Exploring Representations of Super Women in Popular Culture

Abstract

In this article, we discuss how our analysis of several popular culture artifacts featuring super women characters (superheroes and supernatural) provided the foundation for a media discussion group for female college students with learning exceptionalities. We explore the use of popular culture in discussion groups as well as discuss the research context and discourse analysis method related to selected popular culture artifacts. We then relate the participants’ responses to the artifacts, emphasizing tensions and resistances associated with each. We review how our initial focus began with an emphasis on gender and gradually evolved to address ability. We reflect on possibilities, limitations, and challenges related to the facilitation of this and other media groups, offering practical recommendations for adult educators.