ABSTRACT
The view of young people as the ‘dupes’ of popular media has a long history, and is regularly espoused by critics of all political persuasions. For many on the Right, the media are often seen as a major cause of moral depravity and violence, while they are routinely condemned by many on the Left for their reinforcement of racism, sexism, consumerism and many other objectionable ideologies. Talk about popular media also serves functions in constructing and negotiating social relationships. In considering how individuals use and talk about what they read, this chapter examines the ways in which they socialise themselves into group membership, and thereby construct their own cultural identities. The dominant notion of media teaching as a means of ‘inoculating’ young people against the influence of the media is rejected. This approach is largely ineffective in terms of classroom practice, not least because it seriously misunderstands the nature of young people’s relationship with the media.
