Sociology 270 - Media, Technology and Sociology

The mass media are an important social institution that reflects and shapes norms and values. But the processes governing media production and reception are often taken for granted, immersed as we are in a highly mediated social world where preconceived notions about "the media" and its effects hold sway. This class will challenge conventional wisdom about how media and communication technologies work by critically exploring the history of media institutions, assessing the media's powers of persuasion, focusing on media as an occupation, and examining the struggles over media representation by marginalized groups across traditional media and new digital platform. Prerequisite: SOC 101. Enrollment limited to 35.