Laura Grünberg (lauragrunberg@yahoo.com) COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA STUDIES MASTER, Research in Sociology, Year II Objectives: - To offer a synthetically overall picture of some of the main theoretical developments in Communication and Media Studies relevant for sociological research; - To create a theoretical climate for critical group reflections on some of the complex interrelations between media and society today. Student contribution Please open a yahoo group available only for us during our collaboration. I. Actively participate in seminars, read and discuss the texts in the reader in conformity with the proposed schedule. For each course I expect you to prepare a minimum one page structured, synthetically critical assessment Memo for the articles proposed. The memo should contain: your name, title of the article; main idea(s); personal critical observations; remarks/additional information concerning the relevance of the issues for the Romanian context. Briefs will be loaded on a special folder opened on our yahoo group. II. Read the following provocative themes proposed for reflections for this course. Please choose one appealing/close to your heart and/or to your research interests and start documenting it. For the final examination I expect you: - to prepare and present a consistent personal/critical/provocative/informed thematic dossier (power point presentation/poster presentation, other communication formats). - to make an attractive outline of the topic (main theoretical concepts, historical remarks/contexts, links with general contemporary sociological literature/research, relevance for today s realities, updated bibliographical references identified (very important in the final evaluation!), some provocative subjects for further group reflections. Very important: identify some research results/shortcuts/needs/difficulties/dilemmas, etc. When possible references to Romania s context should be made. Inclusion of interesting, provocative visual/audio materials are welcomed in view of inviting all of us to critical thinking (15 minutes/presentation). - Presentations during the final colloquium (discussions, feed-back from me and the colleagues during whole semester). Evaluation: I. 4 p. MEMOS: (0.5 x8= 4 p.) II. 6 p. THEMATIC DOSSIER: (4 p.=quality of the content; 1p.= clear/explicit focus on research aspects; 1 p=presentation/participation in the colloquium). 1
(Open) List of provocative themes Choose one or propose another theme not included in the list: More general themes: Participatory cultures in the communication age Perpetual contact in the communication culture of today/always on The digital divide in the new information society (generational/regional/gender/class divide) DATA-ism. Big data s role in politics, marketing, social research Wiki leaks and beyond. The case of whistle blowers. Could social networks make history/how social media fuels social unrest? Anatomy of protest in the digital era (clicktivism) ACTA-pros & cons/big Brother-pro &cons. Media and the globalization of nothingness Death of distance/time/memory/truth/conversation on the net. Pros/Cons Love in the internet era. Manufacturing consent through mass media today Post Truth Era in communication (sociological challenges for communication studies) More specific themes: Cambridge Analytica and the perils of psychographics Netflix and the future of TV DARK NET https://ideas.ted.com/heres-the-real-danger-that-facebook-google-and-theother-tech-monopolies-pose-to-our-society/ Flesh mobs as global means of communication Pinterest-the use of visual collective ideas Snap chat Instagram killing Vine Hashtag as means of communication Emoji a new language The selfie s syndrome Youtubers-the new VIPs. From personal to global stories The virals (a case study e.g. Pin/Apple as starting point) Streaming media (from cable to streaming revolution) The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge/Mannequin Challenge as case study of global communication Trolling Quora-questions&answers global website (Is it OK to have 2 eggs a day?) Pokemon mania Spotify Apps Life journal Crowd sourcing Texts for discussions: (all will be offered in the beginning; **- are optional but could be selected for Memos) Week 1 (foundation, general theory) 2
McQuail, Denis (2003), New Horizons for Communication Theory in the New Media Age, [Chap. I. 2], in, McQuail, Denis and Valdivia, Angharad N. (eds.) A Companion to Media Studies, Oxford : Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Corpus Ong, Jonathan (2009), The cosmopolitan continuum: locating cosmopolitanism in media and cultural studies, in, Media, Culture &Society, 31 (3): 449-466 **James Lull (ed.), 2008, Superculture for the communication age, chapter 7 in Culture in the communication age, Routledge Week 2 (production, content) Dines, Gail and Perea, Elizabeth R. (2003), From Playboy to Hustler. Class, Race and the Marketing of Masculintity [Chap. II.9], in, McQuail, Denis and Valdivia, Angharad N. (eds.) A Companion to Media Studies, Oxford : Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Mazzarella, Sharon (2003), Constructing Youth: Media, Youth and the Politics of Representation [Chap.III.11], in, McQuail, Denis and Valdivia, Angharad N. (eds.) A Companion to Media Studies, Oxford : Blackwell Publishing Ltd. **Koen Leurs, S. Ponpanesi (2011), Communicative spaces of their own. Migrant girls performing selves using instant messaging software, Feminist Review/99 Week 3 (Audiences) Livingstone, Sonia (2003), The changing Nature of audience: from the mass audience to the interactive media user, [Chap. IV.16], in, McQuail, Denis and Valdivia, Angharad N. (eds.) A Companion to Media Studies, Oxford : Blackwell Publishing Ltd Elvestad, Eiri and Blekesaune, Arild (2008), Newspaper Readers in Europe: A Multilevel Study of Individual and National Differences, in, European Journal of Communication, 23:425-447 **Virginia Nightingale (2003), The cultural Revolution in Audience Research, [Chap. IV.17], in, McQuail, Denis and Valdivia, Angharad N. (eds.) A Companion to Media Studies, Oxford : Blac Week 4 (ethics, surveillance issues in MS) Couldry, Nick (2003), Live reality and the future of surveillance, [Chapter 6], in, Couldry, Nick, Media Rituals, A critical Approach, London: Routledge. Andrejevic, Mark (2004), Survivor and Uncanny Capitalism (Chapter 8), in, Andrejevic, Mark (coord.) Reality TV, The work of being Watched, New York: Rowman &Littlefield Publishers, Inc. ** Gary Marx, 1999, What s in a Name? Some reflections on the Sociology of Anonimity, in The Information Society (special issue, internet source) Week 5 (Effects/influences) 3
Sung- Yeon Park (2005), The influence of presumed media on women s desire to be thin, Communication Research, 32, 594 Bryant Jeenings and Miron Dorina, (2003), The appeal and Impact of media Sex and Violence, [Chap. V.21] in McQuail, Denis and Valdivia, Angharad N. (eds.) A Companion to Media Studies, Oxford : Blackwell Publishing Ltd **David Horner, 2011, Understanding media ethics, chapter 8-Images General bibliography The course will make references to: Fiske, John (1998), Introduction to Communication Studies, London: Routledge. (varianta in romana la editura Polirom 2003)- available online Appadurai, Arjun (1996), Here and Now in cultural Dimensions of Globalizations, Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. Baudrillard, Jean (2008), Societatea de consum. Mituri si structuri, [partea a III-a, Mass media, sex si divertisment, pag. 125-187], Bucuresti: comunicare.ro, Bertrand, Claude Jean (2000), Deontologia mijloacelor de comunicare, Bucuresti: Institutul European. Benciu, Camelia (2010), Mass media, public si societate [Capitol 6], in, Vlăsceanu, Lazăr (coord), Sociologie, Bucuresti: Polirom. Briggs, Asa and Burke, Peter (2005), Mass media. O istorie sociala. De la Gutenberg la Internet, Bucharest: Polirom. Buikema, Rosemarie and van der Tuin, Iris (eds.) (2009), Doing gender in Media, Art and culture London: Routledge. Cabin, Philippe şi Dortier, Jean Francois (2010), Comunicarea. Perspective actuale, Bucureşti: Polirom, (partea1, 4, 5) Coman, Mihai (2007), Introducere în sistemul mass media, Iaşi: Polirom. Creeber, Glen and Martin, Royston (eds.) (2009), Digital cultures. Understanding new media, London: Open University Press. Dobrescu, Paul, Bargaoanu, Alina si Corbu, Nicoleta (2007), Istoria comunicării, Bucureşti: comunicare.ro Drăgan, Ioan (2007), Comunicarea. Paradigme și teorii, [Vols.: 1-2] Bucuresti: Rao. Gleick James (2012), Informația-o istorie, o teorie, o revărsare, București: Publica Grünberg, Laura, (coord.) (2005). Mass media despre sexe. Bucureşti: Tritonic 4
Habermas, Jurgen (2000), Conștiința morală și acțiunea comunicativă, București: All educational Hartley, John (2002), Communication, Cultural and Media Studies. The Key Concepts, London: Routledge. Kellner, Douglas (1995), Media Culture, London and New York: Routledge. McLuhan, Marshall (1975), Galaxia Gutenberg,, Bucuresti: Editura Politica. Marinescu, Valentina (2009), Cercetarea în comunicare. Metode și Tehnici. Bucuresti: Editura C.H. Umberto, Eco (2008), Apocaliptici si integrati. Comunicatii de masa si teorii ale culturii de masa, Bucuresti : Polirom. Werner, Severin J. and Tankard, James W. Jr. (2997), Communication Theories. Origins, Methods, and Uses in the Mass Media, New York: Addison Wesley Longman. Winston, Brian (1998), Media Technology and Society. A history from the Telegraph to the Internet, London: Routledge. 5