy she specifically addresses the importance of ensuring that individuals are prepared to understand and assess the boundless quantities of media and technology that are swirling around them. Unfortunately, as she argues, our schools and educational institutions have not prioritized the implementation of effective media literacy …show more content…
The skills that accompany it are transferable and usable in many different contexts. Through media literacy we can give individuals the power to take information into their own hands- to better understand not only mainstream media, but technology, politics, literature, art, music, social issues, and more. It offers us an outlet in which we can responsibility work to engage our students and foster their ability to think critically about what they see, hear, and experience. If our students are not educated to be media literate, then the effects will be widespread. Jane is an example of those consequences, as mainstream media propaganda in conjunction with media illiteracy are a recipe for disaster. If we want to cultivate a society of free-thinking individuals who are equipped to actively reflect upon and evaluate the information they receive and challenge the norms that they have been strategically socialized to accept, then we must ensure that media education is deemed just as a much of a priority as any other subject area. Otherwise, our citizens, like Jane, will be uninformed, less likely to distinguish between fact and fiction, and more apt to show prejudice towards diversified