JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY COURSE CODE: "COM 220-1" COURSE NAME: "Media, Culture and Society" SEMESTER & YEAR: Spring Semester 2012

SYLLABUS INSTRUCTOR: Biggs Colin EMAIL: [email protected] HOURS: TTH 14:30-15:45 TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45 CREDITS: 3 PREREQUISITES: Prerequisite: COM 111 OFFICE HOURS: By appointment

COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course aims at providing students with a basic knowledge of the major themes and approaches in the literature regarding the relationship between media, culture and society. It analyses: •The development of media systems from historical, current, & future-oriented perspectives •The relationship between media and economic forces •How encoding, decoding, and semiotics apply to media analysis •How media reinforce stereotypes and cultural myths.

SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT: This course explores the impact of mass communications on society and culture. This involves examining the relationship between media and democracy, and probing deeply as to how we as audiences and participants negotiate media in our lives. We examine how symbols and communication strategies vary in the context of different media forms, from books to television, and from the Internet to cell phones. We explore institutional pressures and filters that impact and frame media flows, including the influence of governments, corporations and citizen activists. Some important themes include the difference between information and entertainment (and when they converge as infotainment); the impact of convergence media; the coding of race, gender and others social and cultural groups; the impact (“effects”) of media on audiences; and the relationship between media and globalisation.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: To be able to critically evaluate media. To learn how to analyse an assortment of media forms.

TEXTBOOK: NONE

REQUIRED RESERVED READING: NONE RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING: NONE

GRADING POLICY -ASSESSMENT METHODS: Assignment Guidelines Weight n/a     Participation Regular attendance and active participation in class discussion 10% Group presentation Small group presentation on a chosen medium 15% Group project Building on group presentation 25% Final examination Conventional course final exam 50% -ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:  Grades: 94-100: A 90-93: A- 87-89: B+ 84-86: B 80-83: B- 75-79: C+ 70-74: C 65-69: C- 60-64: D+ 55-59: D 50-54: D- Below 50: F -ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS: Classes often cover material not in the required readings. More importantly, the class is build around discussion. Students who miss class do poorly on exams and it impacts the final grade, so not only is your attendance grade impacted by absences, but your test grades will be too. Students are allowed up to two unexcused absences. Three or more unexcused absences will result in an F. Additionally you are required to be in class every day on time, just as you would for a job. What is excused is at the instructor's discretion, so you are best served by discussing situations and extraordinary circumstances whenever possible.

ACADEMIC HONESTY As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.

STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.

SCHEDULE

The following syllabus is indicative. It may be revised by the beginning of the course - although not radically - to incorporate emerging issues of direct relevance and topicality. Week 1: Course Introduction: Media and Culture Week 2: Media Evolution 1 Week 3: Media Evolution 2 Week 4: Political Economy Week 5: Semiotics and Intertextuality Week 6: Journalism and Infotainment Week 7: Review and Midterm Exam Week 8: Advertising and Attention Week 9: The Representation of Gender and Race in the Media Week 10: Research Paper Week Week 11: Audiences Week 12: Effects Week 13: Democracy and Controls Week 14: Globalisation N.B. The course schedule is an outline only. Modifications are inevitable Topic Required readings home- and in-class work Week 1 7-9 Sept Intro Media and Culture Ch 1 A Cultural Approach to Communication http://www3.niu.edu/acad/gunkel/coms465/carey.html Questioning the Media CH 1 O'Connor A. and Downing J., Culture and Communication Communication Theory- Fiske (in Introduction to Communication Studies) handouts will be provided Complete the assignments and be ready to tackle the activities of the day. Be ready to discuss and debate ideas, approaches and opinions. Week 2 14-16 Sept 17 Sept (make up day for thanksgiving holiday) Media Evolution and Culture Books and Radio (Media and Culture Ch 4 and 10) Television and Cable (Media and Culture Ch 5 and 6) QM Ch 2 Sreberny-Mohammadi, Forms of Media as Ways of Knowing QM 4 Winston How are media born and developed Curran and Seaton (2003) The Sociology of the Mass Media (?) Complete the assignments and be ready to tackle the activities of the day. Be ready to discuss and debate ideas, approaches and opinions. Week 3 21-23 sept Media Evolution and Culture Media and Culture Ch 2 the Internet Webster, F. (2005). Making sense of the information age. Information, Communication & Society, 8(4), 439-458. Excerpt From Phd Thesis, Seganti F.R, (2007) Interpretations Of The Concept Of Community In The New Media Age (Handouts will be provided) Complete the assignments and be ready to tackle the activities of the day. Be ready to discuss and debate ideas, approaches and opinions. Week 4 28 30Sept Political Economy Media and Culture Ch 13 QM 5 Herman Media in the U.S. political economy Klaehn, J. (2002). A Critical Review and Assessment of Herman and Chomsky's 'Propaganda Model'. European Journal of Communication, 17(2), 147. (handouts will be provided) Patterson, T. (2007). Comparing Media Systems: Three Models of Media and Politics, by Daniel C. Hallin and Paolo Mancini. Political Communication, 24(3), 329-331. Complete the assignments and be ready to tackle the activities of the day. Be ready to discuss and debate ideas, approaches and opinions. Week 5 5 7 oct Semiotics and Intertextuality Jostein Gripsrud from Understanding Media Culture Chapter 4 - Semiotics Fredric Jameson - Postmodernism and Consumer Society Jonathan Gray (2006) Intertextuality and the Study of texts (handouts will be provided) Geraghty, L. (2005). Creating and Comparing Myth in Twentieth-Century Science Fiction: Star Trek and Star Wars. Literature Film Quarterly, 33(3), 191-200. Retrieved from Communication & Mass Media Complete database. Complete the assignments and be ready to tackle the activities of the day. Be ready to discuss and debate ideas, approaches and opinions. Week 6 12 15 oct Journalism/ Infotainment Newspapers and Magazines (Media and Culture Ch 8, 9) QM Ch 8 Rodriguez, Control Mechanism of National News Making: Britain, Canada, Mexico and the United States Keeble, R. (2001). Chapter 5: Dumbing down or dumbing up? The tabloidisation controversy. (pp. 61-70). Routledge. Retrieved from Communication & Mass Media Complete database. Complete the assignments and be ready to tackle the activities of the day. Be ready to discuss and debate ideas, approaches and opinions. Week 7 19 21 oct Review Midterm (21 October) Week 8 26 29 oct Advertising and Attention Media and Culture Ch 11 QM 19 Advertising and Consumer Culture Film: Merchants of Cool Presentations: Alt.Everything: The Youth Maret and the Marketing Of Cool, by Naomi Klein Point of Purchase: New Yorkers Learn to Shop by Sharon Zukin Week 9 2-5 nov Gender and Race QM 18 Van Zoonen L. Gender, representation and the media QM20 Racism and the American Way of Media Presentations: Smoke and Mirrors: Circulating Racial Images in Cigarette Advertising, By Fern L. Johnson Gangsta Culture—Sexism and Misogyny, By bell hooks The Oppositional Gaze: Black Female Spectators, By bell hooks Artistic Integrity: Race and Accountability, By bell hooks Week 10 9.11 nov Proposal and rough outline due : November 9 Final Paper due date: December 9 Research Paper Week Stuart Hall and Cultural Studies: Decoding Cultural Oppression, By Kenneth Allan I will ask you questions about the theories or angles of inquiry discussed in class (i.e. mythology, ideology, hegemony, technological adaptation, infotainment, etc.). This week is dedicated to: •Understanding the assignment •Choosing a topic •Formulating a thesis / research question •Picking the right sources •Incorporating sources into the final paper Week 11 16 18 nov Audiences and Effects Media and Culture Ch 15 QM 12 Ang The Nature of the Audience Jenkins III, H. (1988). Star Trek Rerun, Reread, Rewritten: Fan Writing as Textual Poaching. Critical Studies in Mass Communication, 5(2), 85. Retrieved from Communication & Mass Media Complete database. Presentations: Bahrami, B., Lavie, N., & Rees, G. (2007). Attentional load modulates responses of human primary visual cortex to invisible stimuli. Current Biology, 17, 509–513 Connor, S. (2007) Subliminal messages do reach your brain – but you won’t know it, the Independent Online, 9 Marzo Stuart, R (1993) How a Publicity Blitz Created the Myth of Subliminal Advertising.” Public Relations Quarterly. Winter 1993 (pp. 12-17). Jenkins H (1992) How texts become real, Textual Poacher: Television Fans and Participatory Culture, Routledge, pp.51-87 Week 12 23 Nov Thanks Giving Effects Gunter B. (2008) Media Violence. Is there a case for causality? American Behavioral Scientist, 51 (8), pp. 1061-1122 Mastronardi M. (2003) Adolescence and Media. Journal of Language and Social Psychology 22(1). Pp.83-93 Film: Tough Guise Presentations: Raymond Williams (1990) "Effects of Technology and its uses" Television, Technology and Cultural Form Routledge pp.112-127 David Gauntlett and Annette Hill (1999) Television Violence and Other Controversies, TV Living: Television, Culture and Everyday Life Routledge pp.248 288 Week 13 30 nov 2 dic Democracy and Controls Media and Culture Ch 14 and 16 QM 13 Gandy Tracking the Audience Clip: The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere -- A Fairy Tale (2 1/2 minute video) Presentations: Pieter Boeder, Habermas Heritage: the future of the public sphere in the network society, First Monday, volume 10, number 9 ( September 2005) Cass R. Sunstein, "The Daily We: Is the Internet really a blessing for democracy?." Boston Review, October 20, 2003 available online Mark, Whipple, "The Dewey-Lippmann debate today: Negotiating the Divide Between Participatory and Elitist Models of Democracy" Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association, Hilton San Francisco & Renaissance Parc 55 Hotel, San Francisco, CA,, Aug 14, 2004 (available online) David Jennings, "Why the net won't turn us all into social isolationists" (contra Sunstein) (available online) Jessica Clark and Paul Aufderheide, "Public Media 2.0: Dynamic, Engaged Publics" (available online) Week 14 7-9 dic Globalization Final Paper due QM 21 Mohammadi Cultural Imperialism and Cultural Identity Presentations: Sreberny A. (1995) Global News Media Cover the World Questioning the Media Gillespie, M. (1995) Local Uses of the Media: Negotiating Culture and Identity, Television Ethnicity and Cultural Change, Routledge, pp.76-108 Mitra, A. (2005). Creating immigrant identities in cybernetic space: examples from a non-resident Indian website. Media, Culture & Society, 27(3), 371-390. Tsagarousianou, R. (1999). Gone to the Market? The development of Asian and Greek-Cypriot community media in Britain. Javnost/The Public 6(2), pp. 55-69 http://www.javnost-thepublic.org/media/datoteke/1999-1-tsagarousianou.pdf