Part I

Ashley, S., Maksl, A., & Craft, S. (January 2013). Developing a News Media Literacy Scale. Journal of Mass Communication Educator 68 (1), 7-21.

Using a framework previously applied to other areas of media literacy, this study developed and assessed a measurement scale focused specifically on critical news media literacy. Our scale appears to successfully measure news media literacy as we have conceptualized it based on previous research, demonstrated through assessments of content, construct, and predictive validity. Among our college student sample, a separate media system knowledge index also was a significant predictor of knowledge about topics in the news, which suggests the need for a broader framework. Implications for future work in defining and assessing news media literacy are discussed

Questions that apply to this article:

1. What are the strengths of this research methodology?
2. How does this methodology support and/or detract from a cultural studies perspective?
3. How does this article contribute to your understanding of media literacy?

Engstrom, E. (January 2008). Unraveling the Knot: Political Economy and Cultural Hegemony in Wedding Media. Journal of Communication Inquiry 32 (1), 60-82.

This article examines the hegemonic messages about weddings, gender roles, and consumption in modern society disseminated by The Knot, a bridal media company that claims to be the “#1 wedding website,” with brand extensions into magazines, books, and in partnership with the cable outlet Oxygen, the reality television program Real Weddings from The Knot. Analyses of The Knot’s media alliances and its reality television program illustrate that as an example of political economy of the media, The Knot and its media synergy create for its female audience the image of the perfect wedding, which maintains a status quo reinforcing femininity and consumerism.

Questions that apply to this article:

1. How does this article contribute to your understanding of the concept of political economy?
2. What are your reactions to the economics of weddings?
3. How have you experienced or witnessed cultural hegemony at weddings?

 

Part II

Raynor, S. (April 2009). My First Black Barbie: Transforming the Image. Cultural Studies óCritical Methodologies 9 (2), 179-185.

This essay addresses issues about how the image of Black Barbie dolls can transform the standards of beauty for little Black girls. This image may help the construction or even the re-construction of self and identity. Exploring and perhaps embracing the Barbie image can serve as a form of resistance for Black girls/woman, or it may even help address issues of domination, racism, sexism, and class exploitation that oppress and threaten the survival of young girls

Questions that apply to this article:

1. How has a toy or doll impacted your self-perception?
2. How have you used a toy or a doll to display resistance?
3. How do toys and dolls teach us about performance of identities?

Toffoletti, K. (February 2014). Iranian Women’s Sports Fandom: Gender, Resistance, and Identity in the Football Movie Offside. Journal of Sport and Social Issues 33 (1), 75-92.

As sport enters new global territories, attending to questions of cultural difference is increasingly important to studies of women’s sports fanship. This article draws on theories of transnational feminism and feminist sports scholarship to contemplate the cinematic portrayal of the non-Western female football supporter. Women sports fans rarely appear as film protagonists, with the notable exception of the 2006 movie Offside, which tells the story of Iranian women soccer fans attending a World Cup qualifying match. By focusing on the ways that women fans negotiate their marginal status in the sporting arena, I argue that the film unsettles cultural associations between masculinity and football in Iran, and confounds the oppositional construction of the “other” woman as a passive victim of, or freedom fighter against, Islam

Questions that apply to this article:

1. How is women’s sports fanship performed in the U.S.?
2. How can sports be a site of resistance?
3. How are religion and sport intertwined in the U.S.?

 

Part III

White, T.R. (September 2013). Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott and Nicki Minaj: Fashionistin’ Black Female Sexuality in Hip-Hop Culture—Girl Power or Overpowered? Journal of Black Studies 44 (6), 607-626.

Since the emergence of hip-hop in the early 1980s, African American women’s sexuality and its correlation to their search for self-identity and self-control have been at the forefront of the genre’s discourse. Using a multidisciplinary theoretical framework (objectification theory, scripting theory, and Black feminist epistemologies), this article explores the fashion aesthetic, imagery, and celebrity culture of two major African American female hip-hop megastars, Nicki Minaj and Missy Elliott, to examine how the sexual politics of hip-hop culture has helped to define their sexuality, agency, and subjectivity. By examining the style and professional choices that fashioned their careers in hip-hop media, we explore the extent to which they have refuted, or submitted, to the distorted view of African American female sexuality, and thus contributed to their objectification or empowerment

Questions that apply to this article:

1. Using this framework, how is men’s sexuality constructed in hip-hop?
2. How is sexuality constructed in country music?
3. What are the strengths of the multidisciplinary theoretical framework?

Norman, L. (December 2012). Gendered Homophobia in Sport and Coaching: Understanding the Everyday Experiences of Lesbian Coaches. International Review for the Sociology of Sport 47 (6), 705-723.

The purpose of this article is to discuss a theory of everyday gendered homophobia as a way of understanding lesbian coaches’ experiences of their profession. I discuss the need to gain a better comprehension of homophobia achieved through deconstructing women’s day-to-day experiences of professional coaching, examining how their lives are individually organized along multiple power lines, namely sexual orientation and gender. Through this, it is possible to connect the macro-structure of sport to the micro- and recognize the everyday inferiorizations that take place within the participants’ lives. The main focus of the article is to explore the power of understanding the everyday and present the key conceptual issues and processes underpinning a theory of everyday gendered homophobia. The conception of everyday gendered homophobia is based upon data from in-depth semi-structured interviews with 10 professional women coaches who identified themselves as lesbian, from both individual and team sports within the UK

Questions that apply to this article:

1. How have you witnessed homophobia in sports?
2. Who are some examples of lesbian coaches in media? How are they represented?
3. How is homophobia gendered in other contexts besides sports?

 

Part IV

Squires, C., Watts, E.K., Vavras, M.D., Ono, K.A., Feyh, K., Calafell, B.M., & Brouwer, D.C. (2010). What Is This “Post-“ in Postracial, Postfeminist….(Fill in the Blank)? Journal of Communication Inquiry 34 (3), 210-253.

The events of the 2008 election continue to spark prognostications that we live in a world that is postracial/feminist, and so on. At the 2009 NCA (National Communication Association) convention, a panel of communication scholars discussed how to approach questions of identity and communication over the next 5 years. Participants suggested ways to be critical of assertions of “post” and elaborated ways to encounter new dimensions of identification in an era of immense sociopolitical challenges. This forum revisits the exchanged dialogues among the participants at the roundtable and further explores the meaning of post- in post-America.

Questions that apply to this article:

1. What are some examples that we live in a Postracial/Postfeminist world?
2. What are some examples that we do not live in a Postracial/Postfeminist world?
3. Should being Postracial/Postfeminist be a goal of a country?

Sandlin, J., & Callahan, J. (2009). Deviance, Dissonance, and Détournement: Culture Jammers use of Emotion in Consumer Resistance. Journal of Consumer Culture 9 (1), 79-115.

Because emotion plays such a large part in the creation of the hegemony of consumerist ideology, we contend that any complete understanding of consumer resistance movements must also take into account the role of emotion in fighting against consumerist ideologies and global corporate control. In this article, we theorize about the role emotion plays in consumer resistance social movements –especially those using the resistance tactic of culture jamming. Drawing upon the frameworks of emotional hegemony and emotion management, we present an emotion cycle of resistance associated with consumer resistance activism. We illustrate the cycle by using examples from culture jamming enacted by groups such as Adbusters and Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping.

Questions that apply to this article:

1. What do you think of the author’s “sobering” conclusion?
2. How does this essay impact your appreciation of the strategy of culture jamming?
3. How are emotions bound up in your consumer practices?

 

Part V

Mowlabocus, S., Harbottle, J., & Witzel, C. (2013). Porn Laid Bare: Gay Men, Pornography and Bareback Sex. Sexualities 16 (5-6), 523-547.

This article details the preliminary findings from Porn Laid Bare, a collaborative research project between the University of Sussex and the Terrence Higgins Trust, Brighton. We explore the multidimensional relationship that respondents identified as having formed with pornographic material, together with its role within gay male subculture. We then consider how interview respondents understood and conceptualised bareback pornography. Our findings reveal consistent contradictions between general discussions of gay pornography and specific discussions of bareback representations. Utilising Dean’s (2009) work on bareback subculture and the ‘ambivalent gift’, we develop a critical reading of these contradictions in order to identify the methods by which the anxieties and pleasures of bareback pornography were handled by respondents.

Questions that apply to this article:

1. What are the strengths/weaknesses of this study?
2. What are the implications for studying pornography?
3. What obligations do researchers have when studying risky behaviors such as bareback sex?

Merskin, D. (2011). A Boyfriend to Die For: Edward Cullen as Compensated Psychopath in Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight. Journal of Communication Inquiry 35 (2), 157-178.

This article is an analysis of the teen-targeted vampire novel Twilight. The series and related merchandise have been a runaway financial success. Illustrative quotes from Twilight are presented according to Guggenbühl-Craig’s concept of the “compensated psychopath” (CP)—an individual who approaches the psychological extreme of psychopathy but is able to pass for functional in society. The author argues the lead male character Edward Cullen is a CP and that the representation is problematic. The book’s main female character, Bella Swan, becomes completely dependent on Edward, desires him in part because he seems unattainable, and is willing to die and live a life of predation in order to be with him. The largely uncriticized idealization of Edward as top boyfriend material flies under the radar of contemporary concern for girls’ psychic and physical well-being.

Questions that apply to this article:

1. How does the concept of CP apply to the other characters in Twilight?
2. What are other characters in popular culture that embody the characteristics of the CP?
3. Do authors of young adult novels have obligations to present characters that are “safe” or “healthy”?

 

Part VI

Auster, C.J., & Michaud, M. (2013). The Internet Marketing of Disney Theme Parks: An Analysis of Gender and Race. SAGE Open 3 (1), 2158244013476052.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the portrayal of gender and race in the images on the official Disney websites used to market five theme parks: the Disneyland Parks in California, Paris, Tokyo, and Hong Kong, and the Magic Kingdom in Florida. This is important because of the growth of e-commerce, Disney’s global influence, and the potential impact on those who view the images. The 452 images that had Disney human characters, human-like characters, animals, cast members, or guests were coded for gender. The main gender hypothesis, that the percentage of male-dominated images would exceed the percentage of female-dominated images, was tested using gender disparity values, which measured the gap between the percentage of male-dominated and female-dominated images. The hypothesis tended to be supported overall, and for most of the resorts (e.g., Florida), lands (e.g., Adventureland), and activities (attractions, entertainment, dining) for human characters, human-like characters, animals, and cast members, but not for guests. Furthermore, the hypotheses that gender disparity values would be highest for images of animals and lowest for images of guests was supported for all five resorts, six of eight lands, and all three activities. Additional analysis also revealed the preponderance of same-sex pairings in parent–child combinations in the images. With regard to race, while the images of some theme parks displayed more racial diversity among their guests than others, in some images, individuals of different races were shown interacting whereas in others they were not. Explanations for these findings and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Questions that apply to this article:

1. What does a local theme park or county fair look like using this framework?
2. How does this relate to the images in Disney films?
3. What are the strengths and weaknesses of this research?

Shaw, A. (2010). What is Video Game Culture? Cultural Studies and Game Studies. Games and Culture 5, (4), 403-424.

http://gac.sagepub.com/content/5/4/403.full.pdf+html

What is video game culture, however? What does it mean to have a culture defined by the consumption of a particular medium? Moreover, what are the implications of defining this culture in a particular way? While there has been a great deal of ink split on video game culture, the actual definition of the term is often treated as common sense. Unpacking the discourses surrounding ‘‘video game culture’’ allows us to see the power dynamics involved in attributing certain characteristics to it, as well as naming it ‘‘video game culture’’ as such. This has implications for how video games are studied and is connected with how culture is studied more broadly. By critically examining how video game culture has been defined in both press and academic articles, this paper illuminates how this definition has limited the study of video games and where it can move.

Questions that apply to this article:

1. What do you think is important to study about video games?
2. How does this discussion support/contradict your experience with video game culture?
3. Where do you think video game culture will be in five years?

 

Part VII

McMurria, J. (2008). Desperate Citizens and Good Samaritans: Neoliberalism and Makeover Reality TV. Television and New Media 9(4), 305-332.

http://tvn.sagepub.com/content/9/4/305.full.pdf+html

This article considers the emergence of makeover reality TV, including Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (EMHE), within the cultural and political economic context of neoliberalism, which advocates corporate benevolence, individual volunteerism, and personal responsibility as principle means for solving serious social issues. Four contexts include (a) the integration of corporate philanthropy and product marketing since the 1980s; (b) the proliferation of goodwill reality TV in a post-9/11 reality television economy; (c) home improvement reality TV's connections to the housing boom, shifting domestic gender roles, and the neoliberal ideals of an “ownership society”; and (d) EMHE's representational engagement with neoliberal frameworks for addressing social inequalities with particular attention to race and the Katrina disaster. The article concludes with thoughts on how noncommercial reality TV might broaden the frameworks for addressing social problems beyond commercial TV's neoliberalism.

Questions that apply to this article:

1. What are current examples of neoliberalism in reality shows?
2. Is corporate benevolence an oxymoron?
3. What does it mean in your community to be a good Samaritan?

Gamson, J. (2013). Reality Queens. Contexts 12, (2), 52-54.

http://ctx.sagepub.com/content/12/2/52.full.pdf+html

How did queens rule come to rule reality television? Sociologist Joshua Gamson argues that the rise of segmented cable television, and of consumption-friendly subgenres, have invited style gurus, best-gay-friends, and queer worlds into the refracted spotlight.

Questions that apply to this article:

1. What has been the effect of reality shows on gay men?
2. Why are reality shows “rife with queens”?
3. How does the increased presence of queens influence portrayals of traditional masculinity on reality shows?

 

Part VIII

Hajin, M. (2013). Seeking Personal Autonomy Through the Use of Facebook in Iran. Sage Open, 3 (1), 2158244013483759.

In Iran, where males and females are kept separated in different spheres, Facebook may be used as an opportunity to bridge this gap between the genders. However, this study showed that Facebook, as an anonymous platform in which people are in contact with their already-made social ties, didn’t seem to be liberating from the existing norms and rules within society. Facebook was a stage that became restricted with the involvement of social ties. The study’s analysis of interviews with six young Iranians showed that social meanings and norms of self-presentation on Facebook are defined to a large degree in terms of gender. The informants used a variety of strategies when presenting themselves on Facebook. They used Facebook simply for gaining personal autonomy. Strategies were adopted especially when one’s personal and community needs were in conflict. Efforts made to apply strategies were gendered and were used mainly by females. Males conformed to and women resisted societal norms and expectations.

Questions that apply to this article:

1. Why do you use/not use Facebook?
2. Do you present gender differently on social media sites?
3. Do you think Facebook offers autonomy?

Robertson, V.L.D. (2014). Of Ponies and Men” My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic and the Brony Fandom. International Journal of Cultural studies 17, (1), 21-37.

The newest incarnation of the My Little Pony franchise, the children’s cartoon program My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic has attracted a sizeable viewership among an unexpected demographic: adolescent men. This article looks at this group, known as Bronies, and assesses how the geek subculture that this fandom exists within frames the fan’s understanding of the show, its pony protagonists, and their own self-reflection. Focusing on the role of anthropomorphic animals, this discussion will explicate how normative notions of gender, attitude and behavior are challenged by interaction with this text. This study aims to highlight the significance of fictional animals as tools for personal meaning-making.

Questions that apply to this article:

1. Do Bronies challenge traditional masculinity?
2. Are there risks of being a Brony?
3. What is the appeal of My Little Pony for men at this time in the culture?