Advertisement, as described by Wikipedia, is a form of marketing communication used to persuade an audience to take or continue some action, usually with respect to a commercial offering, or political or ideological support” (Wikipedia, 2015). In other words, advertisement is a means by which an audience is persuaded to ‘buy into’ a particular item, idea, or outlook as presented by some for the consumption of the masses. We cannot go a day without being exposed to one form of advertisement or the other. From advertisement we see on the television, to advertisement in text, on billboards, linked to social media sites, at store fronts, sent to our emails; we are constantly being bombarded with advertisements, either encouraging us to move towards one idea or the other, trying to convince us to purchase or partake in acquiring certain goods, or trying to get us to change our perspectives on various things. Advertisement has become such a huge part of popular culture, however, is this influence new or has it been a part of societal culture from generations past. Are advertisement and popular culture interconnected networks by which many norms in society are shaped? And how does this fit into education?
“When you study advertising and advertising’s impact, it helps to understand the context within which advertising messages are developed, produced, and aired” (Berger, 2015). Advertising does not need to be at odds with education, nor does education need to shun or stay away from advertising. In fact, advertisement can be, and should be used as a a teaching tool to engage students and connect students to topics and images that are relevant to them, while using these topics as teachable moments. "Television advertising creates a mythology of the object in which private wishes become public; it invades people's lives on a daily basis with a parade of suggestions, instructions, and images that are spectacular, speculative, and fascinating" (Funes, 2008. p. 160). Instead of seeing this as an area for objection and to discard the use or inclusion of advertisement in the classroom, teachers can instead use this as an opportunity to challenge their students to be more conscious of this social tool being used.
"Advertisement messages not only describe the products they aim to sell, but they also put forth other issues. Through advertising, lifestyles are discouraged or promoted, and ideologies are praised or condemned. People are convinced of the social utility of certain behaviour and habits, while dreams feelings of euphoria, and perfection are sold" (Funes, 2008. p. 160). Advertisement can be used as pedagogy in areas such as music, art, history, literacy, social studies, and even math. Though it does require the teacher first watching and analyzing the advert for appropriateness in the classroom, lessons can be built around the consumption of advertisement to educate students on the social impact advertisements have on their community, in their lives, and around the globe as a whole.
"One of the most serious problems educators should be reflecting upon today is the contradiction that exists between the educational system and the socio-cultural environment into which new generations of students are born into and in which they grow up" (Funes, 2008. p. 166). We would be doing our students a disservice not to teach them to critically think about the messages that they are constantly bombarded with through advertisement. Unfortunately, this is a medium that cannot be escaped as there is some sort of ad wherever one may turn. In that sense, advertisement, especially amongst learners is an educational tool that can foster critical thinking, inquiry based learning, problem based learning, and importantly, engage students in a way that is meaningful and engaging to them. Students can compare and contrast advertisements over the years, log or predict if any changes are evident (be it in the presentation of the ad, the delivery of the message, the props or people used in the ads).
Understanding that students are consumers as well, and advertisement as a part of popular culture is their culture as well, only highlights the need for advertisement to be used as a tool on education. This in turn will not stop students from being consumers, but it will encourage them to be conscious consumers, alert observers and partakers in listening to and understanding the message being presented in the advertisement, as well as enable students to question the ideology, lifestyle, or idea being 'sold' to them through advertisements. Students in turn will begin to influence advertisements as much as advertisement influences them as well.
References:
Berger, A. A. (2015). Ads, Fads, & Consumer Culture” Advertising impact on America’s Character & Society. Retrieved from https://books.google.ca/booksid=dVRnBgAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=falsehttps://books.google.ca/booksid=dVRnBgAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false
Funes, S. V. (2008). Advertisement and Consumerism: A space for Pedagogical Practice. Mirror Images: Popular Culture and Education. pp. 159 - 177. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.uproxy.library.dc-uoit.ca/stable/pdf/42979227.pdf?acceptTC=true
Wikipedia. (2015). Advertisement. Retrieved July 19 from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advertising
“When you study advertising and advertising’s impact, it helps to understand the context within which advertising messages are developed, produced, and aired” (Berger, 2015). Advertising does not need to be at odds with education, nor does education need to shun or stay away from advertising. In fact, advertisement can be, and should be used as a a teaching tool to engage students and connect students to topics and images that are relevant to them, while using these topics as teachable moments. "Television advertising creates a mythology of the object in which private wishes become public; it invades people's lives on a daily basis with a parade of suggestions, instructions, and images that are spectacular, speculative, and fascinating" (Funes, 2008. p. 160). Instead of seeing this as an area for objection and to discard the use or inclusion of advertisement in the classroom, teachers can instead use this as an opportunity to challenge their students to be more conscious of this social tool being used.
"Advertisement messages not only describe the products they aim to sell, but they also put forth other issues. Through advertising, lifestyles are discouraged or promoted, and ideologies are praised or condemned. People are convinced of the social utility of certain behaviour and habits, while dreams feelings of euphoria, and perfection are sold" (Funes, 2008. p. 160). Advertisement can be used as pedagogy in areas such as music, art, history, literacy, social studies, and even math. Though it does require the teacher first watching and analyzing the advert for appropriateness in the classroom, lessons can be built around the consumption of advertisement to educate students on the social impact advertisements have on their community, in their lives, and around the globe as a whole.
"One of the most serious problems educators should be reflecting upon today is the contradiction that exists between the educational system and the socio-cultural environment into which new generations of students are born into and in which they grow up" (Funes, 2008. p. 166). We would be doing our students a disservice not to teach them to critically think about the messages that they are constantly bombarded with through advertisement. Unfortunately, this is a medium that cannot be escaped as there is some sort of ad wherever one may turn. In that sense, advertisement, especially amongst learners is an educational tool that can foster critical thinking, inquiry based learning, problem based learning, and importantly, engage students in a way that is meaningful and engaging to them. Students can compare and contrast advertisements over the years, log or predict if any changes are evident (be it in the presentation of the ad, the delivery of the message, the props or people used in the ads).
Understanding that students are consumers as well, and advertisement as a part of popular culture is their culture as well, only highlights the need for advertisement to be used as a tool on education. This in turn will not stop students from being consumers, but it will encourage them to be conscious consumers, alert observers and partakers in listening to and understanding the message being presented in the advertisement, as well as enable students to question the ideology, lifestyle, or idea being 'sold' to them through advertisements. Students in turn will begin to influence advertisements as much as advertisement influences them as well.
References:
Berger, A. A. (2015). Ads, Fads, & Consumer Culture” Advertising impact on America’s Character & Society. Retrieved from https://books.google.ca/booksid=dVRnBgAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=falsehttps://books.google.ca/booksid=dVRnBgAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false
Funes, S. V. (2008). Advertisement and Consumerism: A space for Pedagogical Practice. Mirror Images: Popular Culture and Education. pp. 159 - 177. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.uproxy.library.dc-uoit.ca/stable/pdf/42979227.pdf?acceptTC=true
Wikipedia. (2015). Advertisement. Retrieved July 19 from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advertising