Co-opting meritocracy : deconstructing the role agency plays in dismantling affirmative action in higher education AND Understanding manga: deconstructing the global appeal of Shonen through Burke’s theory of identification
- UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
- Myo Thiha (Creator)
- Institution
- The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
- Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/
- Advisor
- Heather Adams
Abstract: On June 23rd, 2023, The Supreme Court ruled that Affirmative Action was unconstitutional and a discriminatory practice. Students for Fair Admissions and Justice Clarence Thomas, in his opinion, argued that since the United States is a colorblind society that values objective ways of measuring and recognizing merit, Affirmative Action threatens that perceived meritocracy. The issue with meritocracy and its rhetoric is that it only focuses on a singular type of agency: personal agency. It disregards cultural agency, material agency, and discursive agency. The discursive agency of the word "meritocracy" itself has changed from a word that was used satirically by Michael Young for why a meritocratic society would prove problematic to the way social and economic elites have co-opted the word to maintain their positions while castigating those on the bottom of the social hierarchy as not being talented, hard-working, or intelligent. This emphasis on personal agency as the singular point of reference when it comes to evaluating college admissions erases the social and educational inequalities caused by systemic racism that play a crucial role in the development of students. This paper will examine the role of agency and how concepts like meritocracy are co-opted to promote inequality instead of bridging the gap. AND Manga sales have skyrocketed since the start of the new decade as Japanese comics are now outselling Western comics in the United States. Why is manga becoming so popular in the West and how is it able to cross cultural boundaries? This paper argues the success of manga, specifically Shonen manga is due to how the form of Shonen as graphic sequential art with abstract imaging and a focus on action creates a space that promotes identification within an audience that is ubiquitous and multicultural. Using Kenneth Burke’s theory identification as well as other rhetorical frameworks, this paper will be a rhetorical analysis on Shonen manga to deconstruct its themes, techniques, paneling, and pedagogy.
Co-opting meritocracy : deconstructing the role agency plays in dismantling affirmative action in higher education AND Understanding manga: deconstructing the global appeal of Shonen through Burke’s theory of identification
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Created on 5/1/2024
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Additional Information
- Publication
- Thesis
- Language: English
- Date: 2024
- Keywords
- Affirmative Action, Agency, Anime, Manga, Meritocracy, Rhetoric
- Subjects
- Affirmative action programs in education
- Racism in higher education
- Agent (Philosophy)
- Manga (Comic books)
- Sho¯nen manga
- Rhetoric