Teaching about marginalized groups: An individual media analysis project

1
Teaching about marginalized groups An
individual media analysis project

• Jacki Fitzpatrick, Ph.D.
• Human Dvt. Family Studies Dept.
• Texas Tech University
• Jacki.Fitzpatrick_at_ttu.edu
• Paper presented at the American Political Science
  Association Teaching and Learning Conference,
  Charlotte NC, February 2007.

2
Introduction

• It can be challenging to engage students in
  discussion about marginalized groups
• Fear differences (e.g., Appleby, 2006)
• Worry perceived as racist or ignorant
  (Umana-Taylor, 2006)
• If part of majority group, have difficulty
  understanding invisibility/ostracism (Bowl,
  2001 Phillips, 2005).
• Questions about instructors cultural knowledge
  (Lien, Travis, Avalos, 2006)
• Under such conditions, students less willing to
  engage in activities that reveal their
  vulnerabilities (e.g., Umana-Taylor, 2006)

3
Introduction (Cont.)

• To address these concerns, the presenter
  developed an assignment
• Students examine media representation of two
  cultural groups
• First cultural group is their own cultural
  heritage
• Second cultural group is selected from course
  materials
• Students self-select media used for recreation
  and/or information
• Approach overcomes concern about classroom
  revelation of ignorance/fear
• Assignment is completed privately at home
• Approach fits goal of helping students integrate
  information into own cultural contexts (e.g.,
  Judd, 2006).

4
Assignment - Week 1

• Students record all media use
• TV, movies, music, electronic games, reading
  materials, interactive websites
• Students self-define similarity
• Race/ethnicity, political affiliation, social
  class
• Record how frequently they are represented (by
  similar others) in each media use

5
Assignment - Week 1 Sample Record

• Student Name
• 7/11/06
•  
• 715-730a.m. Newspaper - Lubbock Avalanche
  Journal
• 6 Caucasian Middle-Class Females
• 800-500p.m. Radio - KOHM
• 14 Caucasian Middle-Class Females
• 530-630p.m. Website - ESPN.com
• 2 Caucasian Middle-Class Females
• 730-800p.m. CD - Take Five/Dave Brubeck
• 0 Caucasian Middle-Class Females
• 800-900p.m. TV - Friends
• 5 Caucasian Middle-Class Females

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Assignment - Week 2

• Students read reference material about
  marginalized/minority groups
• Self-select groups different from themselves
• If part of marginalized group, then read about a
  second marginalized group
• Reference material is scholarly text
• Adams, B. N., Trost, J. (2005). Handbook of
  world families. Thousand Oaks, CA Sage
  Publications.
• McGoldrick, M., Giordano, J., Garcia-Preto, N.
  (2005). Ethnicity and family therapy. New York
  Guilford Press.
• Roopnarine, J. L. Gielen, U. P. (2005).
  Families in global perspective. Boston Pearson
  Publications.

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Assignment - Week 3

• Students use the same media materials (e.g., TV
  shows, songs) used in Week 1
• Experience media as if member of minority group
• Through eyes/ears of someone different from
  themselves
• Record how (a) frequently and (b) accurately
  represented in media
• Accuracy is based on the second weeks reference
  material

8
Assignment - Week 3 Sample Record

• Student Name
• 7/25/06
• 715-730a.m. Newspaper - Lubbock Avalanche
  Journal
• 1 African American Lower-Class Male
  (Inaccurate)
• 800-500p.m. Radio - KOHM
• 2 African American Lower-Class Males
  (Accurate)
• 530-630p.m. Website - ESPN.com
• 4 African American Lower-Class Males (3
  Inaccurate, 1 Accurate)
• 730-800p.m. CD - Take Five/Dave Brubeck
• 0 African American Lower-Class Males
• 800-900p.m. TV - Friends
• 1 African American Lower-Class Male (Inaccurate)

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Assignment - Week 4

• Students submit paper
• Diary records from Week 1 and Week 3
• Questions about diary
• In what proportion of the media were you as a
  member of the culture represented at all?
• In what proportion of the media did you assume
  you were represented, although it was not clearly
  stated/shown?
• How many times were you represented accurately?

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Assignment - Week 4 (Cont.)

• Students respond to essay questions about
  experience
• How did you experience the media differently in
  the two weeks?
•  If you were permanently a member of the cultural
  group in your second week of media use, how would
  you feel about media portrayals of your new
  culture or your old culture?
• If you were permanently.how would you experience
  American society on a daily basis?

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Assignment - Week 4 (Cont.)

• As minority group members (Week 3) experience
• Students do not find themselves (as minority
  group members) represented at all
• Exposure to invisibility
• Students represented negatively
• Exposure to derogation
• Students represented positively
• Exposure to inclusiveness
• Students given opportunity to discuss assignment
• Optional participation to respect privacy
• Debriefing function

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Conclusion

• Only small part of cultural education
• Only simulation of cultural experience
• Not full experience of invisibility or derogation
• Personalizes group status contrast
• Assignment is adaptable for multiple group
  contrasts
• Other forms of media and reference materials can
  be used
• Diaries, biographies, news reports, films

13
References

• Adams, B. N., Trost, J. (2005). Handbook of
  world families. Thousand Oaks, CA Sage
  Publications.
• Appleby, G.A. (2006). Dynamics of oppression and
  discrimination. In G. A. Appleby, E. Colon, J.
  Hamilton (Eds.), Diversity, oppression and social
  functioning Person-in-environment assessment
  and intervention (pp. 51-67). Boston Pearson
  Publications.
• Bowl, M. (2001). Experiencing the barriers
  Non-traditional students entering higher
  education. Research Papers in Education, 16(2),
  141-160.

14
References (Cont.)

• Judd, D. (2006, February). The urban community
  college Diversity, inequality and common
  ground. Paper presented at the American
  Political Science Association Teaching and
  Learning Conference, Washington, DC.
• Lien, P.-t., Travis, T.-M., Avalos, M. (2006,
  February). Teaching diversity at the
  intersection of race, ethnicity, gender and
  beyond. Paper presented at the American Political
  Science Association Teaching and Learning
  Conference, Washington, DC.

15
References (Cont.)

• Phillips, C. D. (2005). A comparison between
  African-American and white students enrolled in
  an equal opportunity program on predominantly
  white college campuses Perceptions of the campus
  environment. College Student Journal, 39(2),
  298-306.
• Roopnarine, J. L. Gielen, U. P. (2005).
  Families in global perspective. Boston Pearson
  Publications.
• Umana-Taylor, A. J. (2006, July). Integrating
  diversity into courses on personal relationships
  and families. Paper presented at the
  International Association for Relationship
  Research Conference, Rethymno, Crete, Greece.