COMMENTARY

Images and Education

image by Debra Attenborough and Dorte Deans

North American children grow up in a society in which appearance is of major importance. Some would argue that this is a fact of life outside the concern of the teacher or the school system. Teach the kids to read, write and calculate and they will succeed in life despite what they learn through the visual images that surround them, or so the argument goes.

The problem for educators is that this influence is so broad, so deep, and largely unconscious that it pulls classroom teaching off its track. To ignore such strong preconceptions in students is to ignore the context in which they are learning, a context which will affect all of their interactions in school and beyond.

The issue is difficult for teachers to deal with because it does not relate to the curriculum directly nor does it overtly manifest itself in most classrooms. Unless curriculum deals specifically with the question of bias in the media, the problem remains hidden. Even in those classes where the question is raised directly, the strength of the bias must first be brought to the surface of the students' conscious thought.

Jean Kilbourne stresses in her 1987 film Still Killing Us Softly that the strength of media influence lies in the very fact that it is subconscious (1). People often deny that they are affected by it, yet the constant assault of well-groomed, thin, silly and sexy females, with so few realistic women to show a contrasting view, dulls our sense of reality and makes most of us calmly accept that women should be, above all else, attractive.

Although some children' s television program's, like Sesame Street, try to counter with ugly monsters who turn out to be friendly and skits that teach children to appreciate personal strength, the gender bias is still evident. The attempts at positive messages are also negated by the commercials that alternate with the program. Through them, children learn that girls spend their time being pretty, passive, and playing with dolls while boys' games are vigorous and action-packed affairs. Because commercials are so similar and are shown so frequently, their messages get much more cumulative air time. Indeed, they become the dominant program.

Images et éducation
par Debra Attenborough et Dorte Deans

Les enseignants ont du mal à régler la question de l'influence des médias sur les enfants, car elle n'est pas directement liée au programme d'études. Pourtant, si l'on ignore les idées préconçues des élèves, on ignore également le contexte dans lequel ils apprennent, contexte qui aura des répercussions sur toutes leurs interactions à l'école et plus tard. Même les émissions d'enfants qui contiennent des messages positifs pour tenter de rétablir l'équilibre sont réduites à pas grand chose à cause du temps plus grand que l'on accorde sur les ondes aux annonces publicitaires. Les enfants sont très affectés par la façon dont ils se perçoivent en tant qu'apprenants. Lorsqu'ils intériorisent des images sur la passivité et le manque d'intelligence des filles et sur la tendance à la domination des garçons pour avoir du succès, ils modèlent leurs propres succès et échecs en fonction de ces idées préconçues.

En notre qualité d'éducatrices, nous devons développer l'esprit critique des élèves, de façon à amoindrir l'impact des images qu'ils voient. Il se peut que notre conception de l'enseignement, pour qu'elle soit valable, doive comprendre les notions d'acceptation, d'égalité, de compréhension et de respect.


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