Words Teaching Othering In Education Using “X-MEN” Movie

Words Teaching

Othering

In Education Using “X-MEN” Movie

Susanto, Dwi Ario Fajar

Universitas Pekalongan, Pekalongan, Indonesia

[email protected], [email protected]m

Abstract

Teaching abstract concept in literature like othering to English students can be challenging for it is difficult for

students to visualize and relate to their reality. Using popular movie can help them visualize the concept

lively. Popular science fiction movie like X-Men is not merely imaginative and full of fantasy; it also has

relevant issue on concept of othering in Education. Therefore, instead of using it as means of teaching English

skill, it can also be used as mean of helping students easily to understand difficult and abstract concept

especially about othering in education. Deconstruction method and theory of movie for ELT is explored to

describe othering in X-Men movie and how to the use of X-Men film as the mean to teach othering in

education.It is found that X-Men provided critics of othering in education represented by negative views and

different treatments to mutantsin field of education. The practices of othering were in form of discourses like

seeing mutants as abnormal, a threat to normal people, and diseases needed curing and they were not allowed

to go to normal school. To present the othering concept in X-Men, the lesson session were divided into three

parts; previewing, viewing and post viewing.

Keywords: X-Men, movie for ELT, othering in education

Abstrak

Abstrak ditulis dalam bahasa Indonesia yang ditulis miring. Abstrak terdiri latar belakang, metode penelitian, hasil dan/atau

pembahasan, dan kesimpulan Jumlah kata dalam abstrak maksimal 250 kata

Kata kunci

: ditulis dalam bahasa Indonesia. Jumlah maksimal kata kunci adalah 5.

Journal of English Literature, Linguistic, and Education

Vol. 1 No. 1, Tahun 2020, Halaman (28-31) e-ISSN: 2721-3390

INTRODUCTION

Learning literary theory aims as a tool for

analyzing literature. The use of literary

theory to analyze literary works produces

deeper analysis. However, the teaching of

abstract literary theory requires innovative

methods and learning media so that students

easily understand it. One of the right media

used to help students understand abstract

concepts in literary theory is to use popular

films. Popular movies are effective learning

media because:

1. popular movies are ideological texts that

represent popular culture.

2. popular movies contain abstract

philosophy or concepts.

X-Men is one of the popular movies that

can be used as a medium for learning literary

theory. X-men told about discrimination

against mutants because of differences in

their appearance and abilities. In one of the

episodes of X-Men: The Last Stand,

discrimination against mutants is

represented in the human effort to "treat"

them so that they become ordinary people

and deprive their superpower abilities.

One of the concepts of literary theory that

can be taught through X-Men films is the

concept of othering. Othering is to look

down on people because they think they are

not part of themselves or their groups.

Othering arises from the binary opposition

"I vs Other" whereas "I" is considered to be

higher than "Other". in the film X-Men: The

Last Stand, the concept of othering is

reflected in the binary opposition between

"human vs mutant"

LITERATURE REVIEW

Popular films offer great potential for

learning. Champoux (1999) states that film

can improve the quality of learning that is

different from other media. Giroux (2008)

considers Hollywood films as public

pedagogy because it is an embodiment of

the dominant culture legitimized through a

process of audience identification. Morrell

(2002) even states that popular culture can

be used as a means to deconstruct dominant

ideologies and challenge oppressive

practices.

Marvel X-Men stories contain philosophical

values and concepts that can be used as

learning media. Gerde & Foster (2011) uses

X-Men comics to teach business ethics.

While Zingsheim (2011) revealed the

concepts of subjectivity and identity in the

X-Men film. Fisher (2005) found that X-

Men is an interesting representation of

boundaries between humans and animals

which is sometimes confusing.

To adopt popular movies in

teaching, there are some steps. Russell III &

Waters (2014) create model for using film in

teaching which consists of four stage; they

are 1) the preparing stage, 2) the previewing

stage, 3) watching the film stage/ viewing,

and 4) the culminating activity stage/ post

viewing.

METHODS

This research is development research. In

this study, X-Men Film was developed into

learning materials for English language and

literature. To use X-Men films for learning

about othering concepts, first of all, X-Men:

The Last Stand is described using the

deconstruction method. In this

deconstruction method, the binary

opposition in the X-Men: The Last Stand

film is exposed. Then, each side of the

binary opposition is shown which has

privilege and which is marginalized. The

results of other identification in the X-Man:

The Last Stand movie are then arranged in a

learning step in the lesson plan: pre-view,

view, and post-view. Finally, the lesson plan

was tested in class.

FINDINGS

A. Binary Opposition

In the film X-Man: The Last Stand, there are

binary opposition as follows

Binary Opposition

Human

Mutant

Normal

Abnormal

Good Health

Disease

Security

Threat / Danger

From the binary opposition above, the

othering practices in the film are

conceptualized as follows.

Journal of English Literature, Linguistic, and Education

Vol. 1 No. 1, Tahun 2020, Halaman (28-31) e-ISSN: 2721-3390

1. Mutant As Abnormal

In the film X-Men: The Last Stand, mutants

differ from humans in genetic terms.

Mutants are humans undergoing genetic

mutations due to various things including

due to human laboratory experiments

themselves. However, this difference is

precisely the reason humans consider

mutants to be abnormal humans. Humans

are generally considered a standard of

normality while mutants are a deviation

from that normality.

As a result, humans look down on mutants

because they are not considered to be whole

human beings. There is a deficiency in

mutants that makes them lower than

humans. Moreover, many mutants have

appearances such as wild animals such as

lions, or other strange forms.

Therefore, being a mutant is a bad choice,

there is no good in it so it should mutant

follow the "healing" program organized by

the government.

Mr. Worthington : Everything’s going to be fine.

Warren : Wait, I can’t do this.

Mr. Worthington : Yes you can. Just relax son.

Take it easy, calm down. I promise you it will be

fine Warren, relax.(Warren breaks away from the

bond)

Mr. Worthington : Warren it’s a better life, it’s

what we all want.

Warren : No, it’s what you want.

2. Mutant as a disease

In the film X-Men: The Last Stand, physical

differences and super mutant abilities are

considered a disease that must be cured.

Therefore, drugs in the form of specially

made to mutant like ordinary humans and

lose their superhuman strength.

Dr. Hank : A major pharmacentical

company has developed a mutant antibody. A way

to suppresed the mutant gene.

Wolverine : Suppress?

Dr. Hank : Permanently. They calling it a

cure.

Storm : That’s ridiculous. You can’t cure a

mutant.

Dr. Hank : Scientifically speaking...

Storm : When did we become a disease?

3. Mutant as danger for human

Super mutant ability is not considered as

extraordinary potential but a threat to

humans. Humans are threatened by the

presence of mutants whose powers are

beyond the control of ordinary humans.

Mutants are considered enemies because of

the refusal of government programs that

force mutants to be "treated" as human

beings. The government even uses military

force to capture and dissolve special schools

for mutants such as schools led by Professor

B. Teaching Othering in Classroom

To teach the concept of othering in class,

the X-Men: The Last Stand film was cut in

several parts / scenes. Each stretch of a

maximum of 10 minutes contains about the

practice of othering in the X-Men film.

1. Pre-viewing

In the previewing activity, the teacher

introduces the main plot of the X-Men film:

The Last Stand to give students an idea of

the film's story. In addition, students are

given an exercise sheet to find binary

opposition or conflicting parties in the film

and characterization of the hostile parties.

2. Viewing

At the viewing stage, X-Men: The Last

Stand is played and the students are filmed.

When students watch, they work on the

exercise sheet that has been distributed.

3. Post-viewing

At this stage, the lecturer discusses the

results of student answers. The lecturer

guides students to understand the concept

of othering by giving real examples in film.

CONCLUSION

Popular films have great potential as a

learning medium because besides many

people like popular films, they also offer

ideological texts and abstract philosophy /

concepts. Therefore, popular films can be

used to explain abstraction concepts taught

in literary courses.

X-Men: The Last Stand can be used as a

medium to explain about othering concepts

in literary theory. In learning othering

concepts, the X-Men: The Last Stand film

Journal of English Literature, Linguistic, and Education

Vol. 1 No. 1, Tahun 2020, Halaman (28-31) e-ISSN: 2721-3390

was cut in several clips containing othering

concepts. The selected clip is then presented

in the lesson.

REFERENCES

Champoux, J. E. (1999). Film as a Teaching

Resource. Journal of Management

Inquiry, 8(2), 206–217.

https://doi.org/10.1177/105649269

982016

Christopher L. Fisher (2005) Animals,

humans and x-men: Human

uniqueness and the meaning of

personhood, Theology and

Science, 3:3, 291-

314, DOI: 10.1080/14746700500317

289

Gerde, V.W. & Foster, R.S. J Bus Ethics

(2008) 77: 245.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-

006-9347-3

Giroux, Henry A. 2008. Hollywood Film as

Public Pedagogy Education in the

Crossfire, Afterimage: The Journal

Jason Zingsheim (2011) X-Men Evolution:

Mutational Identity and Shifting

Subjectivities, Howard Journal of

Communications, 22:3, 223-

239, DOI: 10.1080/10646175.2011.5

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Morrell, Ernest. “Toward a Critical

Pedagogy of Popular Culture:

Literacy Development among Urban

Youth.” Journal of Adolescent &

Adult Literacy, vol. 46, no. 1, 2002,

pp. 72–77. JSTOR,

www.jstor.org/stable/40017507.

Russell III, William B & Waters, Steward

(2014). Developing Character in

Middle School Students: A

Cinematic Approach, The Clearing

House: A Journal of Edcation

Strategies, Issues and Ideas, 87:4,

161-167, DOI:

10.1080/00098655.2014.888046

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Journal of English Literature, Linguistic, and Education

Vol. 1 No. 1, Tahun 2020, Halaman (28-31) e-ISSN: 2721-3390