Edizione 2024 - Giornate dell'internazionalizzazione
Epistemological and ethical matters in the study of controversial topics: the case of children, adolescents, and media
Giornate dipartimentali per l’internazionalizzazione
15 gennaio 2024 ore 09.00-12.00 (aula Seminari, U6 Agorà, IV piano)
- Seminario: Doing media research with and for children
- Ellen Wartella, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani Professor of Communication, Psychology, Human Development and Social Policy, Medical Social Sciences, and Director of the Center on Media and Human Development at Northwestern University, Chicago, Department of Communication Studies.
- Marwan Diab, Head of Mental Health Unit at Enabel and Research Fellow at Stellenbosch University, Department of Psychology.
- Le azioni Marie Skłodowska-Curie: storie di successo e seminario formativo a cura del Grant Office
- “Borse Marie Skłodowska-Curie: esercizi di realpolitik" – Dott. Lorenzo Alunni, Ricercatore in Discipline Demoetnoantropologiche.
- Gestione dei progetti Marie Skłodowska-Curie– Dott.ssa Federica Fumagalli, Direzione Generale Centro Servizi di Scienze della Formazione.
16 gennaio 2024 ore 15.00-16.00 (aula Polivalente, U6 Agorà, IV piano)
- Premiazione del concorso "Giornate dell'Internazionalizzazione"
“Controversy sells, but what about science?” (Re-)framing the relationship between children and tough topic media product
Professor Ellen Wartella, Northwestern University, Chicago
The relationship between children and media has long been a controversial topic: historically, every new media has been accompanied by a wave of moral panic in terms of how it may affect children. In this regard, media outlets often negatively frame media products covering tough topics. As an example of this situation, the presentation will focus on press coverage of the first season of the Netflix show “13 Reasons Why”, a drama recounting people and events that contributed to a young girl’s suicide.
The show caused many controversies followed by negative press emphasizing its potential negative impact on young people based on both commonsense knowledge and empirical research. Research findings on the matter, however, are heterogeneous, supporting the complexity of the relationship between media products and youth. They show that while the drama certainly impressed young viewers, it also helped promoting conversations on tough topics such as self-harm, bullying, and sexual harassment with significant adults, such as parents and educators, and empathetic behaviors among peers. The press, though, largely overlooked these findings, focusing more on the reported negative impacts of the show.
But if controversy sells, what happens to science? Building on this case study as a starting point, the talk will argue that media outlets cherry picking research findings do a disservice to children, parents, educators, and society at large for they hinder a comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted nature of complex objects, such as the relationship between tough topic media and youth.
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Ellen A. Wartella, PhD, is the Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa al Thani Professor of Communication; Professor of Psychology, of Human Development and Social Policy, of Medical Social Sciences, and the Director of the Center on Media and Human Development at Northwestern University, where she has worked since 2010. Here she has been Chair at the Department of Communication Studies from September 2013 to September 2019.
Earlier, she was executive vice chancellor, provost, and distinguished professor of Psychology at the University of California, Riverside, from 2004 to 2009. She also served as Dean of the College of Communication at the University of Texas at Austin from 1993 to 2004, where she held the Walter Cronkite Regents Chair, the Mary Gibbs Jones Centennial Chair, and the UNESCO Chair in International Communication.
Digital Boundaries and human rights: Mitigating the impact of racism on the mental health of Palestinian children in Gaza
Professor Marwan Diab, Stellenbosch University
Addressing racism impacting children's mental health in Gaza involves recognizing the digital dimension of boundaries and human rights. The situation in Gaza is complex due to political, social, and economic factors. The right to privacy is a fundamental human right. Digital boundaries come into play with the collection, storage, and sharing of personal data online.
The digital space has become a critical platform for free expression for Palestinians in Gaza. Restrictions on digital communication, censorship, or surveillance can impede freedom of speech and uncover the ugly face of brutalities committed by the Israeli occupation. Thus, digital platforms can be powerful tools for advocacy, education, and support from the outside world.
As a result, individuals must work together to establish and respect boundaries that protect privacy, freedom of expression, and other fundamental human rights for Palestinian children in the digital era and governments and private entities must balance the need for security with respecting individuals' privacy rights. Efforts to address online misinformation should respect individuals' rights while safeguarding against the potential harm caused by false information.
Marwan Diab, PhD, is the Head of Mental Health Unit at Enabel and research fellow at Stellenbosch University, Department of Psychology. He has experience in the field of rehabilitation, mental health, and psychosocial support. Dr. Diab studied Rehabilitation Services and obtained a bachelor's degree in Community Rehabilitation from the University of Calgary.
Dr. Diab graduated from the Postgraduate Diploma in Community Mental Health offered by Islamic University of Gaza and Gaza Community Mental Health Programme. He received his Master’s of Psychology from the Islamic University of Gaza and his PhD in Psychology from the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Tampere. Dr. Diab has authored and co-authored several scientific articles in mental health and psychosocial intervention about war-affected and marginalized populations.
Galleria dei premi edizione 2024
PhD Students
- Daniele Mario Buonomo
- Costanza Franceschini
PostDoc Fellows
- Silvy Boccaletti
- Cristina Liviana Caldiroli