ERIC Number: EJ1260831
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020-Jul
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0092-055X
EISSN: N/A
Teaching Race and Ethnicity in the Age of Trump: Using Popular Culture in a Polarized Classroom
Stout, Vanessa; Earnhart, Eric; Nagi, Mariam
Teaching Sociology, v48 n3 p220-230 Jul 2020
Teaching race and ethnicity in various sociology courses, we found students in our classes can be very reluctant to approach the subject of race, discrimination, and racism. Moreover, during class discussion, they often have a hard time defining and analyzing these concepts. In this study, we examine how popular culture can be a useful tool to teach difficult subjects, such as race and ethnicity. Instead of a traditional lecture, we had students watch the popular Cartoon Network series Teen Titans. Using the characters' interactions from this series as examples, students constructed definitions of racism and discrimination. The result of this study demonstrates that students may be more comfortable recognizing and discussing fictional characters' racist or discriminatory behavior as a way of entering the conversation. After discussing fictional examples, students effectively link events from the cartoon to the subsequent lecture about race and racism.
Descriptors: Race, Ethnicity, Sociology, Racial Bias, Racial Discrimination, Popular Culture, Teaching Methods, Controversial Issues (Course Content), Cartoons, Interaction, Antisocial Behavior, Active Learning, Undergraduate Students, Student Attitudes, Worksheets, Video Technology
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A