This week, we were asked to read Sarma's (2015) article that talked about collages, laughter, and world politics. The internet has made information sharing almost instant (Sarma, 2015). In today’s world, we are bombarded with horrifying and often depressing news stories that involve world politics. Looking at a collage or meme online can sometimes bring comic relief when tensions are high. While these visuals can bring about laughter, we as consumers of media need to recognize that they cannot be our sole information source. “Because humour and laughter play a role in the circulation process (what is shared, how much, how fast), parodies can sometimes remain our sole connection to an event or issue” (Sarma, 2015). The author offers collages as a popular culture artefact that can help people think deeper about important global political issues (Sarma, 2015). Collages can be made with memes and parodies of events used in conduction with each other (Sarma, 2015). They are excellent discussion starters that could be used with students. “collaging can be used, for example, in IR classrooms to engage students in something creative in order for them to see things differently” (Sarma, 2015). This could be particularly useful when teaching current events to students. For example, the recent election in the US has brought about much media coverage, memes, and parodies. By showing a collage to the class and posing an open ended question, students can begin to discuss the significance and relevance of the event. I think that collages need to be accompanied with purposeful questions posed by the teacher. These questions should not lead the students to forming a specific opinion but rather, encourage them to think in different way about the subject matter. Reference: Saara Särmä. “Collage: An Art-inspired Methodology for Studying Laughter in World Politics.” Caso and Hamilton, Eds. pp. 110-119. Retrieved from http://www.e-ir.info/2015/06/06/collage-an-art-inspired-methodology-for-studying-laughter-in-world-politics/
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AuthorMy name is Reena and I am a Masters of Ed student at UOIT. I have created this blog for Professor Guertin's course, EDUC 5199G. Archives
November 2016
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