English 9H Research Project: Disney and Identity
Stories as Teachers The stories, myths, and movies we encounter as children are powerful forces in shaping our identities. Stories help us define who we are; stories help to teach us our values of right and wrong; they present acceptable and unacceptable forms of behavior. In short, stories teach us our own culture. For many of us, Disney movies have taken on that role of cultural teacher. One question we need to ask, though, is what role do Disney movies play in developing our identity? Can we look at Disney more critically as adults? Is Disney a Good Teacher? In the past, Disney has occasionally faced criticism for their depictions of racial, gender, religious, and ethnic groups in their films. Many Native people object to Pocahontas, while many Asian-Americans object to Mulan. Many people from the Middle East were offended by songs and characters in Aladdin, and prior to recent releases such as Brave, many women objected to the passive depiction of women in Disney films such as Snow White. Disney’s Song of the South is generally considered so objectionable to people of color that Disney has agreed not to re-release it. However, despite its many detractors, Disney has its strong advocates. Many argue that Disney has taken active, positive steps in recent years especially to address racial imbalances, ethnic stereotypes, and misogyny. Films such as The Princess and the Frog, Moana, Brave, Frozen, and other recent works, they argue, are strong evidence that Disney is aware of its power to shape children’s identity and is trying to make a powerful and positive change. Your Job: Pick a Side Where do you stand? Is Disney doing enough to address important issues of racism, misogyny, and ethnic stereotypes?
Side #1: Disney Is Problematic Argument 1: Although there are some exceptions, Disney films generally do a poor job of presenting diverse characters, especially [women, people of color, non-European characters, disabled characters, Native characters, or ___(include your choice)___] because_[explain your first reason why, focusing on one group that Disney does not represent well]________ and also _[explain your second reason why]_____. ________________________________________________________________________________ Side #2: Disney Is Improving Argument 2: Although there are some exceptions, Disney films--especially in recent years--have vastly improved their presentation of diverse characters, especially [women, people of color, non-European characters, disabled characters, Native characters, or ___(include your choice)___] because_[explain your first reason why, focusing on one group that Disney is representing better than they did before]________ and also _[explain your second reason why]_____. |
General Expectations
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Overview
Requirements
Five paragraphs
Correct Data
Conclusion
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Pick a Side
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Where Do You Stand?
Where do you stand? Is Disney doing enough to address important issues of racism, misogyny, and ethnic stereotypes?
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Argument 1: Disney Does a Bad Job
Although there are some exceptions, Disney films generally do a poor job of presenting diverse characters, especially [women, people of color, non-European characters, disabled characters, Native characters, or ___(include your choice)___] because_[explain your first reason why, focusing on one group that Disney does not represent well]________ and also _[explain your second reason why]_____. |
Argument 2: Disney Is Improving
Although there are some exceptions, Disney films--especially in recent years--have vastly improved their presentation of diverse characters, especially [women, people of color, non-European characters, disabled characters, Native characters, or ___(include your choice)___] because_[explain your first reason why, focusing on one group that Disney is representing better than they did before]________ and also _[explain your second reason why]_____. |
Write the Baby Research Paper
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The baby research paper is an informal two-paragraph discussion of the two main movies students will use in making their argument for the paper. It should lay out a central focus (i.e., representation of ethnic groups, for example) and break it into two subtopics focused on two different movies.
The baby research paper allows the teacher to see that the student is genuinely differentiating their paragraphs into two distinct subtopics rather than saying the same thing twice.
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Write Your Thesis
Write Your Claims
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EXAMPLE THESIS - HONORS LEVEL
CLAIM ONE: Your basic argument on Disney's use of stereotypes.
NOTE: You can do this paper in one of two ways.
CLAIM TWO: Your Counterargument
CLAIM THREE: Your Rebuttal Argument
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Rubric for This Assignment
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