J388 - Communication Theory and Criticism

Description
The first purpose of this course is to provide a survey of major perspectives concerning the role of mediated communication in contemporary society. The inclusion of the words "theory" and "criticism" indicates a concern with social scientific as well as humanistic perspectives regarding this role. The absence of the word "mass" as in "mass communication" indicates 1) a growing recognition of the importance of general theories of communication and language for understanding mediated communication and 2) an appreciation for the many ways in which the merger of technology and communication have resulted in "non-mass" mediated communication such as telephone and computer communication, which carry major social, economic and political consequences for our society.

This leads to the second purpose of this course: To consider that the very possibility of communication depends less on so-called "facts" than on the social, political and economic context of communication.

The third purpose is to provide a continuing opportunity to write communication criticism. To this end, the class will examine a series of critical communication perspectives which lend themselves to applied textual criticism.

Readings

Bruner, Jerome, The Culture of Education (CE), Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1996.
Hall, Stuart (ed.), Representation: Cultural Representations and Signifying Practices (RCRSP), Beverly Hills, CA: Sage, 1997.
Meenakshi Gigi Durham and Douglas Kellner, Media and Cultural Studies (MCS), Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2001.
Robert McChesney, Corporate Media and the Threat to Democracy, New
York: Seven Stories Press, 1997.
Internet Readings

Format
This class will meet two times a week for one-hour and twenty-minutes. This means that the emphasis in our approach to the assigned readings will be on dialog. Discussion will be important, not only to understanding the readings, but in setting the agenda for what aspects of the readings we will emphasize. To make this happen it is expected that all assigned readings are completed in preparation for class. At the end of each class readings will be assigned for the next class.

Evaluation
Students will be expected to participate in class discussions and participate in group work (20%), take two in-class examinations (30% each---dates to be announced) and complete one media criticism paper (20%) due in class on November 29. Class attendance is required. For every two classes missed, one-half grade will be deducted from the final grade.

PROJECT INFORMATION

Information on the Final Project

Course Outline
1. Where Do We Begin?
2. Communication Theory vs. Criticism: Watching the "X-Files."
3. Examples of Criticism
4. Social Constructivism and Postmodernism
5. Social Context of Criticism
6. Representation: Cultural Representations and Signifying Practices
7. Putting the Approaches Together
8. Blind men, elephants, relativity, postmodern, communication, democracy and hope.

J388 - Communication Theory & Criticism
Carl Bybee 207 Allen Hall 346-4175 cbybee@ballmer.uoregon.edu GTF: Randy Nichols	Fall 2001 UH 4:00-5:20pm Rm 221 Allen
GENERAL INFORHAHAHAHAHAHAMATION
Description The first purpose of this course is to provide a survey of major perspectives concerning the role of mediated communication in contemporary society. The inclusion of the words "theory" and "criticism" indicates a concern with social scientific as well as humanistic perspectives regarding this role. The absence of the word "mass" as in "mass communication" indicates 1) a growing recognition of the importance of general theories of communication and language for understanding mediated communication and 2) an appreciation for the many ways in which the merger of technology and communication have resulted in "non-mass" mediated communication such as telephone and computer communication, which carry major social, economic and political consequences for our society. This leads to the second purpose of this course: To consider that the very possibility of communication depends less on so-called "facts" than on the social, political and economic context of communication. The third purpose is to provide a continuing opportunity to write communication criticism. To this end, the class will examine a series of critical communication perspectives which lend themselves to applied textual criticism. Readings Bruner, Jerome, The Culture of Education (CE), Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1996. Hall, Stuart (ed.), Representation: Cultural Representations and Signifying Practices (RCRSP), Beverly Hills, CA: Sage, 1997. Meenakshi Gigi Durham and Douglas Kellner, Media and Cultural Studies (MCS), Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2001. Robert McChesney, Corporate Media and the Threat to Democracy, New York: Seven Stories Press, 1997. Internet Readings Format This class will meet two times a week for one-hour and twenty-minutes. This means that the emphasis in our approach to the assigned readings will be on dialog. Discussion will be important, not only to understanding the readings, but in setting the agenda for what aspects of the readings we will emphasize. To make this happen it is expected that all assigned readings are completed in preparation for class. At the end of each class readings will be assigned for the next class. Evaluation Students will be expected to participate in class discussions and participate in group work (20%), take two in-class examinations (30% each---dates to be announced) and complete one media criticism paper (20%) due in class on November 29. Class attendance is required. For every two classes missed, one-half grade will be deducted from the final grade. PROJECT INFORMATION Information on the Final Project Course Outline 1. Where Do We Begin? 2. Communication Theory vs. Criticism: Watching the "X-Files." 3. Examples of Criticism 4. Social Constructivism and Postmodernism 5. Social Context of Criticism 6. Representation: Cultural Representations and Signifying Practices 7. Putting the Approaches Together 8. Blind men, elephants, relativity, postmodern, communication, democracy and hope.
COURSE SCHEDULE & READINGS
1. Where Do We Begin? 1.1 Citizenship and News in Times of Crisis and Peace "A popular government without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy, or perhaps both." -- James Madison 1.2 Education for what? Vine Deloria, Jr., "Perceptions and Maturity: Reflections on Feyerabend's Point of View," in Sprirt and Reason, Golden Colorado: Fulcrum Publishing, 1999, p. 4-5: "Science and technology reign today as the practical gods of the modern age; they give us power to disrupt nature but little real insight into how it functions. We tend to dismiss what we cannot understand by use of code words--- 'instinct' for example covers a plentitude of ignorance. Only when we look outside of Western culture, or when someone outside looks in, do we discover the glaring inconsistencies and begin to measure the actual changes that science and technology have wrought in our lives. In 1820 George Sibley, the Indian agent for the Osages, a tribe in the Missouri region of the country, tried to convince Big Soldier, one of the more influential chiefs, of the benefits of the white man's way. After enthusiastically describing the wonders of the white man's civilization, Sibley waited expectantly for the old man's response. Big Soldier did not disappoint him: I see and admire your manner of living, your good warm houses; your extensive fields of corn, your gardens, your cows, oxen, workhouses, wagons, and a thousand machines, that I know not the use of. I see that you are able to clothe yourselves, even from weeds and grass. In short you can do almost what you choose. You whites possess the power of subduing almost every animal to your use. You are surrounded by slaves. Every thing about you is in chains and you are slaves yourselves. I fear if I should exchange my pursuits for yours, I too should become a slave. If we subdue nature, we become slaves of the technology by which the task is accomplished and surrender not simply our freedom but also the luxury of reflection about our experiences that a natural relationship with the world had given us." Benjamin Barber, "The Civic Mission of the University," from Higher Education and the Practice of Democratic Politics, Bernard Murchland, ed., Kettering Foundation, 1991. [http://www.cpn.org/cpn/sections/topics/youth/civic_perspectives/civic_mission_university.html] 1.4 What is communication? 1.5 Media and Democracy Benjamin Barber, "Jihad Vs. McWorld," The Atlantic Monthly, March 1992 [http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/foreign/barberf.htm] McChesney, Corporate Media and the Threat to Democracy, pp. 5 – 75. Columbia Journalism Review's "Who Owns What," [http://www.cjr.org/owners/] Carl Bybee, Ashley Overbeck and Christine Quail, "Teaching Apathy: Kid's News, Consumer Culture and Citizenship," click on and read "Introduction," "Models of Democracy," "Models of Citizenship," and "Democracy, Citizenship and News." [http://jcomm.uoregon.edu/~cbybee/teachingapathy/index.html] 1.6 What is truth? (Habermas on the nature of truths) "Just the facts, ma'am." "A true friend." "You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free." Blind men and elephants. What's democracy got to do with it? 2. Communication Theory vs. Criticism: Watching the "X-Files." 2.1 Set up groups. 2.2 Complete first part of group assignment one. 2.3 Watch the first half of the X-Files episode. 2.4 Complete second part of group assignment one 2.5 Watch the second half of X-Files episode. 2.6 Complete third part of group assignment one. *3. Examples of criticism:* 3.1 Tom Gliatto and Craig Tomashoff, "X-ellence." People Weekly, October 9, 1995, Vol. 44 No. 15, p. 72. [http://jcomm.uoregon.edu/~cbybee/j388/s01/peoplealt.html] 3.2 Rick Marin and Adam Rogers, "Alien invasion!" Newsweek, July 8, 1996, Vol. 128 No. 2, p. 48. [http://jcomm.uoregon.edu/~cbybee/j388/s01/newsweekalt.html] 3.3 Vine Deloria, Jr., "Perceptions and Maturity: Reflections on Feyerbend's Point of View," in Spirit and Reason, Golden, CO: Fulcrum Publishing, 1999 (reprint on reserve in the Allen Hall Reading Room). 3.4 Jerome Bruner, "Culture, Mind and Education," (CE). 4. Social Constructivism and Postmodernism 4.1 Daniel Chandler, The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis. [http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/short/whorf.html] 4.2 Daniel Chandler, The Transmission Model of Communication. (Including section on the process of mediation). [http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/short/trans.html] 4.3 Daniel Chandler, The Active Reader. [http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Modules/ED10510/active.html] *5. Social Context of Criticism* 5.1 Douglas Kellner and Meenakshi Gigi Durham, "Adventures in Media and Cultural Studies: Introducing the Key Works," in Media and Cultural Studies (MCS) Kellner/Durham Study Guide (in .pdf format) kellner_durham.pdf 5.2 Habermas, "The Public Sphere," pp. 102-109. (MCS) 5.3 Debord, "The Commodity as Spectacle," pp. 139-144. (MCS) 5.4 Hebdige, "From Culture to Hegmony; Subculture: The Unnatural break," pp. 198-217. (MCS) 5.5 The world: A little background United Nations Human Development Report 2000 [http://www.undp.org/hdr2000/home.html]. Under "Press Kit", download and read "Global Facts of Life," "Key Figures and Tables," and under "Press Releases," read "Press Release One" and "Press Release Five." 5.6 The United States: A little background Fact and Figures on Wealth and Income from Inequality.org [http://inequality.org/factsfr.html] Ben Bagdikian"A Secret in the News: The country's Permanent Poor," [http://inequality.org/bagdikianfr.html] Chris Nelder, "Measuring Genuine Progress," Learning for a Better World [http://www.betterworld.com/BWZ/9610/learn.htm]. Redefining Progress [http://www.rprogress.org/projects/gpi/]. *6. Representation: Cultural Representations and Signifying Practices* 6.1 Introduction to the study of signifying practices: S. Hall, "Introduction," (RCRSP). S. Hall, "The Work of Representation," (RCRSP). Optional: Marx, "The Ruling Class and the Ruling Idea," (MCS). Hall, "Encoding and Decoding," (MCS). Semiotics for Beginners by Daniel Chandler [http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/S4B/semiotic.html]: In particular look at: Introduction; Signs; Paradigms and Syntagms; Denotation, Connotation, and Myth, Rhetorical Tropes; Encoding/Decoding; Criticisms of Semiotic Analysis; Strengths of Semiotic Analysis; D.I.Y. Semiotic Analysis; Glossary. 6. 2 Narrative and Representation Bruner, "The Narrative Construal of Reality," (CE). George Gerber, "The Stories We Tell." Peace Review, March 1999, Vol. 11 No. 1, p. 9. [http://jcomm.uoregon.edu/~cbybee/j388/s01/gerbneralt.html] Daniel Chandler, "Notes on the Gaze," [http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/gaze/gaze.html] Mulvey, "Visual Pleasure and the Cinema," (MCS). Optional: Bruner, "Narratives of Science," (CE). Video: "DreamWorlds 2: Desire, sex, power in music video" / written, edited & narrated by Sut Jhally, Northhampton, Mass. : Media Education Foundation, 1995. 6.3 Race and Representation S. Hall, "The Spectacle of the Other," (RCRSP). hooks, "Eating the Other: Desire and Resistance," (MCS) Gray, "The Politics of Representation in Network Television,"(MCS). Muhammad Hanif, "Islam: Sunnis and Shiites," Social Education, 58 (6), 1994, pp. 339-44, posted on web by the National Council for the Social Studies as an educational resource following the 1995 Oklahoma Federal Building bombing [http://socialstudies.org/resources/moments/580602.html]. Rick Blasing, "Islam: Stereotypes Still Prevail," Social Education, 60 (2), 1996, posted on web by the National Council for the Social Studies as an educational resource following the 1995 Oklahoma Federal Building bombing [http://socialstudies.org/resources/moments/600208.html] "Setting the Record Straight: Edward Said Confronts His future, His Past, His Critics' Accusations," Atlantic Monthly Unbound September 22, 1999 [http://www.theatlantic.com/unbound/interviews/ba990922.htm] 6.4 Gender and Representation Sean Nixon, "Exhibiting Maculinity." (RCRSP). Video: "Tough guise: Violence, media, and the crisis in masculinity" / with Jackson Katz; directed by Sut Jhally, Northampton, MA : Media Education Foundation,1999. Video: "Killing us softly 3: Advertising's image of women" / with Jean Kilbourne, producer, directory editor Sut Jhally, Northampton, MA: Media Education Foundation, 2000. Mohanty, "Under Western Eyes: Feminist Scholarship and Colonial Discourses," (MCS). McRobbie, "Feminism, Postmodernism and the 'Real Me,'" (MCS). *7. Putting the Models Together:* Video: "bell hooks: cultural criticism & transformation, part one" / Media Education Foundation ; produced and directed by Sut Jhally, Northampton, MA : Media Education Foundation, 1997. 8. Blind men, elephants, relativity, postmodern, communication, democracy and hope. Bruner, "Teaching the Present, Past and Possible," (CE). Benjamin Barber, "Globalizing Democracy," The American Prospect, 11, Isssue 20, September 11, 2000 [http://www.prospect.org/print/V11/20/barber-b.html] Pablo Neruda, "The Word." Additional Resources After Sept. 11 Teach-In, "Reading Packet," Oct. 2, 2001 [http://libweb.uoregon.edu/diversity/teachin/index.html] Citizenship and News in Times of Crisis and Peace: Understanding, Then Action [http://jcomm.uoregon.edu/~cbybee/j388_f01/list.html]
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