Sample description from Spring 2015 syllabus.

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 establishes a general overview of communication theory, from both theoretical and historical points of view. We will examine the relationship between communication, ideology, power, and social consciousness; the development of alphabetic writing; and theories of orality and literacy. We will also review the concept of the self in the context of communication studies.

The second part of the course will focus on specific fields within the area of communication, including: the study of popular culture; media analysis; film studies; advertising; and the political economy of communication. We will also examine the rise of technology studies in communication, and consider the way in which the electronic media(in particular computers and the Internet), have refashioned both human consciousness andculture. In this context,we will discuss issues of privacy and democracy in the emerging digital culture; and conclude the course with a brief discussion of global communication and social transformation.

Our main goal is to 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?

Sample description from Spring 2015 Syllabus

This introductory course gives an overview of the forms, theories, and institutions of communication, and their role as a part of broader social change.

The course is divided into two sections. The first section introduces the era of mass communication, and some of the more influential approaches to its study, with questions such as: What constitutes mass communication? What is the role of media in democracy? How has mass media been regulated? Since the mass media are everywhere - newspapers, magazines, radio, television, advertising, the Internet, networks, films and popular music saturate our lives – most of what we know about ourselves and our society comes from mass media. What can we learn from this? What impact has the introduction and dominance of communication industries had on us as a society, and as citizens and consumers?

The second section focuses on contemporary, emergent, and networked forms of mass communication, and the theoretical perspectives that seek to explain what is often called the ‘information society’. Are we in the midst of a transition from an era of mass communication to an era of networked communication, and what may be the implications of this shift for social inequality? What role can we play in this transformation? How does concentration of ownership affect the media and the control of information? What is the relationship between the mass media and globalization?

Sample List. Always refer to the current Academic Calendar for the most up-to-date information.

Sample List. Always refer to the current Academic Calendar for the most up-to-date information.