Page 344 - Štremfel, Urška, and Maša Vidmar (eds.). 2018. Early School Leaving: Contemporary European Perspectives. Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut.
P. 344
ear ly school leaving: contempor ary european perspectives
dominant group. Students in the classroom, watching the film, should be
encouraged to discuss to which group different characters in the movie (the
teacher, the students etc.) belong – to the dominant or marginalised? Who
are the members of the dominant and marginalised group in the movie and
who could these be in other national contexts (for example other minorities
in any given environment) or at their school/class? What are their common
characteristics? Would the story be different if told from a different point of
view – for example, by a member of a non-dominant group?
Key question 2: What creative techniques are used to attract
my attention?
The second key question explores the codes and conventions used in media
messages and is based on the assumption that all media messages are con-
structed using a creative language with all its rules (Thoman & Jolls, 2004;
Kellner & Share, 2005). Media often present codes and stereotypes which
put marginalised groups (workers, women, people of colour, also ESL stu-
dents) in a subordinate position in contrast to the positive representation
of bosses, the rich and successful students as natural and consequently
reinforce the stereotypes and present them as a natural state (Kellner &
Share, 2005). Media education’s goal is therefore to teach students to distin-
guish denotation (literal meaning) from connotation (associative, subjec-
tive meaning based on cultural and ideological codes) or, in other words,
to distinguish what they see or hear from what they think or feel (Fiske,
1990), thus preventing messages being presented as natural when connota-
tion and denotation become one.
Example: The Dangerous Minds movie strengthens the stereotype of
the problematic student (ESLer) as a member of a minority or someone who
comes from a deprivileged environment. Students should be encouraged to
analyse whether all students who are members of minorities or come from
poorer environments really are at a higher risk of ESL and should provide
different examples from either real life or movies supporting or opposing
this stereotype. Moreover, students should also discuss possible solutions
to the problem of stereotyping ESLers.
Key question 3: How might different people understand the same
message differently?
The third question’s goal is to decode audiences. It is based on the assump-
tion that different people experience the same media messages differently
344
dominant group. Students in the classroom, watching the film, should be
encouraged to discuss to which group different characters in the movie (the
teacher, the students etc.) belong – to the dominant or marginalised? Who
are the members of the dominant and marginalised group in the movie and
who could these be in other national contexts (for example other minorities
in any given environment) or at their school/class? What are their common
characteristics? Would the story be different if told from a different point of
view – for example, by a member of a non-dominant group?
Key question 2: What creative techniques are used to attract
my attention?
The second key question explores the codes and conventions used in media
messages and is based on the assumption that all media messages are con-
structed using a creative language with all its rules (Thoman & Jolls, 2004;
Kellner & Share, 2005). Media often present codes and stereotypes which
put marginalised groups (workers, women, people of colour, also ESL stu-
dents) in a subordinate position in contrast to the positive representation
of bosses, the rich and successful students as natural and consequently
reinforce the stereotypes and present them as a natural state (Kellner &
Share, 2005). Media education’s goal is therefore to teach students to distin-
guish denotation (literal meaning) from connotation (associative, subjec-
tive meaning based on cultural and ideological codes) or, in other words,
to distinguish what they see or hear from what they think or feel (Fiske,
1990), thus preventing messages being presented as natural when connota-
tion and denotation become one.
Example: The Dangerous Minds movie strengthens the stereotype of
the problematic student (ESLer) as a member of a minority or someone who
comes from a deprivileged environment. Students should be encouraged to
analyse whether all students who are members of minorities or come from
poorer environments really are at a higher risk of ESL and should provide
different examples from either real life or movies supporting or opposing
this stereotype. Moreover, students should also discuss possible solutions
to the problem of stereotyping ESLers.
Key question 3: How might different people understand the same
message differently?
The third question’s goal is to decode audiences. It is based on the assump-
tion that different people experience the same media messages differently
344
