Integrating Political Discourse Through Webcomics
Because of their easy access and interesting format, political webcomics are incredible tools to motivate speaking and writing purposefully about political discourse and promote interest in political ideas and issues. Specific questions to ask about the webcomics include: What information does the cartoon convey? What concepts and generalizations are related to the issue? What are the social implications of the issue? (Kleeman 18). With focused and aligned questions, webcomics can become a gate into what Carducci and Rhoads call “critical citizenship,” or “a form of citizenship that empowers each individual’s identity and advances democracy and the pursuit of social justice” (Carducci and Rhoads 3). The cartoons themselves only have meaning when students understand the subject matter, thus using political webcomics is a means of “advancing democracy” and creating awareness of the world outside the classroom. For example, after reading print political cartoons in her class, one student claimed that “before we read political cartoons I didn’t have much interest in politics and I never read the newspaper, but now I feel like I don’t just care about what is going on in my life and environment” (Obrist 23).
The Importance...
Reading and understanding the webcomics also creates a sense of empowerment through being informed. For instance, one student was able to express her opinion to her college-aged, less-informed sister about a California proposition, and “that was a great feeling” for her (Obrist 23). Often students can feel excluded from political discussions because teachers do not take the time to explore political issues or because authors themselves exclude readers. By analyzing and evaluating webcomics, students gain insight into “how power infuses their visual worlds as they notice assumptions about audiences that are elitist, exclusionary, and serve to perpetuate social hierarchies"(Werner 91).The sense of empowerment that comes with being informed about political issues when reading political webcomics is one way to break through the exclusionary barrier erected through political and “visual worlds."
...Of Being Informed.
Cox and Forkum
Some webcomics of various political views to consider: Cox and Forkum, Eric Monster, and Some Guy with a Website.
Author: Jennifer Lundstrem
Author: Jennifer Lundstrem
