Have we asked the children?

Abstract

The ideas of the Spanish-Colombian academic Jesus Martín-Barbero concerning cultural mediations and the night map will be the primary focus of this discussion as the central theoretical framework for comprehending how young people create meaning in the media, particularly worldwide animated films. Even though the theoretical framework was formed within the setting of Latin America, the notions developed by Martín-Barbero are flexible enough to be applied to any media situation. This academic discourse is enhanced by the notions of hybrid culture proposed by Néstor Garcia Canclini. These ideas provide additional foundation for the concepts and theories that are discussed in this work. Within the context of multicultural Aotearoa New Zealand, the theoretical framework was tested with young people attending English-medium schools, formerly known as mainstream schools. Participants ranged in age from six to twelve years old, and there were boys and girls from multiple ethnic origins participating. The data collection took place over the course of three years and used, among different methodologies, work groups (resembling focus groups), online surveys, and interviews. The discussion with the children aimed to discuss sixteen different Disney and Pixar films and their respective twenty-four main characters. The purpose of the conversation was to understand where children feel the characters might have come from and why they have such ideas about those characters, films’ tales, and their places. The research also focused on what characters children and young people would identify the most and the reason behind this decision. According to the research findings, one of the factors that support children in comprehending their surroundings is the cultural context of their household and how the schools they attend provide conversations around the topic of cultural identity. This research aims to show how it is possible to enhance cultural awareness in young people in a fun and light way. A diverse media setting can lead young people to demonstrate more sensitivity to the similarities and differences between two or more cultures and use this in effective communication with members of other cultural groups.