What is it about?

Many commenting on recent years of political polarization, social divisiveness and pandemic conditions have called them dystopic. Some such as those in the media ecology field have related these circumstances to unintended consequences of media and technology development. This article suggests that increased use of Brazilian educator, Paulo Friere's Gnostic Cycle, a reseach, learn, and teach process, could be useful to those in the field and others in empowering constructive activism to address these circumstances.

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Why is it important?

This article is important as it reviews 20 years of Explorations in Media Ecology journal articles to examine how dystopic conditions have been defined and linked to media and technological development over the years. It provides background on Paulo Friere, his Gnostic Cycle, and ways his work has been incorporated in media ecology work to date. It suggests ways this framework could be utilized more deliberately in the media ecology field providing examples.

Perspectives

Writing this article was particularly gratifying as it provided a means of reviewing media ecology work on related topics to this point and offering ways the field might better apply findings in the future. The article was named top paper at the 2022 Media Ecology Association Convention which gave some indication that it was well received and makes a contribution to knowledge that will be beneficial going forward.

Fred Cheyunski

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This page is a summary of: Dealing with dystopia: Freire’s Gnostic cycle and media ecology in a post-pandemic world, Explorations in Media Ecology, March 2022, Intellect,
DOI: 10.1386/eme_00114_1.
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