Gramsci and Media Literacy
Critically Thinking about TV and the Movies
Erika Engstrom author Ralph Beliveau author
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Lexington Books
Published:17th Feb '23
Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back
This paperback is available in another edition too:
- Hardback£77.00(9781793619853)
This insightful analysis explores how Gramsci's theory of hegemony can enhance media literacy, revealing the ideological dynamics at play in contemporary media.
This book presents a thorough examination of contemporary media texts, illustrating how Antonio Gramsci's theory of hegemony can enhance our understanding of media literacy. Gramsci and Media Literacy delves into various media forms, analyzing how dominant ideologies shape the narratives we consume and the implications these narratives have on society. By applying Gramsci's insights, the text reveals how power structures are maintained through the media, influencing our perceptions of history, gender, and cultural norms.
Through a series of case studies, Gramsci and Media Literacy demonstrates the practical application of Gramscian theory in analyzing television and film. The authors argue that these media serve not only as entertainment but also as vehicles for ideological delivery, reinforcing common-sense viewpoints that uphold existing power dynamics. By critically engaging with these texts, readers are encouraged to question and challenge the narratives presented to them.
Ultimately, this book offers a hopeful perspective on media literacy. It suggests that by understanding the mechanisms of hegemonic thought, individuals can develop counterhegemonic perspectives that promote a more equitable and just society. Gramsci and Media Literacy serves as a vital resource for educators, students, and anyone interested in the intersection of media, culture, and power.
In their important new book, scholars and professors Erika Engstrom and Ralph Beliveau provide a crucial wake-up call along with a thoughtfully devised action plan for recognizing and combating ideologically manipulative media power. Through well-developed clear arguments and convincing evidence (underscored by dynamic prose), they wed Antonio Gramsci’s ideas about hegemony and social justice to an approach to media literacy education firmly grounded in critical activism. The authors’ in-depth, exemplary close analysis of hegemonic masculinity in the all-time highest grossing film (as of July 2019)—Marvel/Disney’s Avengers: Endgame—is a brilliant and inspiring penultimate chapter.
-- Mary-Lou Galician, Arizona State UniversityIn this engaging work, readers are introduced to the work of a grandfather of media literacy, Antonio Gramsci. Engstrom and Beliveau ably demonstrate the power of critically analyzing representations of race, class, and gender to elucidate shifts in contemporary media culture. In framing cultural studies as a form of media literacy, readers learn how the act of interpreting media may transform our own understanding of power as it impacts many aspects of everyday life.
-- Renee Hobbs, Harrington School of Communication and Media, University of Rhode IslandGramsci and Media Literacy is grounded in three key concepts—hegemony, media literacy, and semiotics—in the pursuit of demonstrating how the study of Gramsci is still relevant in mass media studies. Co-authors Erika Engstrom, professor and director of the School of Journalism and Media at the University of Kentucky, and Ralph Beliveau, associate professor of Creative Media Production at the University of Oklahoma, apply a Gramscian/hegemonic lens to the disciplines of cultural studies, media studies, education studies, and gender studies that coalesce quite nicely as the book progresses.
* Journalism & Mass Communication QuarterISBN: 9781793619877
Dimensions: 230mm x 151mm x 11mm
Weight: 231g
148 pages