A media criticism-based approach for designing critical multicultural instruction in social studies curricula

ABSTRACT

Today’s media generally depicts negative or biased images of multicultural or ethnic groups based on certain symbols and semantics. Given these characteristics, it is important to provide an educational experience in which adolescents critically reflect on how the media presents distorted images of ethnic groups, especially migrants. Thus, the present study used a media criticism-based approach for designing critical multicultural instruction in social studies curricula. In the sample lesson plans, the cultivation of critical multicultural citizenship is presented as one of the instructional goals, after which the problems and issues regarding how the media depicts ethnic groups are discussed. Next, exploratory activities are conducted wherein the students analyse, interpret and critically evaluate various media texts. It is hoped that this study can be used as a reference for schools aiming to foster students’ ability to critically analyse media texts, especially those that present ethnic groups in a negative light.

KEYWORDS:

• Media criticism
• critical multicultural instruction
• multiculturalism
• multicultural groups
• social studies
• civic education
• ethnic groups

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.