Activity Objective:
Our values are the foundation for what we think is important or unimportant, our preferences, the choices we make, and how we assess others. A culture’s values help determine that culture’s norms for everyday behavior. Magazine articles usually do not explicitly state specific values, however, each article implies that some things are more important than others. In this activity, you will apply the critical process to become aware of the value orientation of articles in two magazines by looking at one issue of each publication.
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Developing a media-literate critical perspective involves mastering five overlapping stages that build on one another. Let’s review the critical process you’ll be using below:
Description: paying close attention, taking notes, and researching the subject under study
Analysis: discovering and focusing on significant patterns that emerge from the description stage
Interpretation: asking and answering “What does that mean?” and “So what?” questions about one’s findings
Evaluation: arriving at a judgment about whether something is good, bad, or mediocre, which involves subordinating one’s personal taste to the critical “bigger picture” resulting from the first three stages
Engagement: taking some action that connects our critical perspective with our role as citizens to question our media institutions, adding our own voice to the process of shaping the cultural environment
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With your assessment in mind, let’s explore what patterns emerge regarding the underlying values of magazines.
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Through the following questions, interpret how the two magazines promote values.
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Now, assess how magazine values connect with American society and culture.
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Let’s take action! Notice how paying attention to underlying values affects your reading of magazine articles and make it a habit to pay attention to underlying values when you read magazines. Some suggestions for further engagement are as follows:
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