Abstract
Cultural discourses influence public policy. Late nineteenth-century adventure novels like King Solomon’s Mines (1885) and Treasure Island (1882) provided a cultural mythology which justified the oppression of western colonial subjects through imperial labor relations and segregationist social policies. Today, twenty-first-century popular media like the Tomb Raider (1996-present) and Uncharted (2007-present) video game franchises provide the same cultural justification for neoliberalism. These media narratives justify market-oriented international policy that often limits the democratic sovereignty of developing nations to address poverty and climate change. At their worst, neoliberalism enriches transnational corporations by maintaining global conflicts and social inequities. Further, these imperial and neoliberal discourses lay the cultural groundwork for neo-fascist movements in the twenty-first century. This study examines imperial and neoliberal myths, their relationships to specific policy initiatives, and avenues for resistance.
Presenters
Chris CartrightLecturer of English, Writing & Linguistics, Georgia Southern University, Georgia, United States Jane Rago
Assistant Professor of Literature/Director of Women's, Gender, & Sexuality Studies, Women's, Gender, & Sexuality Studies/Dept. of Lit, Georgia Southern Univerisity, Georgia, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Media, Policy, Imperialism, Neoliberalism
Digital Media
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