124260 KO Critical Media Analysis (2018S)

This course explores how the entertainment industry has interpreted and explained our stratified society over the past century. The course will - over 6 weeks - focus on motion pictures, television, radio and advertising through a combination of readings, screenings, live lectures and discussions.

The class will utilize a wide variety of writings that are part of a cultural studies approach to examining the media’s influence on society. Using the wide body of readings available through the course reader, The class will explore the meaning and history behind the concepts of ‘race,’ ‘ethnicity,’ ‘class’ and how they have affected the media industry as well as how they have been affected by the media. Several key theme are integrated into the content of the course. These include Historic institutions, Politics, Religion, Performing Arts, American Cultural Studies.

Course objectives
The chapters in the class reader contribute an added historical analysis of the relationship between race, ethnicity, class and the media.

Students will be actively engaged in critically analyzing and commenting on the readings, lectures, guest speakers and the online screenings of appropriate film and television programs that tie to the theme of the class.

The course will seek to involve the students in a learning intensive environment utilizing two primary modes of interaction:

-Synchronous learning: ‘Live lectures’ accompanied by real-time class discussion. We will have two lectures each week. I suggest you read your assignments THE NIGHT BEFORE the class meeting date, since you will be discussing the subject on the class meeting day.

-Asynchronous learning: Students will take part in online threaded discussions exploring the readings and screenings. It is important that all class members participate, contributing your insights into the topic as well as commenting on each other’s input. From Monday to Thursday, each threaded discussion will have questions assigned to the readings that are intended to challenge our understanding of the key problems the course challenges us to understand. All students are required to make at least 2 postings for each question posted.

Course Outcomes

• Understand the broad history of the mass-media industry.
• Be able to critically analyze the content and context of media messages, both from an artistic perspective and how they have reflected cultural norms when produced.
• Evaluate how media content produced in the past may contain different cultural meanings compared to contemporary interpretations.
• Understand which racial, ethnic and gender-identified groups in America have had difficulty being represented in the media. In what context where these groups excluded?
• Be aware how the racial, ethnic and gender-identified groups are stereotyped today in media. Understand how and why these may be different than past stereotyping.
• Research and write about a selected topic covered during the course, exploring the various elements that contributed to how the media has portrayed a select racial, ethnic or gender-identified group.