Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Summer 2025 - CMNS 316 B100

Topics in Popular Cultures and Public Communication (4)

Black TV Studies

Class Number: 4765

Delivery Method: Blended

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    May 12 – Jun 20, 2025: Wed, 4:30–7:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

    May 12 – Jun 20, 2025: TBA, TBA
    Burnaby

  • Prerequisites:

    17 CMNS units with a minimum grade of C- or 45 units with a minimum CGPA of 2.00.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Topics on public and popular cultures with a focus on social, political, and cultural dynamics. Explores audiences, publics, and institutions at a global, national, and/or local level. Topics vary and may address themes like: news, music, public media, advertising, sports, childhood, youth cultures, art, and everyday life. This course can be repeated once for credit (up to a maximum of two times).

COURSE DETAILS:

This is designed as an upper-level undergraduate course in television and social theory. This course presents a more focused theoretical analysis of a specific area of television studies, in this case, Black identities. Together through television watching and interactive discussion, we will explore the complex dialogue between Black television representations and the lived cultural, social, and historical experiences of people of the African diaspora. In addition to examining television by and/or about Black people in the early 21st and late 20th centuries, students will, also, study the history of cultural representations of Black people from throughout the 20th and late 19th centuries, investigate the role of imperialism and colonialism in the development and distribution of those representations, and analyze how those historical representations have informed contemporary media discourses about Black identities, cultures & communities. This is a distinctly interdisciplinary class, in which students are encouraged to reflect on the content and process of TV as a socially engaged practice. This course will emphasize the interdependent roles of Black individuals, groups, and communities as cultural producers, consumers, and subjects of media representations and discourses.

Grading

  • Contributions to Tutorials 20%
  • Video Essay (Group) 30%
  • Online Reading Quizzes (4) 20%
  • Online Final 30%

NOTES:

The School expects that the grades awarded in this course will bear some reasonable relationship to established university-wide practices. In addition, the School will follow Policy S10.01 with respect to Academic Integrity, and Policies S10.02, S10.03 and S10.04 with regard to Student Discipline. For further information visit: www.sfu.ca/policies/Students/index.html.

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

Course readings available on Canvas.

REQUIRED READING NOTES:

Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

At SFU, you are expected to act honestly and responsibly in all your academic work. Cheating, plagiarism, or any other form of academic dishonesty harms your own learning, undermines the efforts of your classmates who pursue their studies honestly, and goes against the core values of the university.

To learn more about the academic disciplinary process and relevant academic supports, visit: 


RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION

Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.