Talking Points #4 Unlearning The Myths That Bind Us by Linda Christensen

Argument:


Christensen argues that young children are being manipulated by society through the books and movies they grow up with. This secondhand experience is not the same as the firsthand experience people should get with children of different cultures. When children are shown only one side of a culture, they learn only that one side and it becomes an embedded knowledge. Christensen's students read an article by Dorfman that suggests that our lives are shaped by the industry and a secret education lies within these books and movies children read and watch.

The students broke down and digested books and stories made by Disney and found the values, stereotypes and social roles. Many of these were very prevalent and obvious. By making her students work on the in depth critiquing, many of them realized how much they have accepted the inequality of power and economic relationships. Christensen gave them assignments which were solutions in how to go beyond the classroom and help the world realize the manipulation of society. One group had an interesting idea to create pamphlets that had ratings of children movies from A-F for parents to carefully consider what their children watch.

Sharing Ideas:

In the beginning of the article, Christensen mentioned how many of us don't get the interaction with culturally different families. It made me think of the video that we watched with the African woman who talked about people who hear only one side of a story, makes assumptions and stereotypes based on that one story.

Click Here for a youtube video that has someone explaining Prince Charmings in Disney movies.