The pirate fairy as a powerful means for engaging audiences of all ages in societal and cultural discourses

Lee, Paean (2025) The pirate fairy as a powerful means for engaging audiences of all ages in societal and cultural discourses. Final Year Project, UTAR.

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Abstract

Children's media is primarily designed to entertain, educate younger audiences, typically expressed through TV shows, short animations, and storybooks. These purposes can be illustrated by the example of The Pirate Fairy (2014), which feature bright visuals and straightforward narrative elements. However, to argue the assertion that this type of media is solely for entertainment and limited to children, this study, particularly through the film mentioned and Peter Pan (1953) (supporting source), aims to investigate how children’s media serves as a powerful tool in engaging audiences of various age groups within contemporary societal and cultural discussions, proving to be more impactful than other media channels like news and social media. By applying Social Identity Theory (SIT) and Media Narratives (MNs), this research finds that both films incorporate the social and cultural themes of gender and class, leadership and profession roles, group membership that could significantly contribute to individuals' cognitive, emotional, and social growth. Additionally, Comparative Historical Analysis (CHA) is utilized to highlight these themes, revealing whether stereotypes are reinforced or diminished within the narratives, thus allowing viewers of all ages to process and reinterpret their perspectives based on their knowledge and experiences. This analysis confirms that children’s narratives (as of the two movies) possesses the characteristics of universality, multilayered storytelling, and fantastical settings that are seldom found in other media forms, which can spark meaningful commitment from children, teenagers, and adults regarding social and cultural progress.

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