Critical Media Literacies Series

As the recent pandemic illustrated, many folks are only one or two paychecks away from bankruptcy. The economic disparities made starkly clear in the wake of shutdowns have brought home the need for thinking critically about class in ways that many U.S. citizens have traditionally resisted. This collection of memoirs and cultural analyses by established and newer scholars from a variety of disciplines seeks to reintroduce class in sophisticated, yet accessible, ways so that students may increase their critical literacy and consider the power of rhetoric to fight for equitable distribution of income and class power.

Contributors are: : Sarah Attfield, Jennifer Beech, Phil Bratta, Ryan Cooper Carl, Christina V. Cedillo, José M. Cortez, William DeGenaro, David Engen, Kelli R. Gill, Abby Graves, Matthew Wayne Guy, Katherine Highfill, Nancy Mack, Heather Palmer, Irvin Peckham, Valerie Murrenus Pilmaier, Philip L. Simpson, William Thelin and Edward J. Whitelock.

The COVID-19 pandemic interrupted a chaotic political and social landscape within the United States. Its arrival revealed cracks in longstanding neoliberal narratives. In this book, the authors utilize critical theory to analyze the collapse of these hyper-individualistic narratives within the media, in the broad areas of economics, the nuclear family, and authoritarian populism and through the topics of scapegoating China, capitalist class economic messaging, the essential worker, the family under shutdown, the spread of conspiracy theories, and the ideologies of the COVID-19 protests. The book conclude with commentary on the significance of the George Floyd protests and their connection to the pandemic.

Winner of the 2022 AESA Critics' Choice Book Award

Winner of the 2022 Society of Professors of Education Outstanding Book Award

This diverse and global collection of scholars, educators, and activists presents a panorama of perspectives on media education and democracy in a digital age. Drawing upon projects in both the formal and non-formal education spheres, the authors contribute towards conceptualizing, developing, cultivating, building and elaborating a more respectful, robust and critically-engaged democracy. Given the challenges our world faces, it may seem that small projects, programs and initiatives offer just a salve to broader social and political dynamics but these are the types of contestatory spaces, openings and initiatives that enable participatory democracy. This book provides a space for experimentation and dialogue, and a platform for projects and initiatives that challenge or supplement the learning offered by traditional forms of education. The Foreword is written by Divina Frau-Meigs (Sorbonne Nouvelle, Paris) and the Postscript by Roberto Apirici and David García Marín (UNED, Madrid).

Contributors are: Roberto Aparici, Adelina Calvo Salvador, Paul R. Carr, Colin Chasi, Sandra L. Cuervo Sanchez, Laura D’Olimpio, Milena Droumeva, Elia Fernández-Diaz, Ellen Field, Michael Forsman, Divina Frau-Meigs, Aquilina Fueyo Gutiérrez, David García-Marín, Tania Goitandia Moore, José Gutiérrez-Pérez, Ignacio Haya Salmón, Bruno Salvador Hernández Levi, Michael Hoechsmann, Jennifer Jenson, Maria Korpijaakko, Sirkku Kotilainen, Emil Marmol, María Dolores Olvera-Lobo, Tania Ouariachi, Mari Pienimäki, Anna Renfors, Ylva Rodney-Gumede, Carlos Rodríguez-Hoyos, Mar Rodríguez-Romero, Tafadzwa Rugoho, Juha Suoranta, Gina Thésée, Robyn M. Tierney, Robert C. Williams and María Luisa Zorrilla Abascal.

In this volume, we explore critical questions about Norway's hidden history of racism and its implications today. Why has Norway largely overlooked its role in the transatlantic slave trade? How do media representations shape public perceptions of race? What can education do to confront and dismantle systemic racism?

This book uncovers the complex interplay between historical narratives, media portrayals, and educational practices, offering fresh insights into the ongoing struggle for racial justice in a diversifying society. We present rare archival images and previously unpublished data that challenge conventional understandings of Norwegian identity and history.

Through compelling case studies—like the “Human Zoo” exhibition and the tragic death of Eugene Obiora—we engage you with powerful stories that highlight the lived realities of racism in Norway. You will witness how these histories resonate within contemporary antiracist movements and educational discourse. This timely work is essential for educators, policymakers, and anyone interested in understanding and addressing racial issues in Norway and beyond. Join us in sparking meaningful conversations and actions towards a more inclusive future.

Superhero Black Widow/ Natasha Romanov has endured more than 60 years in the Marvel Universe before becoming a prominent character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with the Avengers; however, this volume examines how this woman character has mostly been underestimated and hypersexualized. The overview and analysis explore the contradiction between Black Widow’s enduring popularity and the limited commitment to her solo series and character development in print. This discussion centers Black Widow as a representation of the inadequate care and commitment given to women characters in mainstream superhero comics.

This edited collection is not a response to the 2016 United States Presidential Election so much as it is a response to the issues highlighted through that single event and since when incredibly smart, sophisticated, and intelligent members of our society were confused by misinformation campaigns. While media literacy and critical media literacy are ideas with long histories in formal education, including K-12 students and higher education, the need for increased attention to these issues has never reached a flash point like the present. The essays collected here are confrontations of post-truth, fake news, mainstream media, and traditional approaches to formal schooling. But there are no simple answers or quick fixes. Critical media literacy, we argue here, may well be the only thing between a free people and their freedom.