Either/or Rules: Social Studies Teachers' Talk about Media and Popular Culture

Abstract

This article examines how 15 secondary social studies teachers made meaning of media and popular culture, and how those perspectives informed their relationships with their students. Using data from a 3-year qualitative study in which multiple in-depth interviews were conducted, this article also analyzes the discourses that circulated in the larger society that influenced the teachers' thoughts, and ultimately, their actions with their students. The findings suggest that these teachers employed three binary oppositions, binarisms, to define media and popular culture: (a) political, (b) moral, and (c) privileging. Additionally, the teachers' talk revealed that they believed their students uncritically engaged media and popular culture and thus needed “protection” from these entities. The author contends that teachers need to better understand the complexities of media and popular culture, so that they can assist their students to better comprehend and interpret a range of media and popular culture messages.