Culture and Identity explores how media shape and construct individual and collective understandings of race, ethnicity, gender, and other identity markers within a particular cultural context.
Culture: Understanding the characteristics and beliefs that define a group of people, including their customs, norms, values, and traditions.
Identity: Studying the ways in which individuals or groups define themselves, including their sense of self, personal and social identity, and the factors that influence identity formation.
Critical Race Theory: A theoretical framework that examines how race and racism affect social structures and individuals' experiences.
Media Studies: The study of how media shapes our understanding and perception of the world, including its role in shaping identities and cultures.
Intersectionality: An approach that recognizes the interconnectedness of different identity categories, including race, gender, class, and sexuality.
Stereotyping: The act of making assumptions about individuals or groups based on perceived characteristics or traits.
Power and Privilege: Understanding how systems of power and privilege operate within society, including the role of race, gender, class, and other identity categories.
Colonialism and Postcolonialism: Understanding the historical and ongoing impact of colonialism on cultures and identities, and the ways in which postcolonial resistance has shaped contemporary cultural landscapes.
Representation: Investigating how media, art, and other forms of cultural expression represent different identities and cultures, including the ways in which representations can be inaccurate or harmful.
Globalization: Examining the ways in which cultures, identities, and media are interconnected on a global scale, and the potential benefits and drawbacks of this interconnection.