Popular Culture and the Civic Imagination: Case Studies of Creative Social Change

Through the power of popular culture and one's civic imagination, it is possible to change the world; the link between theory and practice is an integral part of the process. Freire and these case study authors help us identify tools and practices through which we may work together to liberate...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Communication research trends 2022, Vol.41 (1), p.20-22
Main Author: Danielson, Mary Ann
Format: Review
Language:English
Subjects:
Case studies
Imagination
Popular culture
Power
Social activism
Social change
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Through the power of popular culture and one's civic imagination, it is possible to change the world; the link between theory and practice is an integral part of the process. Freire and these case study authors help us identify tools and practices through which we may work together to liberate the imagination to enact change, as illustrated through Harry Potter books, #BlackGirlMagic, contemporary pop divas and former President Trump, and international examples featuring the Budhan Theatre and Chhara tribe in India, feminist activism in South Korea, and satirical digital cultural production in the Arab World, as well as a classroom application using Google cardboard. Other pop culture contexts and characters are featured in the remaining cases, ranging from pro wrestling (fandom) to Ms. Marvel, the first Muslim American superhero, as a model for 21st-century values, to #GamerGate and even issues of climate change and brand identity (e.g., National Park Service). [...]as readers, we are asked to draw upon our various imaginations, socially (re)constructed narratives, and/or collective identities to enact changes in real-world places and spaces.
ISSN:0144-4646