A Critical Discourse Analysis of Digital Advertisements of Precollege Programs: Ethical Considerations for College Recruiting

• In Event: Sunday Roundtable Session 3:05 pm
  In Roundtable Session: Engaging Critical Discourse Analysis and Systematic Literature Review Methods to Study College Access and Success (Table 24)

Abstract

While algorithms in our day-to-day life can be helpful (e.g., movie suggestions on Netflix), scholars, journalists, and data scientists have discussed the harm in algorithmic bias particularly for marginalized communities. This can be problematic when considering the type of content or targeted advertisements high school students receive as they make decisions about college. Drawing from a critical ethnography with high school juniors from the San Joaquin Valley, I explore inequities in college marketing and digital advertising. I use critical discourse analysis (CDA) to examine the relationship between discourse around college marketing and advertising and the ways that it can be used as a mechanism for social control and influence of students pursuing higher education.

Author

• Patricia Martin, University of California - Los Angeles