Exploring the idea that urban culture has changed food sharing practices and, in effect, produced a cultural "advertisement" in the marketing and selling of the fast food franchise, this paper discusses the commercial replication of community and the communion of food sharing in this new fast food culture. Following an introduction that…

In all educational settings, electronic media are pervasive and increasing in popularity because of the speed of transmission and searching of information files. However, in the case of popular media--such as magazines, books, and newspapers--little importance is placed on the speed of transmission, and conversion to electronic books or magazines…

Employing a body of texts for the reading and study of literature in the English classroom leads to much argumentation, with much disagreement about what is fair game for the writing student. To help determine which texts to select it is necessary to define cultural literacy in a different way from that of E. D. Hirsch. Hirsch would prescribe…

Discusses the portrayal of science and scientists on prime-time television and assesses the impact that it has on public conceptions of science. Reports that television cultivates a less than favorable orientation toward science and scientists. Offers recommendations for improvement. (ML)

Traces financial support of the arts over the past 40 years to point out how little change has been brought about from the increased private and governmental patronage. Maintains that educational failure of the arts, producing art/culture insufficiencies, must be corrected. (TRS)

Contends that by acknowledging the influence of media literacy on adolescents' lives outside the classroom, teachers have a potential source for motivating student interest and eliciting their higher order thinking abilities within the classroom. Specifically addresses merging popular culture with classroom culture and provides a paradigm for…

Discusses cultural studies as particularly appropriate for the study of Latin American peoples, because it encourages insights from social sciences, critiques the notion of canonical authority, and privileges the study of popular culture. Advocates attention be paid to the kind of pedagogy that will direct students to engage critically with the…

Explores whether using a review board to approve the use of a movie infringes on a teacher's right to academic freedom. Also examines, in the absence of such a policy, whether teachers can be disciplined for showing movies that some parents, board members, or administrators regard as inappropriate. (68 footnotes) (MLF)

Discusses the emphasis that many American universities place on multicultural and international education, focusing on how this emphasis has affected German language and literature departments. Argues that greater classroom emphasis needs to be placed on non-canonical texts, writers, and modes of communication. (15 references) (MDM)

Argues that art history should have a more prominent place in primary and secondary education. Suggests promoting art history by (1) ensuring that teachers are knowledgeable in the discipline; (2) studying art history through other disciplines; and (3) exposing students to real artworks, local architecture, and the significance of popular culture.…

The history of women jazz performers and composers, namely African Americans, in the United States is traced from its beginnings to contemporary artists. Women have played an integral role in jazz development. Separate women's festivals showcase many female talents, demonstrating that the future is very promising for women in jazz. (SLD)

Examines the economic and cultural contexts of the popular television show "Twin Peaks," reading it as reactionary postmodernism. Argues that the show's clever innovations in production, avant-garde techniques, and postmodern sensibilities obscure in-depth or ongoing discussions about its reactionary politics, regressive and misogynistic…

Believes that art educators must strive for a classroom that stresses equal opportunity and mirrors cultural diversity through the adoption of postmodernist principles. Outlines four steps involved in constructing a postmodernist art classroom: (1) deconstructing modernist curricula; (2) reconstructing conceptions of the artist; (3) adapting…

In the past few years many movies have addressed social issues such as AIDS, parental estrangement, aging, battered women and children, and racism. Teachers of teenagers can capitalize on these kinds of serious films in two ways: by assuming that students have thought about some serious issues and by building on that assumption. Three movies of…

In studying the lyrics of popular music, and particularly aspects of violent attitudes toward women, teachers discover what language represents to students and what students experience through the songs. The texts created about artifacts like song lyrics suggest more about the students as knowers than about the objects being studied. Exploring…