American Studies 220 - COLQ:CULT STUDIES OF NEW MEDIA

Topics course. This is a survey course designed to introduce students to new directions within media studies. We consider two intersecting developments: the uptake of a broader range of social theory within media studies during the past decade and critical attempts to theorize and make sense of the changing media landscape. We pay particular attention to what constitutes "new media," focusing on how scholars have worked to understand developments such as social media, YouTube, surveillance, gaming, apps and "smart" technology, interactivity, celebrity culture, convergence and the rise of biometrics.  Rather than theorize "new media" as neutral, we attend to the politics of race, gender, sexuality and capitalism throughout the course. (E)