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Abstract

The presence of the zombie within contemporary media and film cultures is a powerful yet ambiguous signifier. Zombies are key figures in several popular video game series (‘Resident Evil’, ‘Left 4 Dead’, ‘Dead Rising’, ‘House of the Dead’) and feature in literature, graphic novels and television series (‘Dead Set’ (2008) ‘The Walking Dead’ (2010)). The zombie is also a popular character within many contemporary horror films (‘The Pack’ (2010), ‘The Dead’ (2010), ‘The Horde’ (2009)) which build upon filmic traditions and cultural histories dating back to ‘White Zombie’ (1932) and the non-fiction book ‘The Magic Island’ (1929). Conceptualisations of the zombie have also sparked recent debates in a range of disciplines including; mathematics, philosophy, education studies, literary studies, film studies and media studies. For instance, within H.E. a team of Canadian researchers recently tested mathematical models for the spread of infectious diseases using zombie infection as a case study (Tchuenche J.M. & Chiyaka. C (2009). Alongside this Couldry and McRobbie (2010) have suggested that on 12 October 2010 the idea of the university in England received its ‘death warrant’ and that proposed funding cuts, falling hardest upon the Humanities and Social Sciences, could signal the ‘death’ of UK H.E. Informed by these contexts the chapter seeks to offer an analysis of Media Education within UK H.E. that presents a case for using the zombie as a productive and contradictory analytical tool for critical reflection upon developing literacies and pedagogic practices. The chapter will begin by suggesting that whilst at first glance the zombie represents a re-animated figure of fear - a monster brought back from the dead to walk the earth in rampaging hordes consumed by a compulsion to feed off the live flesh of humanity - this is a partial misrecognition, and underestimation of the zombies’ radical potential. Rather, the figure of the zombie is seen as a complex, ambiguous and contradictory entity which, if the time is taken to stare closely, offers other critical possibilities. As a result, the chapter challenges the view expressed by Thrower (2006:250) that, “Unlikely stars, zombies lack the glamour of other movie monsters…Zombies…are rotten. Decaying flesh has no glamour…and the zombie is devoid of any hidden depths”. Using film examples to illustrate this position the chapter will suggest that far from being homogeneous, film representations of the zombie and zombiedom alert our attention to alternative possibilities; an acknowledgment that zombies can be agile and fast moving (’28 Day’s Later’ (2002), ‘Dance of the Dead’ (2008) ‘Devils Playground’ (2010)); recognition that zombies can be independent, smart and adaptive to major changes within their lived environment (‘Land of the Dead’ (2005) ‘Survival of the Dead’ (2009)); the belief that zombies can, and perhaps should, be a locus for sympathy and identification (‘Land of the Dead’ (2005) ‘Survival of the Dead’ (2009)); the representation of the monstrous zombie as embodiment of societies fears and prejudices which are then reflected back at it (‘Dawn of the Dead’ (1978), ‘Land of the Dead’ (2005)); and the zombie as questioning reality, rationality and (or) consumerism (‘Night of the Living Dead’ 1968 ‘City of the Living Dead: The Gates of Hell’ (1980)). If we look intently enough it is possible to argue there is much to learn from and with the zombie. The chapter will develop this position by taking a range of concepts associated with the lexicon of the zombie and using them to examine contemporary contexts, relationships and pedagogic practices within H.E. The aim is to demonstrate how the idea of the zombie - and the gaze provided by zombiedom – has the potential to open up interesting avenues for not only the analysis of Media Education within H.E. but also influence future directions and enhancement strategies. Terms including zombie(s), zobmiedom, zobmification zombify, living dead, necromancy and necromancer will be employed as a way of rethinking distinctions made between the living/dead, learning/teaching, human/non-human, learner/educator, infected/uninfected and literacy/illiteracy. A range of overlapping themes will be explored during the chapter: The Zombifying drive The zombifying drive in many universities to reduce contact time, increase class sizes and contain learners in large lecture theatres partly as a result of increased commercial pressure upon universities in the wake of funding cuts. Zombie learners Characterised by an ability to be extremely independent, agile and adaptive, whilst simultaneously and increasingly becoming demanding consumers within a rapidly commercialising H.E. sector. Zombie literacies The range of learning and research strategies adopted by zombie learners who increasingly work across a range of new media technologies aggregating, analysing and representing digital information in ways that can be seen to challenge traditional notions of literacy (Prensky 2010). Survivor tutors Characterised as being resistant to deal with the altered environments they find themselves working in, increasingly frustrated with zombie learners and their zombie literacies. This othering is often based upon a belief that the zombie learner must be humanised, contained or eradicated within H.E. through traditional notions of academic literacy, rather than embraced as partners within collaborative modes of learning and teaching. Zombie Pedagogies & Media Studies 2.0 There will be an overview of zombifying pedagogic practices and processes which persist with transmission modes of learning and teaching despite rapid and sustained changes ushered in partly through web 2.0. Here the lens of zombiedom will be cast over recent debates relating to Media Studies 2.0, a range of potentially humanising pedagogies which embrace shifts in new media rather than persist with alienating and potentially de-humanising transmission modes of learning and teaching (Gauntlett 2007, Prensky 2010). Zombie Tutors & Collaborative Necromancy Ultimately it will be suggested that the zombie is nothing to be feared in H.E., rather the characteristics of the zombie learner and zombie literacies could be productively utilised by zombie tutors within contemporary media studies. We need to learn not to hide from, and battle with the zombie learner, but to work with and learn from them. After all zombies are potentially just more adaptive versions of us. Here an adapted version of necromancy would be useful to characterise a relationship where zombie students and zombie tutors breathe life/death into a potentially terminal Media Education within contemporary H.E.

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• Zombies Are Us: An examination of the use of zombiedom as a critical tool for pedagogic reflection and change in contemporary Media Education within Higher Education. (deposited 02 Feb 2011 15:07)
  • Zombies Are Us: An examination of the use of zombiedom as a critical tool for pedagogic reflection and change in contemporary Media Education within Higher Education. (deposited 07 Oct 2011 11:14) [Currently Displayed]