Popular Culture
Education
Celebration
Inside Disney
100
Popular Culture In General
Why is popular culture so important in today's society?
100
Education and Entertainment
What was Walt Disney's philosophy on the connection between education and entertainment? Do you share his beliefs?
100
Rules
What are the rules and are they acceptable? Which ones? Would you be able to deal with these restrictions?
100
Role Playing
How does changing the employee titles ("cast member" or "host"), hiring ("casting"), uniform ("costume"), and even visitor title ("guest") play into the "Disney way"?
200
Technology and Popular Culture
How has technology driven the Disney Corporation to another level in the last 20 years?
200
Walt Disney quote
"I think of a child's mind as a blank book. During the first years of his life, much will be written on the pages. The quality of that writing will affect his life profoundly." What do you think of this quote? Do you find it to be true, ironic, eerie, etc.?
200
Neighborhood Failure
Why do you think the "high-tech" community idea failed? Lack of commitment? Lack of caring? Do you think diversity is also a failure?
200
Costume Check
What types of employees does Disney hope to hire, judging from the Penn State informational meeting?
300
Disney and Popular Culture
Why is it so important that Disney become intertwined with everything involved with popular culture?
300
Pedagogy
Pedagogy is defined as the art or science of teaching. What do the authors claim is the Disney Corporation's pedagogy? What does this pedagogy have to do with the ideas of race, gender, class, sexuality, etc. How do you think this way of teaching affects children?
300
The Celebration School
Would you be motivated if you could choose the extent of your educational involvement? Why do you think the therapeutic/cognitive approach failed?
300
Pixie Dust
What is the formula for "pixie dust" when training employees? What values does Disney hope to engrave into their employees?
400
Consumerism
The main objective for any megacorporation is to make money. Does disney even care about the consumers? Recall them hiring psychologists and marketers identifying children's buying habits.
400
Imagination
The authors say that Disney's pedagogy causes children to have a smaller imagination, which in turn causes them to lose a sense of identity and the power of resistance. Do you think this is true? Do you think watching Disney movies as a child affected your imagination, etc.?
400
Overall Impression
What is your opinion of Disney creating its own town? Would you want to live there? What are your opinions about the overall aspect of Celebration?
400
"Incidents"
How does Disney try to cover up "incidents" in the theme park? Are they successful?
500
Media Censorship
20/20 tried to air a story that pedophiles were hired at Disneyland but it was cut by people higher up. Your thoughts?
500
History
What is Disney's approach to history? Do you agree with the author that Disney's view on history, such as in National Treasure, only creates a past that proclaims the triumphs of a white culture?
500
Allocation of Supplies
Should Osceola County School District be punished for their involvement? Do you think Disney demanded supplies that were needed for other schools? Why do you think the school district paired up with Disney? Purely exposure?
500
Working for a Rodent
As a company, Disney is notorious for condoning what types of beliefs regarding employee treatment?
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