Exploring the intricate relationship between myth and reality, this book delves into how stories shape our understanding of truth. It examines various cultural narratives and their impacts on belief systems, identity, and history. Through a blend of analysis and storytelling, it challenges readers to reconsider the boundaries of myth and truth, encouraging a deeper reflection on the narratives that influence our lives. The work invites a dialogue about the nature of belief and the power of storytelling in shaping our perceptions of reality.
"There is a widespread perception that the foundations of American democracy are dysfunctional and little is likely to emerge from traditional politics that will shift those conditions. Youth are often seen as emblematic of this crisis--frequently represented as uninterested in political life and ill informed about current affairs. By Any Media Necessary offers a profoundly different picture of contemporary American youth. Young men and women are tapping into the potential of new forms of communication, such as social media platforms and spreadable videos and memes, seeking to bring about political change--by any media necessary. In a series of case studies covering a diverse range of organizations, networks, and movements--from the Harry Potter Alliance, which fights for human rights in the name of the popular fantasy franchise, to immigration-rights advocates using superheroes to dramatize their struggles--By Any Media Necessary examines the civic imagination at work. Exploring new forms of political activities and identities emerging from the practice of participatory culture, By Any Media Necessary reveals how these shifts in communication have unleashed a new political dynamism in American youth."--Jacket.
In the last two decades, both the conception and the practice of participatory
culture have been transformed by the new affordances enabled by digital,
networked, and mobile technologies. This exciting new book explores that
transformation by bringing together three leading figures in conversation.
Shifting the conversation about the digital divide from questions of
technological access to questions about opportunities for being involved in
participatory culture and acquiring the necessary skills.
"Spreadable Media" maps fundamental changes taking place in the contemporary media environment, a space where corporations no longer tightly control media distribution. This book challenges some of the prevailing frameworks used to describe contemporary media.
Henry Jenkins' pioneering work in the early 1990s promoted the idea that fans
are among the most active, creative, critically engaged, and socially
connected consumers of popular culture. This title takes readers from Jenkins'
early work defending fan culture against those who would marginalize or
stigmatize it, through to his work.
