Developing global citizenship through critical media literacy in the social studies

Abstract

The transnational movement of people and ideas continues to reshape how students and citizens imagine places and cultures. Considering our constant exposure to information delivered via mass media, global educators are tasked with engaging students in learning activities that help them develop skill sets that include a globally minded, critical media literacy. Grounded in cultural studies, and framed by Andreotti׳s (2006) work in critical global citizenship education (GCE) and Appadurai׳s (1996) concept of mediascapes, this article examines how eleven global educators in as many countries use films to teach about what they considered to be the “6 C׳s” of critical global media literacy: colonialism, capitalism, conflict, citizenship, and conscientious consumerism. How global educators foster globally minded, critical media literacy in their classrooms, the resources they use to teach about perspectives too often marginalized in media produced in the Global North, and how educating students about media informs action within global citizenship education in the social studies are discussed.