Representing U

From the magazines and newspapers of the mid-1800s to movies andapps of the twenty-first century, popular culture and media in theUnited States provide prolific representations of higher education.This report positions artifacts of popular culture as pedagogictexts able to (mis)educate viewers and consumers regarding thepurpose, values, and people of higher education. It:* Discusses scholarly literature across disciplines* Examines a diverse array of cross-media artifacts* Reveals pedagogical messages embedded in popular culture textsto prompt thinking about the multiple ways higher educationisrepresented to society through the media.Informative and engaging, higher education professionals can usethe findings to intentionally challenge the (mis)educating messagesabout higher education through programs, policies, andperspectives.This is the 4th issue of the 40th volume of the Jossey-Bass seriesASHE Higher Education Report. Each monograph is thedefinitive analysis of a tough higher education issue, basedon thorough research of pertinent literature and institutionalexperiences. Topics are identified by a national survey. Notedpractitioners and scholars are then commissioned to write thereports, with experts providing critical reviews of each manuscriptbefore publication.