SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION

CMNS 422-4

MEDIA AND IDEOLOGY

Prerequisite:

75 credit hours, including CMNS 221, 261 and 331. Recommended: CMNS 310 & SA 327.

This course focuses on theoretical debates about the allegedly ideological character of mass media and mass culture. The course adopts a loosely chronological approach, tracing these debates against the background of the social and intellectual history that has characterized Europe and North America in the 20th century. The course pays particular attention to tensions between Marxian and liberal perspectives on ideology in the media. In addition it examines contributions from feminism and "post-colonial" theory to the question of ideology and it examines and evaluates the challenge posed for the study of ideology in media that is offered by postmodernism and poststructuralism.

Course Requirements:

Take-Home Mid-term Exam 20%
Term Paper 50%
Take-Home final Exam 30%

Course Readings:

A selection of weekly library readings will provide the basis for discussions each week. A detailed reading list will be available in the first week of classes.

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