SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION
CMNS 110-3

INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNICATION THEORY

The aim of this course is to provide a general introduction to a range of theories that seek to explain why we communicate as we do. The first part of the course deals with communication in the context of face-to-face interaction, focussing on such considerations as the nature of spoken language, the varieties of non-verbal communication we use, and how the Self is "created" in the process of communication. We will also examine the scope and structure of animal communication systems in comparison to our own.

The second part of the course looks at communication media as technological extensions of language and culture. Our main concern will be to examine the ways in which the media package information in ways unique to each medium. For example, we will consider the idea that writing and print have given us perceptions of the world that differ significantly from those of non-literate cultures. We will also look at the "electronic wave" in communication, and examine the way in which the electronic media from the telegraph to the computer have refashioned both human consciousness and culture.

Finally, we will critically assess the images and messages of contemporary media. How do they create meaning? Do they enlarge our understanding of the world, or influence us to think about it in increasingly narrow ways.

REQUIRED TEXT

A Courseware Reader will be available from the bookstore.

RECOMMENDED TEXT

Neil Postman. Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Mid-Term Exam 25%
Written Assignment 30%
Final Exam 30%
Seminar 15%

The School expects that the grades awarded in this course will bear some reasonable relation to established university-wide practices to both levels and distribution of grades. In addition, the School will also follow Policy T10.02 with respect to “Intellectual Honesty” and “Academic Discipline” (see the current calendar, General Regulations Section).