Chapter 2 (Christensen)

What Christensen hits upon in this chapter is so important. Our media in America is filled with stereotypes and false presentations of culture, history, perspectives, and people, while it also does a disservice to race and gender in particular. The Disney movies highlighted in the chapter are a good start especially when dealing with teenagers. However, there are certainly other classics that can be looked into as well (Gone with the Wind, Birth of a Nation, etc). Critically analyzing cartoons are a great way to get students interested in critical thinking. While some may lament the days when they could watch a kids movie without giving it a second thought, ultimately the exercise is good for them and will enable them to see how stereotypes have been used to create perhaps what their own perceptions are toward particular groups. Ultimately this is a fantastic thing to be putting attention on, and will greatly increase the length to which a student can recognize prejudice and discrimination.