MICKEY MOUSE AND MULTICULTURALISM: DISNEY’S GLOBAL CAPITALISM
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Date
2020
Authors
Griggs, Taylor
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Oregon
Abstract
This thesis aims to examine the limitations of the Walt Disney Company’s attempts at
including diverse representations of marginalized people in their popular films, including
Aladdin (1992), Pocahontas (1995), The Princess and the Frog (2009) and Moana (2016). It
examines how Disney has succeeded and failed in its representations of diverse groups, given the
fact that it exists as a multibillion dollar enterprise in a globalist, capitalist world. This paper
examines the positive impact that diverse representations can have, especially on young
audiences, and the authenticity, or lack thereof, of these representations, using Marxist and
Neo-Marxist frameworks. Ultimately, the thesis concludes that based on the research conducted,
because of the complexities and nuances of capitalism and the fact that it is impossible to have
authentic representation even with seemingly strong attempts to do so, Disney films will always
exist in a system that has exploited the marginalized people they are now intent on representing
in their films, and it is not possible to have actual authentic representation of these marginalized
groups under multicultural capitalism without a major economic shift.
Description
Submitted to the Undergraduate Library Research Award scholarship competition: 2020 .32 pages
Keywords
Disney films, representations of marginalized people, authenticity