36:71 Communication and Contemporary Culture

Gronbeck 2002

This is a second-level course in communication and cultural studies, with 36:001 a prerequisite. The course has three purposes:

1. To deepen your thinking in cultural theory, primarily in what's called British Cultural Studies, but also some American and French concepts. Such an orientation is useful in helping you analyze popular culture in social and political terms. A look at the syllabus indicates that we will focus on both mass-mediated popular culture and a variety of social, economic-commercial, and political activities in society.
2. To illustrate how cultural theory can be employed as analytical-critical tools. While the readings in theory will be difficult at times, the payoff should be improved abilities at analyzing aspects of popular, especially American, cultural artifacts, processes, public performances, institutions, and electronically mediated events.
3. To broaden your understanding of the idea of communication. Insofar as "communication" can encompass a broad range of acts, things, persons, and processes that have symbolic dimensions and outcomes, you need to think about it in terms of more than conversational, written, televisual, filmic, or computer contexts.

Generally, the Monday and Wednesday lecture days will feature presentations of important concepts out of communication and cultural studies along with demonstrations or illustrations of how those concepts help you analyze communication events and settings. The discussion days will involve explorations of ideas from the lectures, additional concepts, cultural events and settings not dealt with on Mondays and Wednesdays, and opportunities for critical-analytical exercises that will improve your skills at cultural analysis.

Textbooks (IMU Bookstore):

Bounds, Philip. Cultural Studies: A Student's Guide to Culture, Politics and Society. Plymouth, UK: Studymates, 1999. Abbreviated "B."

Durham, Meenaskshi Gigi, and Douglas M. Kellner (eds.). Media and Cultural Studies: Keyworks. Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2001. Abbreviated "D&K."

Instructor: Bruce E. Gronbeck

Offices: 157 BCSB, 200 JB, Obermann Center for Advanced Studies.
Phones: Messages (828-4033), BCSB (5-0580)., JB (5-2753), OCAS (5-4034).
Office Hrs.: M 10:30-11:45, (JB); T, 2:30-4:00 (BCSB); F, 1:30-3:00 (usually, BCSB). Others by appointment.

Complaints and Other Concerns: If you cannot get acceptable explanations for the teaching or grading behavior from TAs or the course instructor, you have every right to appeal. If you are not satisfied with the instructor, you begin the appeal by talking with departmental chair Randy Hirokawa in 105 BCSB, who can explain the whole process.

Plagiarism: Using the language or ideas of others without acknowledgement is plagiarism and is a punishable offence in an academic community. Ask if you don't know it. Students with Disabilities: see Gronbeck about available accommodations.

Grading: Two exams, midterm (multiple choice, 20%) and final (essays, 30%), are worth half of your grade. The other half will come from four observational projects. Discussion sections will be divided into work groups, where half of the projects will be done. Two of the projects will be done individually. The writeup for each project will be no more than two pages, organized around the following topics:

1. The topic
2. Why the topic is important to communication students of contemporary culture
3. Aspects of communication and cultural theory relevant to the topic and observations
4. Description of what was observed
5. Interpretive conclusions: what significant/important/interesting aspects of communication and contemporary culture were observed

Syllabus

*You'll be given a website access number for some class materials. I think!!

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