SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION

CMNS 220-3

Dr. Zoë Druick                                                                                                           Burnaby, Day

RCB 6228; 291-5398                                                                                                 Spring 2005              

druick@sfu.ca

UNDERSTANDING TELEVISION

Prerequisite: CMNS 110 or 130

 

Course Description:  The phenomenon of television is considered by many to be one of the defining social, political and cultural features of the 20th century. Television has had a profound effect on domestic and public spheres as well as on our personal and collective senses of time; it has contributed in fundamental ways to experiences of our selves and our society. Many consider television to be the ultimate machine of post-war mass consumer culture. In this course, we will explore the origins and development of television as a mass medium; the variety of critical responses it has generated; and the use viewers have made of it. By the end of the course, students will be familiar with the basic debates and critical frameworks that structure television studies.

 

Lectures, readings and tutorials are complementary aspects of the course. Students are expected to do the readings each week in advance of the class and come to tutorial prepared to participate.

 

Required Readings:

Paul Marris and Sue Thornham, eds. Media Studies: A Reader (2nd edition). New York: NYU Press, 2000.

 

Three articles on reserve at Bennett library.

 

Required Videos:  All videos shown in class are available for viewing at the Media Resources Office in the Bennett Library.

 

Assignments and Evaluation:

 

Mid term exam (February 17)

25%

Essay due March 24

30%

Final Exam (during exam period)

35%

Tutorial participation and presentation

10%

 

Penalties will be asssessed for late assignments.

 

A note on academic standards: Academic cheating of any sort is considered to be an affront to the academic pursuits we are collectively engaged in and will be dealt with severely. Please ensure that you are familiar with SFU’s policies on academic dishonesty. If you have any question about what constitutes plagiarism, please talk to the professor or TA. The onus is on you to know the rules.

 

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).