Activity Introduction
Quick summary: Culture jamming is a way of manipulating media logos and cultural symbols to create a powerful social message. In this lesson, students learn about this practice by examining Danny Green’s STOP the Coward Punch campaign. The class reflects on the depiction of violent masculinity and how this stereotype is prevalent within the media they are exposed to. Students will create their own example of culture jamming to present a message on either masculinity or violence for the school community.
The STOP the Coward Punch education package aims to spread awareness about the devastating effects of the coward punch on our community. This education package was developed by a team of experts, including a youth worker, education specialist and specialist teachers and references the latest research and laws on coward punches.
Learning intentions:
- You will understand what the STOP the Coward Punch is trying to achieve for young people in Australia
- You will understand how culture jamming is used to convey a message to the audience
- You will understand how manipulating cultural symbols and media logos can bring about social change.
21st century skills:
Australian Curriculum Mapping
Content descriptions:
Years 9 & 10 Media Arts:
- Manipulate media representations to identify and examine social and cultural values and beliefs, including those of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples (ACAMAM07)
- Plan and design media artworks for a range of purposes that challenge the expectations of specific audiences by particular use of production processes (ACAMAM076)
- Evaluate how technical and symbolic elements are manipulated in media artworks to create and challenge representations framed by media conventions, social beliefs and values for a range of audiences (ACAMAR078)
Syllabus outcomes: VAS5.2, VAS5.4, VAS5.5, VAS5.7
General capabilities: Literacy, Critical and Creative Thinking, Personal and Social Capabilities
Relevant parts of Years 9 & 10 achievement standards: Students analyse how social and cultural values and alternative points of view are portrayed in media artworks they make, interact with and distribute. They evaluate how genre and media conventions and technical and symbolic elements are manipulated to make representations and meaning. They evaluate how social, institutional and ethical issues influence the making and use of media artworks. Students produce representations that communicate alternative points of view in media artworks for different community and institutional contexts. They manipulate genre and media conventions and integrate and shape the technical and symbolic elements for specific purposes, meaning and style.
Topic: Social Issues, Creative Thinking
This lesson is part of the wider unit of work STOP the Coward Punch: Arts – Years 7 to 10.
Time required: 90 mins.
Level of teacher scaffolding: Medium teacher scaffolding is required for this lesson. Content is delivered through a slideshow. The teacher plays resource videos for the class and facilitates class discussion.
Resources required:
- Culture Jamming Presentation
- Device capable of presenting a video and slideshow to the class
- Students require their own devices with image editing capabilities.
Related professional development: Strategies for Dealing with Aggressive and Violent Behaviours
Keywords: masculinity, violence, stereotypes, culture jamming, media, appreciation, analysis, social change, activism, coward punch, symbols, memes, Banksy
Cool Australia’s curriculum team continually reviews and refines our resources to be in line with changes to the Australian Curriculum.
