Teaching and Learning about Difference through Social Media: Reflection, Engagement, and Self-Assessment

193 Pages·2019·1.605 MB·English

by  Lillian Vega-Castaneda, Mario Castaneda

Teaching and Learning about
Difference through Social Media
Teaching and Learning about Difference through Social Media considers
the role social media has played in prompting public conversations about
difference and diversity, including issues relating to ethnicity, race, religion,
political affiliation, gender, and sexual orientation. These issues are
addressed in the context of the present political climate. They are also
examined with respect to occurrences of hate and violence, including hate
crimes and mass fatality events. Using a historical and socio- cultural
approach to how we look at these significant issues in the USA, the authors
examine the ways difference and diversity are represented in online inter-
actions via social media. In order to encourage a more informed dialogue
and critical conversation with students, each chapter includes: discussion
questions, self-r eflection and self-a ssessment activities, and suggestions for
further reading.
Ideal for courses in diversity and social justice education and beyond,
this content- and practice-b ased text integrates the identification of issues
of difference and diversity with suggestions for how we can address these
issues in the social media age.
Lillian Vega- Castaneda is Professor of Multicultural/Multilingual Educa-
tion at California State University Channel Islands, USA.
Mario Castaneda is Associate Professor of Education and Associate Faculty
for the Latin Ameri can Studies Program at California State University Los
Angeles, USA.

Teaching and Learning about
Difference through
Social Media
Reflection, Engagement, and
Self- Assessment
Lillian Vega- Castaneda and
Mario Castaneda
First published 2019
by Routledge
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and by Routledge
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Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2019 Taylor & Francis
The right of Lillian Vega- Castaneda and Mario Castaneda to be
identified as authors of this work has been asserted by them in
accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and
Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or
reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical,
or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including
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Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks
or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and
explanation without intent to infringe.
Library of Congress Cataloging- in-Publication Data
A catalog record for this title has been requested
ISBN: 978-0-8153-7628-6 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-0-8153-7629-3 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-351-23821-2 (ebk)
Typeset in Sabon
by Wearset Ltd, Boldon, Tyne and Wear
Contents
Preface vi
1 The Advent of Social Media and the People Who Use It 1
2 Social Media as the New “News” Source and the
Distancing of Dialogue and Treatment of Difference 7
3 The Civil Rights Act of 1964: Contextualizing the Dialogue
on Difference on Social Media 14
4 Racial Intolerance and Social Media 26
5 Religious Views and the Treatment of Others on Social
Media 56
6 Women and Girls and Social Media 86
7 Hate, Violence, Terrorism, and Social Media 104
8 LGBTQ Community and Social Media 146
Moving Forward: Where Do We Go From Here? 165
Index 171
Preface
PURPOSE
This book considers the role of social media and how it has prompted a
public conversation about difference and diversity, including cultural, social,
political, religious, gender, and sexual orientation differences. Where once a
letter to the editor could challenge an opinion piece, or debate clubs could
argue specific social and political topics, the internet and social media have
generated a constant exchange of ideas, opinions, and reactions among
anyone who has access to a smartphone, tablet, desktop computer, or
laptop. Millennials, in particular, have grown up with instant access to inter-
net media including social media and, for better or worse, they consume it
on a daily basis, often with little understanding of the social, cultural, or
historical context of related news or topics that focus on difference. We look
at the public conversation about difference and diversity within a mode of
communication that occurs online, sometimes unfiltered, in non- face-to- face,
distanced contexts. We address issues of difference in the context of current
local, statewide, national, and some international events and the use of social
media which serves as the “news” source of choice among many Ameri cans.
RATiOnALE
Throughout our academic and teaching careers, we have taught about
under- represented and oppressed groups in the areas of multicultural,
cross- cultural, bilingual, and multilingual education. The arrival of, and
increasingly expanded use of, social media has prompted a public dialogue
(oftentimes a quick reaction or opinion in the form of a comment) on
difference and issues related to diversity and under- represented groups.
Social media use goes beyond the classroom walls and academic setting
and is somewhat unchartered territory for an ongoing discussion focused
on difference. Social media serves as a virtual meeting place to talk about,
comment on, or offer an opinion on different news stories and topics of
interest as they occur, almost instantly. The use of social media sites has
prompted a public discussion of various political, social, and cultural
topics and news stories. The discourse on difference and diversity has
reached the public at large – of all political, cultural, and social persua-
sions – with little, if any, application of fact- checking or critical thinking
skills to promote coherent and informed understanding of what is read,
PREFACE vii
commented on, and re- commented on. For example, an online reader can
add and read comments attached by other readers to the original content,
the link to the news item can be shared on Facebook (FB) while the person
posting or sharing it often adds a comment about the story or article, and
finally readers of the FB post can comment on the FB version of the re-
posted content. The comments often support, question, or disagree with
the original post, and often each comment receives a reply, and there is an
opportunity to reply to others’ replies.
Consider a recent story that appeared on Bipartisanreport.com (Pearson
McKinney, 2016) that talked about the youngest daughter of President
Barack Obama turning 15. A conservative, The Resistance: The Last Line
of Defense, has an FB page open to the public. One post asked its readers
to ask a question of Sasha Obama on her 15th birthday:
Social media site The Resistance: The Last Line of Defense asked their
followers, “What question do you have to Sasha Obama on her
birthday?” The caption above the image below reads, “I know what
I’d tell ANY Obama I came face to face with.” The comments in that
thread are some of the most vile and disgusting things ever said about
a 15-year- old girl, let alone a child of an Ameri can President.
(para. 3)
Indeed, the comments are unbelievably denigrating and suggest that her
mother, First Lady Michelle Obama, is actually a man, that President Obama
is homosexual, and that she, Sasha Obama, should return to her grass hut in
Kenya and “spear chucking.” Following are some of the comments from The
Resistance post which are quoted in bipartisanreport.com (6/11/16):
Steve Dobbel This little bitch is getting her schooling paid for by us, the
Citizens of the United States. and you think she is an innocent child? Bull-
shit, she is learning how to use the system just like her low life parents
8 Replies
Evelyn Arnold Karnes Hurry up and take the rest of your communist family
and get the hell out of WeThe Real Ameri canS House !!!!!
10 Replies
Roberta Gibson Keys The Resistance: your WALL awaits you. It is perfect
for your type. 30 feet tall 30 feet deep. No one gets in unless the door is
opened. It is called Leavenworth.
1 like
www.facebook.com/
Deborah Dunn Cannon I hate Obama but I still don’t think you should be
picking on this innocent child not her fault …
1 like
1 Reply
viii PREFACE
In this example, at least three of the posts are completely negative, if not
threatening, and reflect a sense of racism and hate toward President
Obama and his family. The posts range from accusing Sasha Obama of
having her schooling “paid by us, the Citizens of the United States” to
being called a communist, along with her family, referring to “real Amer-
icans” who belong in the White House. The last post calls out the others
for “picking on this innocent child.”
When the article was shared on Facebook, the responses and comments
from readers were different, in that they were supportive of Sasha Obama
and her family. These FB posts are also cited from the bipartisanreport.
com article:
Terrie Deramo How pathetic to show such disrespect for a young lady on
her birthday. She and her sister have both acted in a respectful way the entire
time in the White House unlike those that shall be unnamed.
Mary Karle- Sivak You know what is scary – is that the hatemongers use him
as an excuse to be racist & belligerent when most of them have always been
this way … just afraid to perhaps show their true colors … now the GOP
has given them a free pass to be a$$holes.
Virgil Bennett This is typical of the entire racist spirit that the President has
had to face during his entire tenure–redneck, KKK-s tyle rantings.
www.facebook.com/
Sharon Paulson Happy Birthday, Pretty Girl. You have been so lucky to have
a Mom and Dad like you have. They have raised you to be, like them, strong,
smart, fun loving and gracious. Enjoy the next few months in the White
House and then enjoy being out.
Michael Yomtov What has happened to America that thepolitics of hate
extend to a young girl on her birthday? If she is not just a girl, Sasha should
be a symbol of how far we have come, not how far we are falling. Shame.
Lidia Rodriguez Trump fans show their ignorance and are stupid by posting
it. They know they’ll never accomplish even 1/4 of what Sasha has and will.
Uneducated racist PIGS …
Andy Natal what can you expect from Dump Trump’s fans. They are all
KKK, Skin heads and White supremacist. The WORST thing that can
happen to this country is Dump Trump becoming president. President
Obama’s girls have been nothing but an example of what Amer ican children
should be.
Top of ForFacebook users criticized the negative posts on The Resistance:
The Last Line of Defense. One comment notes that hatemongers have
always been “racist and belligerent,” suggesting they use President Obama
PREFACE ix
as a “go ahead” to “show their true colors.” Others wished Sasha Obama
happy birthday and held her as a good example of what “Amer ican chil-
dren should be.”
Topics of race or the treatment of different ethnic groups are a good
example of the emotion- provoking topics that are represented in the
news and also appear on social media, such as the influx of Central
Amer icans into the United States and their deportation, arrival of
refugees from Syria, and public attitude toward undocumented workers
from Mexico. Often there is little or no questioning or fact- checking
about the various claims that are made against these groups, such as the
belief that undocumented Mexicans take all of the jobs that US citizens
could perform or that they are all on welfare. Notably, undocumented
immigrants cannot qualify to receive food stamps or welfare. According
to Carden (2015), illegal immigrants appear to raise wages for docu-
mented workers. Yet, a large majority of Amer icans believe that undocu-
mented workers or “illegal aliens” receive welfare, food stamps, and take
jobs that regular Amer icans could fill. These opinions are discussed as
factual, though in many cases they are unsubstantiated. The very use of
the term “illegal alien” was called into question by journalist Maria
Hinojosa in which she educated Trump supporter Steve Cortes on
MSNBC’s “AM Joy.” Here is a summary of the exchange: in response to
Cortes, who noted that it is “more unfair for legal immigrants to allow
for illegals to hop in front of them and cheat the system,” Hinojosa
responded, “Illegals is not a noun … what you can do is say an immig-
rant being without papers or documents in this country. But what you
cannot do is label the person illegal” (Moreno, October 3, 2016). Multi-
cultural and multilingual educators see a need to question and evaluate
the treatment of under- represented groups and actions toward them, as
represented on social media. Our intention is to help individuals learn
about difference using social media as a tool to understand the per-
spective from which various topics of news are represented, including
attention to bias, fact, and explicit as well as implied messages.
APPROACh
We use a socio- cultural, multicultural, political, and historical approach to
consider the various news stories, topics, commentaries, and opinions on
difference and diversity that appear on social media sites. One objective of
this book is to examine how issues of difference and diversity are repres-
ented on social media. How are specific news, social, or political topics
presented? Whose perspective is represented? What kind of language is
used to make an argument? How does the audience (the consumers of
social media) talk about the issues? The social, cultural, political, and