Disrupting the amazing race: Education, exploration, and exploitation in reality television Article

Mathews, SA. (2009). Disrupting the amazing race: Education, exploration, and exploitation in reality television . 37(2), 247-272. 10.1080/00933104.2009.10473396

cited authors

  • Mathews, SA

authors

abstract

  • This article draws on research in the fields of visual culture and critical media literacy to establish a rationale for utilizing popular culture in social studies classroom instruction. One reality television show, CBS's The Amazing Race, introduces viewers to diverse people and places. Although the decision to use this show to support social studies instruction may come from well thought-out pedagogical objectives, this medium could still project a message of “culture-gazing” or ethnocentric representations of the world. The author provides a textual analysis of two seasons of the show to demonstrate how teachers can help students identify and critique oppressive views of the world promoted through reality television. Practical suggestions are offered for reconstructing anti-ethnocentric views of the world after these images have been disrupted. © 2009 by the College and University Faculty Assembly of the National Council for the Social Studies.

publication date

  • September 1, 2009

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

start page

  • 247

end page

  • 272

volume

  • 37

issue

  • 2