A variety of “texts” may be deployed in the classroom for the purposes of exposing students to narratives of injustice, political struggle, power and domination, and democratic contestation. Textbooks and lecture constitute one such text. Yet what is particularly noteworthy in human history is the tremendous power of literature, film, and other forms of narrative to elevate our understanding of an injustice, of human suffering and humiliation, while igniting our desires to alleviate such societal shortcomings. The educational intent of such mediums is, almost by definition, less implicit than “traditional” materials yet their power to move the “reader” is often more profound. Furthermore, as technological media proliferate, we potentially gain yet another mechanism through which to teach our students about their contemporary political reality.
Thus, literature, film, and new forms of media present tremendous opportunities for teaching students about politics. Yet the concrete ways that we might utilize such “texts” within our classrooms remain under-researched in political science scholarship. How might we structure our engagement with “non-traditional texts” such as literature, film, art, and new media in ways that maximize their potential to spur critical thinking and intellectual growth among our students? What dangers and obstacles accompany such unorthodox pedagogical methods? These questions have yet to be dealt with in a systematic way.
With these opportunities and gaps in mind, the editors invite submission of abstracts for an edited volume on the use of literature, film, and new media (broadly defined) in political science pedagogy. In particular we are interested in chapter-length pieces that examine innovative and non-traditional “texts” within the political classroom including: literature, art, film, theatre, music, advertising, simulations and role-playing, as well as internet resources such as YouTube and social networking media. We welcome submissions from all sub-fields of political science and government as well as related disciplines, and support a methodologically pluralistic approach to exploring the questions above. In addition, we welcome submissions covering teaching at all levels of higher education, from introductory surveys to graduate seminars. A publication timetable has not yet been set. Interested authors should contact the editors via email with any questions or to submit their abstracts.
Details
• Deadline for sending abstracts: March 1, 2011.
• Length of abstract: 350 words.
• Abstracts should be e-mailed to Robert W. Glover
(gloverrw@jmu.edu) and Daniel Tagliarina
(daniel.tagliarina@uconn.edu)
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