This course introduces students to the Communication problems and questions as a Social Science object, to amplify their critical thinking about Media, Society and Culture. The approach is theoretical but with a primary learning objetive to put the theoretical notions into practise.



For students of Sociology and Political Science, this is the only specific subject in the field of communication. For the students of Audiovisual Communication, however, it is related to other theoretical subjects throughout the degree, especially Structure of the Communication System and Current Trends in Communication.

LEARNING COMPETENCES





-General competences





G001 - Acquire knowledge and understand the meaning and relevance of theories, concepts and methodologies in the (inter) disciplinary field of audiovisual communication.



G002 - Apply theories and methodological tools to practice in different communication processes and contexts.



G003 - Synthesise, develop and apply new creative approaches to solving audiovisual communication problems.



G004 - Analyze, interpret, explain and critically assess facts, social processes, texts and communicative projects.



G010 - Search, select, hierarchize and analyze information in different sources, adapting its content to different forms and narrative strategies





-Cross-cutting competences





CT7 - Critical thinking





-Specific competences





C2CC01 - Acquire knowledge, identify and analyse information and communication systems and procedures, in their historical and social context.



C2CC02 - Develop techniques and methodologies for working with documentary sources, applied to research and problem solving in the field of information and audiovisual communication.



C2CC05 - Critically interpret and assess the communicative phenomenon in light of different theories.





LEARNING OUTCOMES



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



1. To analyse the relationships between the Media System and the Public Opinion, relating to some key issues, as well as to evaluate from a critical point of view the main findings and theories about Communication.



2. To analyse the relationships between the Media System and the Mass Culture, relating to some key issues, as well as to evaluate from a critical point of view the main findings and theories about Communication.



3. To test, at a basic level, some research methods and technics applied to mass communication

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 lecturer, 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 exercises, etc.

-Organising collected information, making exercises, etc.

-Other activities

• Continuous Assessment System
• Final Assessment System
• Tools and qualification percentages:
  • Written test to be taken (%): 30
  • Oral defense (%): 10
  • Realization of Practical Work (exercises, cases or problems) (%): 60

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 continous 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 notify the lecturer in writing 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.

In the case of extraordinary calls, final assessment will be used for evaluation.

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

Web addresses

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
htmhttp://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