Running head: BROADCASTS AND JOKES IN ARABIC SOCIETY

Broadcasts and Jokes In Arabic Society Zakia Alhashem Colorado State University

BROADCASTS AND JOKES IN ARABIC SOCIETY Application paper

Introduction: Smart phones are becoming very common in Arabian Gulf societies, and they are very available in teenagers and even children hands. With this wide spread of smart phones, broadcasts that despise, ridicules and reflects the idea of our society as a lazy and stupid one are becoming common and widely accepted. Some of these broadcasts mock our traditional costumes; others compare our societies with foreign ones in a way that gives the impression that we are inferior. Actually, some of these broadcasts reflect some weaknesses in our societies but with the idea that we cannot change to be better, and here is the problem. Unfortunately, people are not aware of the bad effect of these broadcasts on their perspective for themselves. So, I will include this topic in a multicultural class in Saudi universities for third and fourth year students. This implement will be applied under the additive approach of Banks transformational theory of education in which the material and concept will be added without change in the basic structure of the curriculum. In addition, Mezirows transformative learning model of individual and Freires social-emancipatory philosophy will be applied. My target of this application is to change the attitude of individuals towards these broadcasts from passive to active, to change the idea about our society, and to change the uncritical acceptance to whatever was judged as a trait of our society. Application: This application will take five classes. I will use Freire problem posing education to apply the four components of Mezirow transformative learning, so the students become aware of these broadcasts role as an oppressor. In the first class, we will apply the first component which is experience. I will provide the students with some jokes, broadcasts that mock other cultures. They will read them and write notes about their impressions, ideas they got from this material. Then, I will

BROADCASTS AND JOKES IN ARABIC SOCIETY

display some daily life photos and videos about people of these cultures. Then, I will ask them to write the first idea that comes to their minds after seeing and watching these videos. In this class they will experience the effect of these jokes and broadcasts on their opinions, so they will be aware of the hidden oppressive force of these broadcasts. Then, I will hand every students some jokes and broadcasts that are directed to his person, so he can feel directly what these material could do to one selfs perspective. Then, I will ask students to write a critical reflection about the w hole material and experience. My point from this activity is to make the students realize that these broadcasts are not directed to others, they are directed to your perspective of yourself, your siblings, your friends and parents. After writing a critical reflection about their experience, we will move to reflective disclosure. I will as the class to bring jokes and broadcasts that mocks Saudi society. I will divide the class to small groups and ask everyone to read a joke or a broadcast then ask his group about their opinion. After doing that they will make notes about the most significant joke or broadcast, if it was false or it contain some sort of truth and if it is common trait in our society. In this discussion, the students will listen to others opinions and this will give them a clearer understanding for the ideas in these broadcasts. The final step is taking action. Taking action will be represented in many steps. The first step is that every group will choose two broadcasts that mock or criticize some points in our society. Then, they change this broadcast from negative to positive or try to make an appropriate reaction to it such as writing a broadcast about the same topic, but this new broadcast encourage people to discard the bad costume or trait with a good one and support their new broadcast with some parts of the holy Quran or Prophet Mohammeds teachings, and thus the new broadcast will be positive instead of the negative one. Also, they have to prepare some appropriate response to different

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negative sorts of broadcasts. So the students feel that they are capable of making social change. One week later, students will write reports about their own experience in applying this transformative attitudes and idea, what it was about, how they did it, how they felt when they did it and how they felt when they did not apply this transformative attitude.

BROADCASTS AND JOKES IN ARABIC SOCIETY References Banks, J. A., & Banks, C. A. M. (2010). Approaches to multicultural curriculum reform. Multicultural education: Issues and perspectives (pp. 225-246). Wiley & sons, Ine Merriam, S. B., Caffarella, R. S., & Baumgartner, L. M. (2012). Learning in adulthood: A comprehensive guide (pp. 132-137). Jossey-Bass.