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University of Florida

Politics of Representation in Discourse


UF Faculty: Pasha Agoes
Department: William & Grace Dial Center for Speech and Communication Studies
College: College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Partner Faculty: Andari Karina Anom
Department: School of Computer and Creative Arts (SoCCA), Communications Program
Partner Institution: Binus University International
Title: The Politics of Representation in Colonial and Neo-colonial Discourse
Project Description: Students will engage in cross-cultural academic exchange, critically analyzing how political communication has historically shaped and continues to influence the representation of colonial and neo-colonial discourse. This collaboration will enhance students' ability to work effectively in global teams and develop a comparative understanding of political messaging across diverse geopolitical and historical contexts.
Learning Outcomes:
  1. To demonstrate the applications of orientalism and colonialism in the present day globally. The purpose is to teach students a collection of examples on how orientalism and colonialism are applied today through media, arts, politics, business and global human relations. Bloom’s Taxonomy Level 3: Applying.
  2. To explain the role of communication in understanding the concepts and applications of orientalism and colonialism. Bloom’s Taxonomy Level 6: Creating.
  3. To explain the concepts of media and politics, political party and modern ideology, policy process and agenda setting, and global political communication (Good governance, human development, and mass communication). Bloom’s Taxonomy Level 2: Understanding.
Participating Countries: Indonesia
Number of Participants: 29 UF Students; 22 Binus University International Students
Discipline: Political Science
UF Course Code & Name: IDS2935 - Quest 1 Course: Orientalism and Colonialism
Project Duration: 4 Weeks
Activity Type(s):
  • Student-to-Student Dialogue
  • Student-to-Student Project
  • Virtual Guest Speaker
Time allotted to each activity:
  • Synchronous activities: 1 hour/week
  • Asynchronous Activities: 1 hour/week
  • Local group activities: 1 hour/week
  • Individual work: 2 hours/week
Technology Tools:
  • Zoom
  • Canva
  • Padlet
  • WhatsApp
  • E-mail
  • Microsoft Teams
Sequence of Activities:
  • Icebreaker:

Icebreaker: Students will introduce each other via Zoom

Time allotted: 5 minutes

  • Engagement Activity:
  1.   Students take pre-virtual exchange survey 
  2.   Welcome to the VE experience 
  3. Lecture by each one of the instructors 
  4. Technology and communication tools and protocols 
  5.   List of students and contact information (email) 
  • Collaboration Activity:

Each group chooses one of the following topics (or proposes their own with approval):

  1. Media Representations of the Middle East and Asia – How Colonial-Era Stereotypes Persist in Modern Political Messaging.
  2. Propaganda and Colonial Rule – How colonial governments used political communication to justify their dominance.
  3. Orientalism in Political Speeches – How Political Figures Frame "the East" in Their Rhetoric.
  4. Postcolonial Resistance and Political Messaging – How independence movements used political communication to resist colonial rule.
  5. Hollywood, the News Media, and the "War on Terror" – How Orientalist narratives shape contemporary global politics.
  • Reflection Activity:

Students will post 1 discussion post and respond to two others weekly via Canvas.