Since retiring from a 20-year career in higher education Liam French occasionally publishes work as an independent researcher with an interest in teaching and learning about media and cultural studies. He has previously published work on the Paralympics and media, television studies, media and collective memory, and social media and visual culture. His most recent book is published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing. Here, Liam shares his latest research paper The Marginalisation Of Disability In Media Studies.
Summary
In light of some recent calls suggesting a move towards a new field of study called Disability Media Studies, this piece of research investigated the extent to which, historically, media studies academics and researchers have either overlooked or have profoundly side-lined the issue of disability in their research, publications and teaching.
The small-scale piece of research was based on a content analysis of ten academic publications, recommended introductory student textbooks and readers) in the field of media studies published over a period of 23 years (1994 – 2017).
The results of the research indicated that the inclusion of disability as a critical theme or detailed topic worthy of scholarly analysis and debate rarely featured in the subject’s academic textbooks that were used in the sample frame for the content analysis and that, in turn, such an oversight will inevitably have had an impact on media studies programme and course development and content, teaching, learning and research at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
In conclusion, it is argued that whilst the calls for Disability Media Studies is long overdue (but very welcome), much more work is required especially within media studies if Disability Media Studies is to become established as a new academic field in its own right and if media studies is going to make a substantial contribution to that field.
Abstract
This small-scale piece of research was based on a content analysis of ten academic publications (introductory student textbooks and readers) in the field of media studies published over a period of 23 years (1994 – 2017) when media studies as a subject was rapidly gaining in popularity as a subject, especially in the secondary and tertiary sectors of the UK educational landscape as well as internationally.
As a method, content analysis can be particularly useful for identifying trends and patterns and the prominence or absence of social phenomena in cultural texts. Content analysis can be used to count and then highlight the extent or frequency to which certain social groups, themes or phenomena are overrepresented or under-represented which can then facilitate further analysis and discussion around cultural representation, misrepresentation, stereotyping, distortion, bias or systematic exclusion.
The decision to base the research on the content of introductory student textbooks and readers was based on the simple premise that introductory student textbooks and readers more often than not end up on student reading lists as ‘recommended texts’ for providing an introduction to, and broad overview of, a subject’s key topics, major theoretical approaches, areas of interest and research methods, and are usually recommended to new and continuing students by their tutors at various stages in the curriculum or programme of study.
The aim of the research was quite simply to count the number of times ‘disability’ as a topic about media was mentioned, discussed as a topic or given as an example in each book.
Briefly, the content analysis results indicated that of the ten titles surveyed, the topic of disability and media was rarely mentioned and was therefore profoundly marginalised about other core areas and key concepts in media studies.
Criticism that media studies as a field has been slow to address issues of disability and that there has been very little empirical or theoretical research into disability and media, disabled audiences, or what sense audiences (both disabled and non-disabled) make of media representations of disability in comparison to media research and theories about gender, class, ethnicity, age and sexuality do appear to carry some weight based on the textbooks used in the sample frame for this research.
All of the books surveyed contained substantial chapters on media representations, media production, media and the public sphere, media audiences, media and identity, and media theory and yet very little material (in some cases no material) on disability about any of these core topic areas.
The marginalisation of disability as a core theme, key concern, topic of interest for research or even as an example of media to be considered or discussed in detail in introductory student textbooks and readers for media studies is highly problematic, to say the least.
The final section of the paper offers some reflections on why this might be the case and considers possible ways to overcome the marginalisation of disability as a key theme/topic in media studies.
The main argument presented in the paper is that if disability continues to be marginalised as a key concern or topic for scholarly analysis in media studies there is the danger that current and future students may also come to perceive it to be of marginal interest and not as ‘attractive’ or academically important as other topics.
This will only perpetuate the marginalisation of disability in media studies compared to other topics because it will potentially limit the number of new researchers entering the field. The development of Disability Media Studies is a positive step forward but there is also the possibility of it becoming a sideshow / sub-field or a highly niche area of academic research, in turn, only attracting a small amount of research interest (and funding).
If Disability Media Studies is to become an established academic field in its own right then media academics, researchers and publishers need to ensure that as a topic, disability and media is given greater prominence across research, teaching and learning, as well as being widely included in both student textbooks and curricula development especially at undergraduate level but also at the postgraduate level of media education.
One of the main recommendations made in the research paper for overcoming this problem is to simply include disability as a key topic in undergraduate student textbooks and readers providing both lecturers and students with material to work with and discuss in lectures, seminars and assignments.
Themed conferences on teaching media and disability could also be organised by the Media Education Association (MEA) and MeCCSA (Media Communication and Cultural Studies Association) could also organise a dedicated conference session or two for new researchers focusing on media and disability.
The inclusion of much more substantial references to disability in the QAA Subject Benchmarking statement for media studies would also help ensure courses and programmes of study incorporate disability and media into their framework documents. Such initiatives might be useful in ensuring disability and media is more centrally placed within media studies and media education more generally in the UK.
Read Liam French’s research paper in full: The Marginalisation Of Disability In Media Studies.
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