Our Faculty has recently licensed two new and excellent resources from the Media Awareness Network (MNet). MNet is a non-profit organization based in Ottawa and it boasts “one of the world’s most comprehensive collections of media education and Internet literacy resources” (more info here). Their materials are really top-notch.
The two newest additions to the MNet catalog include “Exploring Media and Race” and “Deconstructing Online Hate“. Each resource includes a workshop (slides, speaking notes, handouts, etc.), a self-directed tutorial and a resource guide. This is a great resource as it’s easy-to-follow, and packed with information for students of all ages. I would consider myself very knowledgeable this subject area, but there were still several items that surprised me.
On a related note, I have been a bit of a collector of disinformation/propaganda videos, and especially those that relate to discrimination or racism. A few weeks ago, I came across a shocking anti-homosexual video published in 1961. Here is a link to the short version of the video, and the longer version with some background information can be found at the Internet Archive. In short, the video depicts homosexuality as a sickness and homosexuals as pedophiles. It’s really sad.
What’s even more sad and unfortunate are the views of people commenting on this video at the Internet Archive, and my realization that for many, such views haven’t changed in over 40 years. In this, it’s obvious that the MNet resources I mention above (and others like it) are ones that need exposure in our schools and communities. Certainly, resources like this alone won’t solve all of our ills, but it’s a step in the right direction.
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Alec says:
“In short, the video depicts homosexuality as a sickness and homosexuals as pedophiles. It’s really sad.”
See, a good reason not to use proprietary software. If you have a 100% free system, you can’t be exposed to this manure. :) But seriously, I’m interested to see such propaganda – too bad it is .wmv format.
“for many, such views haven’t changed in over 40 years”
But on the bright side, for many it has. We still have a long way to go though. The stigma over homosexuality (or any sexuality that isn’t hetero) here in Cameroon is immense. As far as I know, one can receive 6 years in jail for having homosexual sex.
I read an interesting book this summer called “Straightforward: How to Mobilize Heterosexual Support for Gay Rights” by Ayers and Brown. The book makes many interesting points worth considering.