By the end of this course, students should be able to:



1. Apply the communication theory in order to: analyze their own social environment´s public opinion and mass culture phenomena; understand and explain the reality in where they live; value the theoretical approach on communication.



2. Elementally determine mass communication methods and research techniques, practice them, and derive their social implications.



3. Differentiate and relate multiple perspectives on mass communication theory, from the traditional approaches to the ones emerged in the network society.



4. Estimate the market as a core player in the development and expansion of mass communication and culture.



5. Achieve a critical analysis of the social, political and cultural implications of the communication modalities emerged in the information society.

1 Theoretical thoughts about communication



General reflection on the social and cultural impact of communication, especially since the creation of mass media. Review of the three analytical models.



2 Information and society



Connection between mass communication and democracy. Review of the contribution of Frankfurt School and the Chicago School.



3 Communication and Culture



From the theory of effects to the theory of use. Cultural Studies and contributions of ethnographic studies.



4 Public Opinion



Review of different theories about public opinion (spiral of silence, cultivation theory, gatekeeping, agenda setting...)

This is a 6 credits' course, which means an estimate workload of 150 hours: 60 of them are face-to-face sessions with the teacher, and the other 90 are for autonomous work. This workload is organised as follows:



Classroom activities (60 hours):

-Lectures

-Group work: small groups working about readings, problem solving, etc.

-Plenary: discussion within the main group



Autonomous work (90 hours)

-Reading and working with other sources: articles, material for exercices, etc.

-Organising collected information, making exercices, etc.

-Other activities

The student will be marked through continous evaluation, and final grading will be based on that. To that end they will have to complete the practical exercises and presentations during the course. 70 % of the final mark will be based on exercises and case studies and its oral defence, and by the end of the semester the student will also have to pass a written exam (30%).



If the student, according to the regulations of the UPV/EHU, chooses not to be marked by continuous evaluation, she or he will be able to complete a final assessment. This assessment will have two parts. The first one based on questions to be explained, and it will account for the 60 % of the assessment; the rest will be based on exercises and presentations during the course (40 %) and presented at the same time of the first part.



If the student chooses to be evaluated through the last option, she or he will have to let it know to the teacher one month in advance from the date for the final assessment.



*This assessment system will be applied both face-to-face and/or non-face-to-face, in the event that the situation demanded.

All the materials will be available on eGela.

Basic bibliography

Hartley, J (2002). Communication, cultural and media studies: the key concepts. London: Routledge.



West, R., Turner, L. H. (2010) Introducing communication theory. Analysis and application. 4th edn. New York: McGraw-Hill, 11-15.

In-depth bibliography

Adorno, T. W., Horkheimer, M. (1997) Dialectic of enlightment. New edn. London: Verso Books.

Gill, R. (2007). ‘Postfeminist Media Culture. Elements of a sensibility,’ European Journal of Cultural Studies, 10.2: 147-166.

Hall, S. (1980) 'Encoding/decoding'. in Culture, media, language: Working papers in cultural studies, 1972-79. New York: Routledge.

Hayles, K. (2012) How we think. Digital media and contemporary technogenesis. Chicago: Chicago University Press.

Katz, E., & Lazarfeld, P. (1955) The part played by the people in the flow of mass communication. New York: The Free Press.

Katz, E., Blumler, J., Gurevitch, M. (1973) 'Uses and gratifications research'. The Public Opinion Quarterly, 37, 509-523.

Lasswell, H. D. (1948) 'The structure and function of communication in society'. in The communication of ideas. ed. by Bryson, L. New York: Harper.

Lazarsfeld, P., Merton, R. K. (1948) 'Mass communication, popular taste and organized social action' in The communication of ideas. ed. by Bryson, L. New York: Harper.

Lazarsfeld, P.F., Berelson, B., Gaudet, H. (1968) The people's choice: How the voter makes up his mind in a presidential campaign. 3rd ed. New York: Columbia University Press.

McLuhan, M. (1992) The global village: Transformations in world life and media in the 21st century. New York: Oxford University Press USA.

McRobbie, A. (2004) “Postfeminism and popular culture” Feminist Media Studies Vol. 4, No. 3 : 255-264.

Morley, D. (1999) 'Understanding the uses of television, television in the family'. in Family television cultural power and domestic leisure. London: Routledge.

Noelle-Neumann, E. (1974) ‘The spiral of silence: A theory of public opinion’. Journal of Communication, 24, 43-51

Journals

http://www.ehu.es/zer
http://www.felafacs.org/rederevistas/
http://www.portalcomunicacion.com/esp/d_doc_rev.asp
http://web.usal.es/-abadillo/recursosdeinvestigacion.htm