Portrayals of Minorities in Media x Professor Chia-Hsin Yeh

Professor Chia-Hsin Yeh is an expert in the Linguistics field, who is committed to guiding his students toward academic success. He is known for his methodical and motivational teaching style and consistently provides clear and judicious instructions, as well as valuable suggestions to ensure that students achieve the best possible learning outcomes. In the classroom, Professor Yeh is passionate about fostering international cultural exchange and encouraging lively in-class discussions.

Currently, Professor Yeh is teaching the Portrayals of Minorities in Media course in IMICS, which he has offered five times at the College of Communication by far. The overarching course objectives are to improve media literacy and social awareness concerning minority issues, such as racism, sexism, and ageism, in traditional and social media. Through case studies, discourse analyses, and cross-cultural comparisons, students can gain an understanding of media representations and the challenges faced by minority groups.

The course aims to cultivate critical thinking and sensitivity towards minorities, as well as cognitive dissonance reduction. The course structure encompasses research methods, social identity theory, cultivation theory, case studies, empathy, and theoretical implications for media literacy and cognitive dissonance. Topics covered include diverse ethnic and indigenous groups, new immigrants, LGBTQIA+ issues, ageism, etc.

In class, students are encouraged to compare and discuss media portrayals of minority groups in Taiwan and other countries to gain a deeper understanding of relevant issues, causes, and effects. Through exchanging perspectives, they are able to acquire higher media literacy and skills that prepare them to become qualified media practitioners.

Tillie Chen, a second-year IMICS student from Taiwan, expressed that she appreciates the course material covered in class, as it exposes her to topics she typically does not encounter. She also noted that the Johari Window assignment has helped her understand herself more profoundly and comprehensively.

Yulgong Lee, a second-year IMICS student from Korea, also shared his thoughts on the class, stating that "Before taking the class I was already interested in the representation of minorities in contemporary media. Through the class, I got valuable experience and ways of thinking more than I expected. With the professor's guide, we could share our opinions and practical examples of the representation of diverse groups of minorities in media from a variety of counties and societies. As a student studying communication and culture, it was an unforgettable experience to listen to the contemporary situations and phenomena from international classmates from all over the world from their own perspectives. Due to this experience, I could develop my further research topics and interests as a master's degree student."

IMICS provides a wide range of courses taught by expert scholars in various fields, including Communication & Technology, International Communication & Culture, and Communication & Marketing. We warmly invite prospective students to join our program and embark on a journey of learning and growth with IMICS toward becoming a skilled media professional.