• Oregon Media Literacy Online Project (http://interact.uoregon.edu/MediaLit/HomePage)
• Media Literacy Clearinghouse [http://www.med.sc.edu:1081/]
• Media Education Foundation [http://www.mediaed.org]
• Action Coalition for Media Education [http://www.acmecoalition.org/]
• Alliance for a Media Literate America (AMLA) [http://www.nmec.org/index.html]
• Commercial Alert [http://www.commercialalert.org/]
• Mediachannel.org [http://www.mediachannel.org/]
• American Academy of Pediatrics [http://www.aap.org/advocacy/mediamatters.htm]
• Center for Media Education [http://www.cme.org/]
• Center for a New American Dream [http://newdream.org/]
• Alliance for a Media Literate America (AMLA) [http://www.nmec.org/index.html]

1.1 Citizenship and News in Times of Crisis and Peace: Born to Shop?

"A popular government without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy, or perhaps both."
-- James Madison

"You're Fired!"
-- Donald Trump

"At six months of age, the same age they are imitating simple sounds like "ma-ma," babies are forming mental images of corporate logos and mascots."
---James McNeal and Chyon-Hwa Yeh. "Born to Shop," American Demographics, June 1993, pp 34-39.

Selected video excerpts of the problem.

1.2 Education for what?

• Vine Deloria, Jr., "Perceptions and Maturity: Reflections on Feyerabend's Point of View," in Spirit and Reason, Golden Colorado: Fulcrum Publishing, 1999, p. 4-5:
  
  "Science and technology reign today as the practical gods of the modern age; they give us power to disrupt nature but little real insight into how it functions. We tend to dismiss what we cannot understand by use of code words--- 'instinct' for example covers a plentitude of ignorance. Only when we look outside of Western culture, or when someone outside looks in, do we discover the glaring inconsistencies and begin to measure the actual changes that science and technology have wrought in our lives. In 1820 George Sibley, the Indian agent for the Osages, a tribe in the Missouri region of the country, tried to convince Big Soldier, one of the more influential chiefs, of the benefits of the white man's way. After enthusiastically describing the wonders of the white man's civilization, Sibley waited expectantly for the old man's response. Big Soldier did not disappoint him:
  
  I see and admire your manner of living, your good warm houses; your extensive fields of corn, your gardens, your cows, oxen, workhouses, wagons, and a thousand machines, that I know not the use of. I see that you are able to clothe yourselves, even from weeds and grass. In short you can do almost what you choose. You whites possess the power of subduing almost every animal to your use. You are surrounded by slaves. Every thing about you is in chains and you are slaves yourselves. I fear if I should exchange my pursuits for yours, I too should become a slave.
  
  If we subdue nature, we become slaves of the technology by which the task is accomplished and surrender not simply our freedom but also the luxury of reflection about our experiences that a natural relationship with the world had given us."
  
  
• Benjamin Barber, "The Civic Mission of the University," from Higher Education and the Practice of Democratic Politics, Bernard Murchland, ed., Kettering Foundation, 1991. (on e-reserve)
  

1.3.Defining the Problem: Part One--- The Challenge of Marketing and Materialism

“Introduction: The Marketing Maelstrom,” Susan Linn (pp. 1-11).
“Notes from the Underground: Thirty-Six Hours at a Marketing Conference,” Susan Linn (11-31).
“Introduction: Kinderculture, Information Saturation, and the Socioeducational Positioning of Children,” Shirley R. Steinberg and Joe L. Kincheloe , (pp. 1-49).
“Home Alone and Bad to the Bone: The Advent of a Postmodern Childhood,” Joe Kincheloe, (pp. 228-254).
“Introduction,” Juliet Schorr, (pp.9-18).
“The Changing World of Children’s Consumption, “ Juliet Schorr, (pp. 19-37).
“The Virus Unleached: Ads Inflitrate Everyday Life,” Juliet Schorr, (pp. 69-83).

1.4 Defininig the Problem: Part Two---- The Challenge to Citizenship

• “Introduction: Privatization and the Attack on the Public,” Kenneth Saltman, (pp. ix-xxviii).
• Benjamin Barber, "Jihad Vs. McWorld," The Atlantic Monthly, March 1992. [http://www.bemidji.msus.edu/peoplenv/barber.htm] Also on e-reserve.
• Carl Bybee, Ashley Overbeck and Christine Quail, "Teaching Apathy: Kid's News, Consumer Culture and Citizenship," click on and read "Introduction," "Models of Democracy," "Models of Citizenship," and "Democracy, Citizenship and News." [http://jcomm.uoregon.edu/~cbybee/teachingapathy]
• “Educational Privatization and the Assault on Public Schools,” Kenneth Saltman, (pp. 1-33)
  

1.5 The Struggle to Define Media Literacy

• "Taking Charge of Your TV: The Family and Community Critical Viewing Project," hosted by Rosie O'Donnell: A partnership of The National PTA, the National Cable Television Association, and Cable in the Classroom. (5 minutes) [http://www.pta.org/programs/viewlibr.htm]
• "Mind Over Media: Helping Kids Get the Message," produced by the National Education Association. [http://www.nea.org/nr/nr010521.html] (14 minutes).
• John Harms and Douglas Kellner, "Towards a Critical Theory of Advertising," Illuminations, [http://www.uta.edu/huma/illuminations/kell6.htm]

IMPORTANT: If you are not familiar with constructivist approaches to the study of media, I would strongly suggest you read over the following:

• Daniel Chandler, The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis.
  [http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/short/whorf.html]
  
• Daniel Chandler, The Transmission Model of Communication.
  [http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/short/trans.html]
  
• Daniel Chandler, The Active Reader.
  [http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Modules/ED10510/active.html]

2. Growing Concerns about the Commercialization of Childhood: The Public

VIDEO: "The Merchants of Cool," documentary produced by Frontline for PBS. [http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/cool/]

2.1 A few statistics:

• Children First for Oregon, "Report Card 2002," [http://www.cffo.org/]
• Children's Defense Fund, "Children in Oregon," [http://www.childrensdefense.org/]
• Fact and Figures on Wealth and Income from Inequality.org [http://inequality.org/factsfr.html]
• "Life on the Edge: Hunger Stories," documentary produced by Bill Moyers for Now, a PBS series, air date 3-29-2002 [http://www.pbs.org/now/politics/hungerstories.html]
• NOW with Bill Moyers, PBS, March 29, 2002 [http://www.pbs.org/now/transcript/transcript111_full.html]
  

2.2 The Context for Parenting

• Center for a New American Dream, "Kids and Commercialism," [http://www.newdream.org/campaign/kids/facts.html]
• "Kids and Media@the New Millennium--- Children's Media Use Study," The Kaiser Family Foundation, [http://www.kff.org/content/1999/1535/]
• "Program on Entertainment Media and Public Health," Kaiser Family Foundation, [http://www.kff.org/sections.cgi?section=entmedia]
• Children Now [http://www.childrennow.org/]
• Center for the Study of Women in Society, "Welfare, Restructuring Work and Society," Read "Executive Summary," [http://wnw.uoregon.edu/policymat.shtml].
• Children's Defense Fund, "Children in Oregon": [http://www.childrensdefense.org/states/state_profiles.htm]
• United States Department of Agriculture, Food Security Report 2000 [http://www.ers.usda.gov/briefing/foodsecurity/]

Recommended:

• Sylvia Hewlett and Cornel West, The War Against Parents, New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1998.

2.2 Public Responses and News Coverage

• National Public Radio (NPR), Six Part Series Beginning on Oct. 18, 2002, "Beyond the Bake Sale." [http://www.npr.org/programs/morning/features/2002/oct/schools/index.html]
• "Now with Bill Moyer," Oct. 18, 2002," Schools, Inc.
  Are Corporate Deals with American Schools a Savior or a Sell-Out?." [http://www.pbs.org/now/society/schoolstats.html]
• "Nader, Doctors Ask Surgeon General Nominee: Will You Protect Kids or Corporations?", Ralph Nader, Commercial Alert, health professionals and child advocates sent a letter today to Dr. Richard Carmona, the U.S. Surgeon General nominee, inquiring of his views on child health issues related to media violence, television, alcohol, tobacco, junk food and in-school advertising. (1 page) [http://www.commercialalert.org/TEST/index.php?category_id=3&subcategory_id=58&article_id=139]
• "Facts about Marketing to Children," from Stop Commercial Exploitation of Children [http://www.commercialexploitation.com/facts_about_marketing.htm]
• "Media Coverage: The Commercialization of Childhood" compiled by the Judge Baker Center for Children [http://www.jbcc.harvard.edu/media2/childmarketingmedia.htm]
• "Coke and Pepsi Overview," from Commercial Alert (1 page) [http://www.commercialalert.org/index.php?category_id=2&subcategory_id=34&article_id=122]
• "Ohio American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Statement on Soft Drink Contracts in Schools," (1 page) [http://www.ohioaap.org/softdrinks.htm]
• "You want fries with that?: How fast-food companies are marketing to children," 60 Minutes (7:00 PM ET) - CBS, February 10, 2002 Sunday.
• Constance L. Hays, "Advertising: A Call for Restrictions on Psychological Research by Advertisers into Products for Children." The New York Times, October 22, 1999. (http://www.desnews.com/cgi-bin/libstory_reg?dn99&9911010241)
• Arthur Allen, "Shrinks and Con Men: an Unholy Alliance of Psychologists and Advertisers Targets Kiddie Consumers." Salon Magazine, February 28, 2000. [http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/2000/02/28/shrinks/index.html]
• "Consuming Kids," from Redefining Progress [http://www.rprogress.org/publications/gpi1999/consuming_kids.html]
• American Academy of Pediatrics, "Children, Adolescents, and Advertising." (http://www.aap.org/policy/00656.html)
• Catholic Statement on Advertising [http://advertising.utexas.edu/research/law/catholic.html]
• Interview with Thomas Frank, "Voice in the Neon Wilderness," by Casey Walker, Wild Duck Review, 2000, (http://www.mediachannel.org/views/interviews/frank.shtml)
  
• Optional: "Why right and left-wingers both hate advertising," by Nick Gillespie, Reason Magazine, May 1998 (http://www.reason.com/9805/fe.gillespie.html)
  

2.3 Organizations:

• Commercial Alert [http://www.commercialalert.org/]
• Judge Baker Children's Center, Harvard University [http://www.jbcc.harvard.edu/programs.htm]
• Stop Commercial Exploitation of Children [http://www.commercialexploitation.com/]
• Commercialism in Education Research Unit. [http://www.asu.edu/educ/epsl/ceru.htm]
• StayFree [freemagazine.org/]
• Commercialism in Education Research Unit [http://www.asu.edu/educ/epsl/Archives/guidelines.htm], Arizona State University, "Buy me! Buy Me! Trends in Schoolhouse Commercialism." [http://www.asu.edu/educ/epsl/Reports/ceru/ceru-0109-101/ceru-0109-101.htm]
• Resources and Organizations focused o n Marketing to Children, compiled by Susan Linn, (pp. 221-233).
  

2.4 Government Reports:

• Government Accounting Office, "Commercial Activities in Schools," September 2000 [http://www.gao.gov/new.items/he00156.pdf]
  
• U.S. Department of Agriculture, "Foods Sold in Competition with USDA School Meal Programs: A Report to Congress." January 12, 2001 [click here]
  
• Federal Trade Commission, "Marketing Violent Entertainment to Children," September 2000, [http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2000/09/youthviol.htm]
  

2.5 Other Reports:

• "Captive Kids: A Report on Commercial Pressures on Kids in School," Consumers Union, 1998. [http://www.consumersunion.org/other/captivekids/prologue.htm]
  

2.6 Industry Perspectives: Kids as Research Subjects

• "Advertising and Promoting to Kids," Fifth Annual Conference, Sept. 2002. [http://www.kidscreen.com/apk/2002/index.html]
• John, Deborah Roedder, "Consumer Socialization of Children: A Retropspective Look at Twenty-Five Years of Research," Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 26, December 1999. On e-reserve.
• “Dissecting the Child Consumer: The New Intrusive Research,” Juliet Schor, (pp. 99-117).

2.7 The Message to Kids

• “From Tony the Tiger to Slime Time Live: The Content of Commercial Messages,” Juliet Schorr, (pp. 39-68).
• “Buffy the Vampire Slayer as Spectacular Allegory: A Diagnostic Critique,” Douglas Kellner, (49-72).
• “McDonald’s,, Power, and Children: Ronald McDonald/Ray Kroc Does it All for You,” Joe Kincheloe, (120-150.)
• “Are Disney Movies Good for Your Kids?” Henry Giroux, (pp. 164-181).
• “Professional Wrestling and Youth Culture: Teasing, Taunting and the Containment of Civility,” Aaron Gresson, (pp. 207-228).
• “PeaceKeeping Battle Stations and Smackdown!: Selling Kids on Violence,” Susan Linn, (pp. 105- 125).
• “Power Plays: Video Games’ Bad Rap,” Stephanie Urso Spina, (pp. 254-284).
• “Hip-Hop and Critical Pedagogy: From Tupac to Master P and Beyond,” Greg Dimitriadis, (pp. 284-301).

2.8 The Message Marketing Leaves Behind

• “Habit Formation: Selling Kids on Junk Food, Drugs and Violence,” Juliet Schor, (pp. 119-140).
• Joe Camel is Dead, but Whassup with Those Budweiser Frogs? Hooking Kids on Alcohol and Tobacco,” Susan Linn, (pp.157-175).
• “Captive Audiences: The Commercialization of Public Schools,” Juliet Schor, (pp.85-97).
• “Coca-Cola and the Commercialization of Public Schools,” Kenneth Saltman, (pp. 57-77).
• “Branded Babies: From Cradle to Consumer,” Susan Linn, (pp. 41-61).
• “Endangered Species: Play and Creativity,” Susan Linn, (pp. 61-75).
• “Students for Sale: Who Profits from Marketing in Schools,” Susan Linn (pp. 75-95).
• “Through Thick and Thin: The Weighty Problem of Food Marketing,” Susan Linn, (pp. 95-105).
• “How Consumer Culture Undermines Children’s Well-Being,” Juliet Schor, (pp.141-175.

3. Consumer Culture and Citizenship

3.1 An Overview of the Marketing/Citizenship Connection

• "Introduction," (GS), pp. 1-9.
• “If Values are Right, What’s Left? Life Lessons from Marketing,” Susan Linn, (pp. 175-195).
• “Empowered or Seduced? The Debate About Advertising and Marketing to Kids,” Juliet Schor, (pp.177-189).
• "Consumption and Citizenship in the United States," (GS), pp. 37-59.
• "Customer Research as Public Relations," (GS), pp. 85-111.
• "The New Deal and the Making of Citizen Consumers," (GS), pp. 111- 127.
• "Consumer Spending as State Projects," (GS), pp. 227-149.
• “Nothing Left to Choose: Education, Democracy, and School Choice,” Kenneth Saltman, (pp. 33-57).
• "Toys, Socialization, and the Commodification of Play," pp. 339-359.
• “Kids and News,” Carl Bybee, (pp. 91-120).
• "Reconsidering Abundance," pp. 449-467.
• “Collateral Damage,” Kenneth Saltman, (pp. 77-99).
• “Marketing, Media, and the First Amendment: What’s Best for Children?” Susan Linn, (pp.145-157).
• “Conclusion,” Kenneth Saltman, (pp.117-121).
  

3.2 What might citizenship mean? A Brief History of Citizenship Education in the United States (from a symposium on civic education sponsored by the American Political Science Association).

• Human Rights Education: Its Day Has Come, Richard Pierre Claude [http://www.apsanet.org/CENnet/PS/claude.cfm]
  
• Political Scientists Examine Civics Standards: An Introduction, Sheilah Mann [http://www.apsanet.org/CENnet/PS/mann.cfm]
  
• Civic Education: Three Early American Political Science Association Committees and their Relevance for Our Time, Hindy Lauer Schachter [http://www.apsanet.org/CENnet/PS/schachter.cfm]
  
• Review of National Standards for Civics and Government, Murray Dry [http://www.apsanet.org/CENnet/PS/dry.cfm]
  
• Symbols as Substance in National Civics Standards, Richard M. Merelman [http://www.apsanet.org/CENnet/PS/merelman.cfm]
  

Recommended Materials:

University of Minnesota Human Rights Library, see in particular the "Bells of Freedom Training Manual." [http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/links/curricula.html].

Also at the University of Minnesota Human Rights Home Page [http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/index.html], see the jobs section and the field training [http://www.hrusa.org/field/joblinks.shtm] and internship sections [http://www.hrusa.org/field/default.shtm].

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights [http://www.unhchr.ch/udhr/].

4. Kids: Between the Market and Citizenship: Challenging Marketing to Children

• “Decommercializating Childhood: Beyond Big Bird, Bratz Dolls and the Back Street Boys,” Juliet Schor, (pp. 189-211).
• “Ending the Market Maelstrom: You’re Not Alone,” Susan Linn, (pp.195-221).

5. Kids: Between the Market and Citizenship: Group Presentations.

Project Ideas:

Additional Resources:

• Commercial Alert [http://www.commercialalert.org/index.php]. Commercial Alert's mission is to keep the commercial culture within its proper sphere, and to prevent it from exploiting children and subverting the higher values of family, community, environmental integrity and democracy.
• Mediachannel.org [http://www.mediachannel.org/]. MediaChannel.org is a nonprofit, public interest Web site dedicated to global media issues. MediaChannel offers news, reports and commentary from our international network of media-issues organizations and publications, as well as original features from contributors and staff. Resources include thematic special reports, action toolkits, forums for discussion, an indexed directory of hundreds of affiliated groups and a search engine constituting the single largest online media-issues database.
• Marketing Terrorism: Scott talks with Bob Garfield, host of NPR's On The Media, about advertising created in response to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11. Some of the ads are tasteful, even moving. Others simply offer zero percent financing on new car purchases. (6:00)
  http://www.npr.org/ramfiles/wesat/20011006.wesat.09.ram
• Citizenship and News in Times of Crisis and Peace: Understanding, Then Action
  [http://jcomm.uoregon.edu/~cbybee/j388_f01/list.html]