Representation and Social Identity Debate
Comm 3263
Overview:
The students participating in this debate will debate the following question:
What is the best way to contest dominant representations and stereotypes in the media?
--seeking positive and more realistic images within mainstream media?
--documenting and critiquing those stereotypes and representations?
--exploring, affirming, and posing alternative representations of identity?
--critiquing the discourses that make those representations possible?
--challenging the dominant mode of representation through performance, culture jamming, or some other
creative or counter-hegemonic practice?
One team will take a position that advocates for one of these strategies of contestation to dominant media
representations and stereotypes, while the other team will advocate for a different strategy. In the process of the
debate, each team will discuss the pros and cons of each of the strategies for contesting dominant
representations. Teams should utilize specific examples from media culture to make their points. For example,
teams might make reference to Lady Gaga’s use of ironic performance as a strategy that challenges the
dominant mode of gender representation.
Teams might consider narrowing the topic. For example, you might just choose to talk about contesting
dominant representations of race, or gender, or sexual orientation, rather than dealing with them all more
generally. Or, you might consider taking one example (e.g. Lady Gaga, Eminem, Madonna, BET, Will &
Grace, or some other figure) and discussing whether or not they manage to contest dominant representations of
gender, race, class, sexuality, etc., and, if so, through what strategies?
Teams will need to disclose the position they intend to take in the debate to the other team at least one week in
advance.
The debate should aim to engage the following questions:
•How do media representations work to create social identity?
•How powerful are media representations of our social world?
•How do media representations participate in reproducing existing social inequalities? How can the
work of dominant representations be contested?
*Each of the speakers should make their points by drawing on evidence to support their arguments. In addition
to course readings, you should also consult outside research. Each team should bring in at least 8 sources of
evidence that they cite orally in their speeches, 4 of which must be outside of course readings. Some resources
are posted to the Moodle site, but you are encouraged to go beyond these. You should look for both academic
and popular press sources to draw on as evidence.
Debate Format:
The debate will consist of 8 speeches with 4 cross-examinations. Each team will also get 10 minutes of preparation
time to use at any point during the debate.
1st Affirmative speech—5 minutes--this speech will set up the context of the debate. First, explain what you think
the debate question is asking. You should define what you think ‘contesting dominant representations and
stereotypes’ means. Provide context and examples. It is important that you start the debate by defining what you
think the problem is: i.e. what is the problem in media culture in terms of its relationship to dominant representation
and stereotypes? Relate this to the questions above (‘the debate should aim to engage the following questions’).
Drawing on the your research, you will go on to provide a response to the debate question, taking a position as to the
best way to contest dominant representations. Define your position clearly: explain key terms and discuss how you
think this method of contestation works against the construction of dominant representations and stereotypes.
Explain why you think this is the best method.
Cross examination by the negative team—3 minutes—The negative will be given time to ask the affirmative
questions about their first speech. You may ask questions for clarification or to prove a point.
1st Negative speech—5 minutes—this speech will establish the negative’s position in relation to the debate question.
First, explain what you think the question is asking and what it means to contest dominant representations and
stereotypes. Drawing on your research, provide a critique of affirmative team’s approach to contesting dominant
representations and explain why you think it is not an adequate strategy. Provide an alternative method of
contestation. Explain why you think your method is a better means of contestation than the affirmative’s.
Cross examination by the affirmative team—3 minutes—The affirmative will be given time to ask the negative
questions about their first speech. You may ask questions for clarification or to prove a point.
2nd Affirmative speech—5 minutes—in this speech, the speaker will respond to the 1st negative speech. Draw on the
arguments you made in your first speech as well as on your research and on examples to refute the negative team’s
arguments against your position. Try to respond to each major point they have made. Then, provide a critique of
their alternative method of contestation and explain its problems. Argue for why your approach is more effective.
Cross examination by the negative team—3 minutes
2nd Negative speech—5 minutes—Respond to and refute the arguments the affirmative makes against your
alternative position. Draw on arguments made by the 1st Negative as well as provide additional evidence or
examples from your research to defend your position. Choose 1-3 arguments made by the 1st Negative against the
affirmative’s method of contestation and respond to the 2nd Affirmative’s answers to these critiques. Compare the
two approaches and explain why the negative’s approach is more effective.
Cross examination by the affirmative team—3 minutes
Cross examination by the audience—5-10 minutes—questions are opened up to the audience to ask of both the
affirmative and the negative. The audience should use this questioning period to try to get a hold on what are the
crucial arguments in the debate and where each team stands on those important arguments. Each audience member
should have a question ready.
3rd Affirmative speech—5 minutes—Compare the two approaches. Crystallize the important critiques your team has
made against the negative’s approach to contesting representations. Explain why your analysis of this approach is
more effective than theirs. Crystallize the important points your team has made in defense of your strategy for
contesting representations. Explain why the arguments your team has made in its defense are more effective than
those made by the negative team against it.
3rd Negative speech—5 minutes-- Compare the two approaches. Crystallize the important critiques your team has
made against the affirmative’s approach to contesting representations. Explain why your analysis of this approach is
more effective than theirs. Crystallize the important points your team has made in defense of your strategy for
contesting representations. Explain why the arguments your team has made in its defense are more effective than
those made by the affirmative team against it.
4th Affirmative speech—3 minutes--identify what you think are the most significant arguments in the debate.
Explain why you think the affirmative’s position on these arguments is preferable to the negative’s. Discuss why
you think the affirmative position should win the debate. This speech should be more holistic, while the other
speeches should be more specific and engage the other’s arguments on a point by point basis. This speech should
instead try to give more of an overview of what is at stake in the debate and why your position is preferable to the
other team’s.
4th Negative speech—3 minutes-- identify what you think are the most significant arguments in the debate. Explain
why you think the negative’s position on these arguments is preferable to the affirmative’s. Discuss why you think
the negative position should win the debate. This speech should be more holistic, while the other speeches should be
more specific and engage the other’s arguments on a point by point basis. This speech should instead try to give
more of an overview of what is at stake in the debate and why your position is preferable to the other team’s.
Following the debate we will have a class discussion and revisit the questions that the debate aims to answer.
Guidelines & Grading
1. Time limits—please plan to speak within your time limits.
2. Each team member should participate in the construction of the first speech for their side. You should work
as a team throughout the debate preparation and during the debate.
3. Research—you must draw on research and evidence to support your arguments. There should be at least 8
sources cited orally throughout the debate, 4 of which can be from course readings.
4. Meet with me—debaters must meet with me at least one week in advance to discuss their progress on
preparing for the debate.
5. Grading—Half of your grade will be a group grade based on the overall performance of the group, and the
other half will be on your individual performance. Your grade will be based largely on your use of research,
analysis of concepts and ideas, refutation of the other team’s arguments, and organization and clarity.