Sociology 216 - Topic: Sociology of Media

This course provides an overview of sociological research on mass media. Students will explore the social impact of mass media from several different scholarly perspectives, including the early Chicago School, the Columbia School tradition, the Frankfurt School tradition, field theory, and more recent work from cultural sociology. The relationship between democracy and the media will be a central theme throughout the semester. The course concludes with an investigation into the possible strengths and limitations of new media formats, including blogs and social media. To help gain a stronger understanding of mass media's social impact, students will develop their own research projects that analyze the manner in which a particular type of mass media covers a specific topic or issue.