Media Literacy

This course will provide an overview of the theories, tensions, and debates within the study of critical media literacy as it applies to K-12 classrooms and community organizations. Current practical and analytic research in this area will be examined. This course has a required civic engagement component; students will work with and on behalf of youth in the community on media literacy-related projects. This course is one of the required courses for the Media Literacy Certificate and satisfies the Integrative Experience requirement for BA-Comm majors.

Countercultural Films

An exploration of the counter-cultural movements of the 1960s and 70s and later, hosted by someone who was there and lived to tell the tale. Through the medium of documentary and fiction films, we will delve into the musical, sexual, artistic, political and spiritual upheavals that rocked America and Europe back then and that continue to reverberate today. This course satisfies the Integrative Experience requirement for BA-Comm majors.

Social Impact of Mass Media

This course explores the influence of the mass media on the social world, particularly the media's impact on audiences. We will investigate various approaches utilized to determine if, when, and how media influence viewers, listeners, and readers. We will examine this issue from both scientific and cultural studies perspectives. Some of the questions we will consider include: How does television violence impact society and individuals? Can watching sex on television and film lead to teenage promiscuity?

LGBT Politics and the Media

This course aims to further understanding about 1) historical trends in media portrayals and public opinion about LGBT issues; 2) the effects of mass media on attitudes toward sexual and gender minorities; 3) the interplay of LGBT issues and electoral politics; and 4) the evolving role of sexuality and gender identity/expression in U.S. politics and society. (Gen. Ed. SB, DU)

S-Survey/Performance Studies

This course is intended as a survey in performance studies. As such, the foundational tenets and histories of the field will be reviewed and then lead into contemporary and interdisciplinary discussions. We will examine a range of theories, methodologies, and practices that make up the field and address US based as well as transnational performance studies.

Media and Prejudice

The way social groups are portrayed in the media is widely assumed to have consequences for levels of prejudice and stereotyping in the mass public. Moreover, the vast majority of speculations assume negative consequences, that is, exposure causing increases in levels of stereotyping and prejudice. We will critically evaluate both assumptions, with a particular emphasis on furthering understanding about the psychological processes through which media exposure may not only increase but also decrease stereotyping and prejudice.

Research Methods

This course is designed to engage with the methods of qualitative and quantitative research, to examine the possible research questions that different methods allow, to understand the limits and the potential of various methods, to conceptualize and execute a group research project and apply its methods, and to reflect on the role of Communication research and the ways it helps us to know ourselves and the world. Satisfies the Integrative Experience requirement for BA-Comm majors.
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