How We Know What We Know Culture & the Critical Perspective Dr. Moses Shumow (Adapted from Dr. Fred Blevens)

Definition of Culture The symbols of expression that individuals, groups, and societies use to make sense of daily life and to articulate their values. Culture = Meaning So, what is culture?

Is this culture?

Culture as Process Culture delivers the values of a society through products or other meaning-making forms... » Newspapers » Entertainment media » Mass communication » Point-to-point communication There is no single location for culture It cannot be defined the same for everyone

Media Creates Culture This is done by a process called “negotiation,” which is the interaction of the symbols and ideas in the media you consume with the symbols and ideas already in your head. Through that process of sampling, thinking, processing, things come to be meaningful to each of us.

Cultural/Historical Change Individuals alter culture

Cultural/Historical Change Social movements alter culture

Cultural/Historical Change Technology alters culture

Communication is not... Truth -- language and perception Reality -- interpreted, constructed, mediated Objective -- experience and identity Comprehensive -- guess who gets left out?

Origins of the Critical Perspective: The Frankfurt School Jewish scholars in pre-war Germany, interested in new forms of mass communication and propaganda Challenged Hitler’s assumption that fascism could lift up the Germans Many died for their beliefs Survivors came to U.S. to establish the basis for the critical perspective.

Critical Perspective Hallmarks Questioning assumptions Christians are better than Jews Tax cuts spur the economy for all The government is ALWAYS bad Expanding the bounds of debate Jews aren’t part of the discussion The poor don’t get a voice Tolerance is difficult and many times painful Betterment of society All peoples treated with dignity/respect All taxpayers are treated equally “We don’t do these things because they are easy; we do them because they are hard.” John F. Kennedy

What Are the Implications? It’s easier not to question things It’s easier to accept assumptions It’s easier to assume the best in people It’s easier to be egocentric It’s easier to blame vulnerable populations It’s easier to not think deeply about the issues

Our Uncritical Past Assumptions: White men write most history White men tend to be the heroes of most history People of color tend to be the villains of history Women are left out of most history The North ignores the South; East ignores the West; the West ignores the East Most history is Eurocentric storytelling Critical Perspective: We have missed (and continue to miss) a lot Point A may connect to Point B, but A did not cause B History simply cannot be that simple

Practice this, please Active, not passive, reading Turn on your critical sensibility This course is an alternative explanation What problems do we introduce here? What or Who is missing from our work? Who are Professors Shumow, Pearson, Garcia and Soto, anyway?

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