Drafts by Alexandra N Sousa
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Papers by Alexandra N Sousa
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The International Encyclopedia of Media Literacy Media and Ethnic Stereotyping, 2019
This entry explores the ways in which media lead to the creation and reproduction of stereotypica... more This entry explores the ways in which media lead to the creation and reproduction of stereotypical representations of racially/ethnically marginalized groups, along with how media literacy initiatives can be used to combat these biased representations. Media priming and role modeling are used to show how harmful effects of racial and ethnic stereotypical representations impact both marginalized and dominant groups. Media literacy and participatory media are presented as ways in which racial and ethnic stereotypes in the media can be challenged. Successful media literacy and participatory media initiatives are used to critique current mainstream media stereotypes and explore future directions for the scholarship on media and ethnic stereotyping.
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Journal of Applied Communication Research , 2021
This paper presents an empirically grounded conceptual framework for the various dimensions of sc... more This paper presents an empirically grounded conceptual framework for the various dimensions of scholar-activism based on 15 in-depth interviews with prominent communication scholar-activists. It theorizes about the meanings, practices, challenges, and opportunities encompassed by this type of scholarship from the perspective of those in the field. Our participants see scholaractivism as a fluid concept that comprises a range of goals, methods, and activities. They view scholar-activism as distinct from overlapping terms such as engaged scholarship, public scholarship, critical communication, participatory action research, and community organizing. Despite differences in labels, there is a relatively unified sense of the practices, challenges, and opportunities related to scholar-activism. The main dimensions of communication scholar-activism that emerge from the data are that it is: community-driven, social justice-oriented, actionoriented, grounded in co-creation of knowledge, interdisciplinary, long term in nature, challenging of the status quo, driven by intrinsic motivators, and boundary-blurring.
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Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 2021
Previous research has identified the important role high school educators play in the postseconda... more Previous research has identified the important role high school educators play in the postsecondary advancement of racially marginalized students. However, research has yet to examine how educators construct messages to facilitate these students' transition from high school to college. Therefore, this study explores how teachers make sense of factors impacting postsecondary advancement and, as a result, how they construct messages about higher education for diverse students. In-depth interviews with educators from three school districts in central Texas revealed several perceived factors, including the equalizing effect of SES across racial lines and a color-blind mentality toward student advancement. Educators constructed a variety of messages about higher education, including both generalized and individualized messages about the more pragmatic aspects of college (e.g., the application process, study habits, and daily life), and motivational messages meant to encourage college decision-making. Based on these findings, I make suggestions for future research about higher education messaging for racially marginalized students.
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Journal of Teaching and Learning with Technology, 2021
The sudden shift to online learning because of the 2019 coronavirus disease created a series of c... more The sudden shift to online learning because of the 2019 coronavirus disease created a series of challenges for educators. Faculty took a "triage" approach to reformatting their courses quickly. And while this was a necessary approach for many reasons, it was hard not to wonder what students would be missing. As a communication studies professor, I consider dialogue an essential tool in the classroom. Effective dialogue can lead to a greater acceptance of diverse thoughts and individuals, as well as less divisiveness and intolerance. So when the pandemic forced me to switch to online learning, I had many questions: How do we maintain effective classroom dialogue in online learning spaces? How can I create an inclusive classroom online? How does my knowledge of the relationship between dialogue and inclusivity translate to the online classroom? This reflective essay seeks to answer these questions in real time, as I simultaneously prepare to teach at least another year of online courses. I explore the importance of dialogue in the classroom, how dialogue can be a conduit of inclusivity, why educators should strive for inclusivity in our classrooms, and finally, how we translate these lessons to the online classroom. My hope is that this piece will help further this conversation and act as a resource for maintaining effective dialogue in every type of classroom.
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In this paper, we present a discussion of the ethnic
media targeting the more than 2 million immi... more In this paper, we present a discussion of the ethnic
media targeting the more than 2 million immigrants
from Portugal and its former colonies (particularly
Brazil, Cape Verde, and Azores) living in the United
States. These groups compose what we refer to
as the lusophone. The goal is to understand how
media targeting the lusophone diaspora negotiates
a landscape where consumers’ national origin is
distinct, but different patterns of assimilation exist.
In particular, we uncovered two interesting patterns
of geographical distinction in the media. The first
serves the northeastern portion of the United States,
with a larger and more culturally diverse Portuguese
population and the second in Florida, which serves
a more recent community of Brazilian immigrants.
New media, the Internet in particular, also plays a
vital role in both regions. We found that radio stations
and newspapers targeting these populations have
a limited online presence, but seem to remain a
vital source of information and possibly still aid in
immigrant integration and assimilation, which has
been historically documented in ethnic media.
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Beyond the Stereotypes – Images of Boys and Girls, and their Consequences, 2017
Sousa, A & Ramasubramanian, S. (2017). Challenging gender and racial stereotypes in online spaces... more Sousa, A & Ramasubramanian, S. (2017). Challenging gender and racial stereotypes in online spaces: Alternative storytelling among Latino/a youth in the U.S. In D. Lemish & M. Götz (Eds.). Beyond the Stereotypes – Images of Boys and Girls, and their Consequences (pp. 75-83). Gothenburg, Sweden: Nordicom Press.
Media play an important role in perpetuating racial and gender stereotypes that harm the self-esteem and self-concept of marginalized youth, especially for Latino/a youth in the US context. However, this article illustrates that through a participatory media and media literacy approach, media can also become part of the solution. The main aim of this article is to document Latinitas, the first digital magazine in the United States created by and for young Latinas that challenges stereotypes through participatory digital storytelling. Explored through an interview with one of Latinitas' co-founders and press coverage about the organization, this case study sheds light on the importance of alternative community-based initiatives for minority youth to redefine their identities in their own terms. The findings shed light on how to design alternative youth media programs, negotiate funding, build relationships with the surrounding community, and adapt to the changing media landscape. Such initiatives point to the importance of media literacy programs and participatory storytelling initiatives aimed at redefining youth identity and empowering youth voices.
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Journal of Applied Communication Research, 2017
Ramasubramanian, S., Sousa, A. & Gonlin, V. (2017). Facilitated dialogues to combat racism: A goa... more Ramasubramanian, S., Sousa, A. & Gonlin, V. (2017). Facilitated dialogues to combat racism: A goal-based approach. Journal of Applied Communication Research, 45 (5), 537-556, doi:10.1080/00909882.2017.1382706.
Racist incidents are moments that highlight the systemic racism that still exists within higher education. In 2016, the College of Liberal Arts at a historically White, Southern institution in the U.S. responded to a racist incident on campus by setting up a series of ‘Difficult Dialogue on Campus Race Relations’ sessions that gave participants the opportunity to reflect and respond to the incident. Drawing on literature about racial dialogues and social identity theory, the sessions were designed to promote active listening, build empathy, and provide practical tools to combat everyday racial microaggressions. We describe how communication design elements (such as small group settings, localized case studies, role-play, and ground rules) were tailored to fit the needs of various group settings and analyze participants’ feedback about the perceived impact of these dialogues. We present a goal-based dialogue framework as a model to facilitate difficult dialogues in a variety of applied communication contexts.
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Drafts by Alexandra N Sousa
Papers by Alexandra N Sousa
media targeting the more than 2 million immigrants
from Portugal and its former colonies (particularly
Brazil, Cape Verde, and Azores) living in the United
States. These groups compose what we refer to
as the lusophone. The goal is to understand how
media targeting the lusophone diaspora negotiates
a landscape where consumers’ national origin is
distinct, but different patterns of assimilation exist.
In particular, we uncovered two interesting patterns
of geographical distinction in the media. The first
serves the northeastern portion of the United States,
with a larger and more culturally diverse Portuguese
population and the second in Florida, which serves
a more recent community of Brazilian immigrants.
New media, the Internet in particular, also plays a
vital role in both regions. We found that radio stations
and newspapers targeting these populations have
a limited online presence, but seem to remain a
vital source of information and possibly still aid in
immigrant integration and assimilation, which has
been historically documented in ethnic media.
Media play an important role in perpetuating racial and gender stereotypes that harm the self-esteem and self-concept of marginalized youth, especially for Latino/a youth in the US context. However, this article illustrates that through a participatory media and media literacy approach, media can also become part of the solution. The main aim of this article is to document Latinitas, the first digital magazine in the United States created by and for young Latinas that challenges stereotypes through participatory digital storytelling. Explored through an interview with one of Latinitas' co-founders and press coverage about the organization, this case study sheds light on the importance of alternative community-based initiatives for minority youth to redefine their identities in their own terms. The findings shed light on how to design alternative youth media programs, negotiate funding, build relationships with the surrounding community, and adapt to the changing media landscape. Such initiatives point to the importance of media literacy programs and participatory storytelling initiatives aimed at redefining youth identity and empowering youth voices.
Racist incidents are moments that highlight the systemic racism that still exists within higher education. In 2016, the College of Liberal Arts at a historically White, Southern institution in the U.S. responded to a racist incident on campus by setting up a series of ‘Difficult Dialogue on Campus Race Relations’ sessions that gave participants the opportunity to reflect and respond to the incident. Drawing on literature about racial dialogues and social identity theory, the sessions were designed to promote active listening, build empathy, and provide practical tools to combat everyday racial microaggressions. We describe how communication design elements (such as small group settings, localized case studies, role-play, and ground rules) were tailored to fit the needs of various group settings and analyze participants’ feedback about the perceived impact of these dialogues. We present a goal-based dialogue framework as a model to facilitate difficult dialogues in a variety of applied communication contexts.
media targeting the more than 2 million immigrants
from Portugal and its former colonies (particularly
Brazil, Cape Verde, and Azores) living in the United
States. These groups compose what we refer to
as the lusophone. The goal is to understand how
media targeting the lusophone diaspora negotiates
a landscape where consumers’ national origin is
distinct, but different patterns of assimilation exist.
In particular, we uncovered two interesting patterns
of geographical distinction in the media. The first
serves the northeastern portion of the United States,
with a larger and more culturally diverse Portuguese
population and the second in Florida, which serves
a more recent community of Brazilian immigrants.
New media, the Internet in particular, also plays a
vital role in both regions. We found that radio stations
and newspapers targeting these populations have
a limited online presence, but seem to remain a
vital source of information and possibly still aid in
immigrant integration and assimilation, which has
been historically documented in ethnic media.
Media play an important role in perpetuating racial and gender stereotypes that harm the self-esteem and self-concept of marginalized youth, especially for Latino/a youth in the US context. However, this article illustrates that through a participatory media and media literacy approach, media can also become part of the solution. The main aim of this article is to document Latinitas, the first digital magazine in the United States created by and for young Latinas that challenges stereotypes through participatory digital storytelling. Explored through an interview with one of Latinitas' co-founders and press coverage about the organization, this case study sheds light on the importance of alternative community-based initiatives for minority youth to redefine their identities in their own terms. The findings shed light on how to design alternative youth media programs, negotiate funding, build relationships with the surrounding community, and adapt to the changing media landscape. Such initiatives point to the importance of media literacy programs and participatory storytelling initiatives aimed at redefining youth identity and empowering youth voices.
Racist incidents are moments that highlight the systemic racism that still exists within higher education. In 2016, the College of Liberal Arts at a historically White, Southern institution in the U.S. responded to a racist incident on campus by setting up a series of ‘Difficult Dialogue on Campus Race Relations’ sessions that gave participants the opportunity to reflect and respond to the incident. Drawing on literature about racial dialogues and social identity theory, the sessions were designed to promote active listening, build empathy, and provide practical tools to combat everyday racial microaggressions. We describe how communication design elements (such as small group settings, localized case studies, role-play, and ground rules) were tailored to fit the needs of various group settings and analyze participants’ feedback about the perceived impact of these dialogues. We present a goal-based dialogue framework as a model to facilitate difficult dialogues in a variety of applied communication contexts.