Course Syllabus

JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "COM 220-3"
COURSE NAME: "Media, Culture and Society"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Spring 2015

SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Lorenza Parisi
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS: TTH 11:30 AM 12:45 PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES: Prerequisite: COM 111
OFFICE HOURS: by appointment

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course examines the mass media as complex social institutions that exercise multiple roles in society—none more crucial than the circulation and validation of social discourses. Introducing students to a variety of theoretical approaches, the course focuses on media operations and textual analysis.

SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:

This course examines the close links between media, culture and society in reference to various topic areas including but not limited to the following: Specific Media including Print Media, Radio, Television & the Internet; Advertising; Media Effects; Media Values & Ethics; Media Literacy; Representation and Stereotyping.

The structure of the media industries is examined, along with the economic, social and political forces that influence the operation of these media and, conversely, how the media structure and influence those same forces. The content of entertainment and news media is analyzed considering the underlying ideas and values presented in this media content, as well as the portrayal of various groups. The role of the audience for media is explored by examining how media organizations seek out and measure the audiences for their products, and to what extent audiences are served by these media. The potential influence of media on people’s attitudes, beliefs and behaviors is discussed. The course also focuses on emerging media based on digital technologies.

This is a lecture and discussion course. We will shift back and forth between discussing theoretical and practical issues in relation to the media and their relation to society. Lectures and discussions will be supported with screenings and presentation of films, televisions programs and other media content. Students are encouraged to propose their own choice of media material for the class.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

Primary Objectives

• To familiarize oneself with and develop a firm understanding of key issues in the fields of Media Studies, Cultural Studies, and Sociology.

• To be exposed to and analyze issues stemming from the nexus of media, culture, and society.

Secondary Objectives

• To develop and sharpen one’s critical thinking skills both in oral and written communication.

• To advance one’s ability to produce written texts of varying according to formal academic citation styles.

TEXTBOOK:

Book Title	Author	Publisher	ISBN number	Library Call Number	Comments	Format	Local Bookstore	Online Purchase
Media, Culture and Society: An Introduction	Paul Hodkinson	Sage	978-1412920537

REQUIRED RESERVED READING:

NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:

NONE

GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:

Assignment	Guidelines	Weight
Class Participation	Class participation consists of your contributions to class discussions and other activities. Classroom participation is encouraged and emphasized. Students are required to come to class having completed the assigned readings.	10% of final grade
Intellectual Autobiography	A one-page intellectual autobiography or a one-page letter addressed to me in which you explain your intellectual and cultural life. This will give me a sense of who you are, what your interests and aspirations are. Also, this exercise will hopefully help you focus and start the semester with a clear mind.	Not Graded
Midterm Exam	short answers and one final essay question.	25% of final grade
Final Exam	short answers and one final essay question.	25 % of final grade
Final paper	Final Paper Requirements: A formal assignment will be handed out after the midterm exam. Term Project proposals are due no later than March 31. The completed papers are due on the last day of classes (April 30).	30% of the final grade
Attendance	See below	10% of final grade

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the c
BThis is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.
CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.
DThis level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.
FThis work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.

-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Please note that frequent absences automatically lower your participation grade.

Also consider that three unexcused absences (those not justified by a medical certificate or a note from the administration) will result in your final grade for the course to be dropped by one letter grade. Anything above five unexcused absences will result in failure.

Lateness: Students more than 10 minutes late are marked as absent. Late arrival (less than 10 minutes) is marked as such, and 3 late arrivals are counted as one absence.

Class procedure: Students are requested to make sure their cell phones are turned off (and not just muted) at the start of class.

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 course is structured around readings, short lectures, related in-class activities, discussions, and the occasional screening of film and/or video excerpts.

The following schedule provides a general overview of the topics and themes that we will cover throughout the course. Specific details and additional readings will be revealed/assigned on a weekly basis.

Please note that a Moodle Page will be used as support to share updates and news, to collect assignments, to archive readings and other course materials.

WEEK 1 (19-25 January)

- Course introduction: Media, culture and society

Demarcating the field

Approaches to media

Media, Culture And Society, Chapter 1

- Media technologies

Chronology of communications media and the rise of mass media

Models of communication

Technological determinism vs social construction of media

Media, Culture And Society, Chapter 2

WEEK 2 (26 January – 1 February)

- Society and Mass Communication

Mass society

Propaganda and Magic bullet theory

Assignment: Intellectual Autobiography (due to January 25)

Screening: 'Why we fight' and 'War of the Worlds'

- Media effects

Limited effect paradigm

Uses and gratifications

Functionalism

Media, Culture And Society, Chapter 5

Readings:

Katz Elihu & Lazarsfeld Paul F., (1955). “Between media and mass/the part played by people/the two-step flow of communication”, in Boyd-Barrett, O. & Newbold, C. (eds.) (1995), Approaches to Media: A Reader. New York: St. Martin's Pres, pp. 124-134.

Katz E., Blumler J. G. & Gurevich M., (1974). “Utilization of mass communications by the individuals”, in Boyd-Barrett & O. & Newbold, C. (eds.) (1995), Approaches to Media: A Reader. New York: St. Martin's Pres, pp. 164-173.

WEEK 3 (2 February – 8 February)

- Media Industry

Media outlets, ownership and regulation

Media, Culture And Society, Chapter 3

Reading: Edward Herman, (1995). “Media in U.S. Political Economy”, in J. Downing, A. Mohammadi, & A. Srebemy-Mohammadi (eds.), Questioning the Media, Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications, pp. 77-93.

- Media and the public Sphere

Globalization, Fragmentation, Commercialization

Media, Culture And Society, Chapter 9

WEEK 4 (9 February – 15 February)

- Information: Commodity or Public Resource?

Public and Commercial Mass Media Systems

Media, Culture And Society, Chapter 8

Reading: Lichtenberg, J. (1990). “Foundations and limits of freedom of the press”, in D. McQuail (Ed.) (2002), McQuail's Reader in Mass Communication Theory. London: SAGE, pp. 172 - 182

- Commercial media systems

Screening: The Prime Minister and the Press (2003)

WEEK 5 (16 February – 22 February)

- The agenda setting theory.
Media and the construction of reality.

Media, Culture And Society, Chapter 7

- The spiral of the silence. The news making.

Exercise: news values analysis.

Reading: available on Moodle.

WEEK 6 (23 February – 1 March)

- Advertising and Global Economy

Screening: ‘Consuming kids’ (some extracts)

Reading: D. Kellner (1990). “Advertising and Consumer Culture”, in J. Downing, A. Mohammadi, & A. Srebemy-Mohammadi (eds.), Questioning the Media, Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications, pp. 242-254.

- Consumer culture

WEEK 7 (2 March – 8 March)

- Exploring consumer culture

- Miderm (5 March)

WEEK 8 (9 March – 15 March)

- Media as Forms of Manipulation?

Frankfurt School/ Critical theory

Media, Culture And Society, Chapter 6

- The 'spectacularization' of society

Media, Culture And Society, Chapter 13

- Screening: Black Mirror episode (The Waldo moment, 43 min)

WEEK 9 (16 March – 22 March)

- Introducing cultural studies

Media, Culture And Society, Chapter 5

- Media in Everyday Life/ Audience research

WEEK 10 (23 March – 29 March)

- Media text and popular culture

Media, Culture And Society, Chapter 4

- Media text

Discourse analysis and content analysis

WEEK 11 (30 March – 5 April)

- Methods for studying the media

Exploring quantitative and qualitative approaches

- Media communities: subcultures and fans

Media, Culture And Society, Chapter 12

Readings: Jenkins, H. (2002). “Interactive audiences? The collective intelligence of media fans”.

SPRING BREAK: 6 -10 April

WEEK 12 (13 April – 19 April)

- How media shape social identities?

- Media, Gender and Sexual Identity

Media, Culture And Society, Chapter 11

Screening: Women’s bodies

WEEK 13 (20 April – 26 April)

- Media, Gender and Sexual Identity

- The rise of networked individualism and the network society

WEEK 14 (27 April – 30 April)

- Introducing new media

Exploring interactivity, hypertextuality, multimediality, personalization

- Review

WEEK 15

FINAL EXAM (May, 5)