Independent study in special subjects.

Independent study in special subjects.

This course examines the vast store of folklore inspired by and directed at alcoholic beverages and their cultural reach. Folklore means traditional expressive practices ranging from the verbal arts (such as stories and songs) to material culture (such as crafts and medicine) to customary activities (such as rituals and beliefs). The range of folklore herein is both global and ancient; that is, it concerns the entire history of alcohol, which necessitates attention to the entire history of humanity in a global perspective. Virtually all kinds of alcoholic beverages will be examined.

In this seminar, we will explore the role of media (television, Internet, video games, mobile media, film, etc.) in shaping the lives of children and teens. We will consider how much time children devote to various media, what they think about what they encounter through media, and the implications of media for children's lives.

We live in an age of ongoing global protest, growing authoritarianism, and permanent conflict and crisis in both advanced liberal democracies in the West and fragile states in the global South. This class reflects on the normative ideals that media institutions, producers and users should uphold to foster ethical relationships of responsibility and hospitality toward marginalized communities.

The notion that contemporary times are characterized in part by a "consumer culture" permeates many vernacular as well as scholarly analyses. In this course we will examine what people mean by the term "consumer culture" and what particular kinds of social arrangements and ideologies this term attempts to capture for analysis or critique. We will aim for empirical and theoretical comparison across historical, cross-cultural, and disciplinary perspectives.

This course is designed to offer a framework for understanding the processes involved in news production and its impact on public opinion. We will examine various social forces that shape news content, including individual, political, economic, and institutional factors. We will also examine research and theory on the implications of today's new media environment, with a focus on its relationship with citizens' engagement in public life. This course serves as an Integrative Experience (IE) requirement for BA-COMM majors.

This course is a graded introduction to the Communication major, designed to welcome advanced transfer students into the program and address some of their specific needs. This course builds on prior college experiences and introduces students to resources for upper-level UMass Communication majors.

This course is a graded introduction to the Communication major, designed to welcome advanced transfer students into the program and address some of their specific needs. This course builds on prior college experiences and introduces students to resources for upper-level UMass Communication majors.

We will view, analyze, and discuss films by modern documentary masters such as Michael Moore ("Sicko"), Chris Paine, ("Revenge of the Electric Car"), Seth Gordon ("The King of Kong - A fistful of Quarters"), Pamela Yates ("Granito") and many others to further the understanding of the documentary craft and art from a filmmaker's perspective. Students will also do preproduction (research and treatment) for their own short documentary, along with shorter hands-on exercises in writing narration, interview techniques, etc.