Syllabus

 

Communication Theories
Com 203 / Tuesday/Thursday 12:20 – 2:15. 1P 202
Dr. Edward D. Miller
edward.miller@csi.cuny.edu
http://comm203.blogspot.com

Brian Siegel, Supplemental Instructor in Writing
briansiegel@cix.csi.cuny.edu
Office Hours Thursdays 2:30-3:30

INTRODUCTION: This course introduces different theories involved in the academic discipline of Communications as defined by the Department of Media Culture. We begin with the major influences on communication theories, and then examine the influence from other disciplines that have shaped the field. Thus, we read texts from the fields of Linguistics/Semiotics, Sociology, Psychology, and Anthropology. We also read key texts from more recent interdisciplines such as cultural studies, media studies, visual culture, and performance studies that impact the study of mediated communication. Two particular emphases in this version of the course are the study of video games and gender theory. Readings are to be completed in advance of the Tuesday session. The Tuesday session is primarily a lecture. The Thursday session is reserved for discussion of the reading and writing exercises.

PREMISE: By signing up for this course, the student is not only attempting to fulfill a requirement for the Major. In effect, the student has also signed a contractual agreement with the Professor. This is our agreement: I structure and animate the class; the student comes prepared and on time, having done the reading, eager and able to interact appropriately. In order to fulfill this contract, I reserve the right to surprise students with quizzes, to assign unexpected in-class writing tasks, and to call upon students to respond.
GOALS:
1. Discern how theory informs practice and explain the modes in which theoretical models are utilized in the social sciences and humanities.
2. Gain familiarity with the primary schools of communications theory throughout the history of the field.

3. Develop an understanding of the history of the interdisciplinary field of communications, and its relationships with other disciplines (such as sociology, anthropology, linguistics, semiotics, psychology) and area studies (ethnic, gender, visual, cultural, and performance studies) that have contributed to communications studies.
The course trains student to master the concept and applicability of theory. It is geared more to the sociocultural emphasis in mediated communications and less to interpersonal and organizational models within the discipline. However, students are expected to improve on both their written and oral modes of communication and to become conscious of interactions within the classroom.
EVALUATION: Attendance and participation is mandatory. I bide by the official policy of the College: any student who is absent for more than fifteen percent of the class hours receives a WU. Turn off cell phones and iPods before you enter class. In-class writing assignments are not graded; quizzes are. Both figure in the classroom participation grade

GRADING:

Short assignments: 10%
Midterm: 35%
Final: 35%
Class participation: 20%
PLAGIARISM: Please acquaint yourself with the official policy of the College. These can be found in the catalog in the section Academic Policies. Remember: when a student plagiarizes, Professor Miller knows. Use MLA citation style for short paper and final. Consult http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/557/01/ for information on this style.

REQUIRED TEXTS:
Cobley, Paul (ed). The Communication Theory Reader: NY: Routledge, 1996.

Hall, Stuart. Representation: Cultural Representations and Signifying Practices. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 1997. (Hall)

RECOMMENDED:

Lowery, Sharon & Melvin DeFleur. Milestones in Mass Communication Research. New York: Longman Publishing, 1995. (L & DeF)

Dennis, Everette & Ellen Wartella. American Communication Research: The Remembered History. NY: Laurence Erlbaum Associates, 1996. (D & E)

Reading that is not in required books is handed out to students.
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28 August: Greetings

30 August: Introduction: What is theory? What is communication?

4 September: Mass Communication Models
Reading:
L & DeF, Chapters 2 and 3
J.W. Carey in D & E, “The Chicago School and Mass Communication Research”

6 September: Discussion

11 September: Postwar Models
Reading:
L & De F, Chapters 4, 7, 9: “The People’s Choice,” “Persuading the American Soldier in WWII,” “Personal Influence”
Films:
Why We Fight, Triumph of the Will

13 September: Discussion

18 September: no class (Rosh Hashanah)

20 September: Linguistics/Structuralism
Reading:
Saussure, “The Object of Linguistics” in Cobley
Barthes, “Denotation and Connotation” in Cobley
Chandler “Introduction”, “Denotation, Connotation, Myth”, “Paradigms and Syntagms” http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/S4B/sem01.html

25 September: No class (Yom Kippur)
27 September: Discussion of Saussure/Barthes

PAPER DUE ON THE PEOPLE'S CHOICE AND THE CURRENT PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

2 October: Semiotics/Structuralism/Visual Culture
Reading:
Barthes, “The Photographic Message” in Cobley
Saussure, “The Linguistic Sign” in Cobley
Peirce, “A Guess at the Riddle” in Cobley
Chandler, “Encoding/Decoding”, “Rhetorical Tropes”, “Intertextuality”
http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/S4B/sem01.html

4 October: Discussion of Visual Culture

9 October: Speech Act Theory
Reading:
Roman Jakobson, “Shifters and Verbal Categories” in Cobley
E. Benveniste, “The Nature of Pronouns” in Cobley
J. Searle, “What is a Speech Act?” in Cobley

J.L. Austin, “Performatives and Constatives” in Cobley

V.N. Volosinov, “Verbal Interaction” in Marxism and the Philosophy of Language

11 October: Discussion of Speech Act Theory

16 October: Media Theory
Reading:
Marshall McLuhan, “The Medium is the Message” and “Media Hot and Cold”
Baudrillard, “The Implosion of Meaning in the Media” located at
http://www.egs.edu/faculty/baudrillard/baudrillard-simulacra-and-simulation-08-the-implosion-of-meaning-in-the-media.html

18 October: Discussion of Media Theory; review for midterm

23 October: In class midterm

25 October: Baudrillard, Matrix, and going over midterm results

30 October: class canceled due to Hurricane Sandy
1 November: class canceled due to Hurricane Sandy


6 Nov: Introduction to Cultural Studies
Reading:
Stuart Hall, 1-74.

8 Nov: Representing Self and Other

Reading:
Peter Hamilton, “The Poetics and Politics of Representing Other Cultures” and “Representing the Social” in Hall, pp. 75-154.
“The Spectacle of the Other” in Hall, pp. 223-290.
Jacques Lacan, The Agency of the Letter in the Unconscious” in Cobley

13 November:  Constructions and Performances of Gender
Reading:
Sean Nixon, “Exhibiting Masculinities” in Hall
Judith Butler, Gender Trouble (excerpts)
Umberto Eco, “How Culture Conditions the Colours We See” in Cobley
15 November: Gender cont. 
Film:
Paris is Burning

20 November: Play, Identity, and Communication
Reading:
Gregory Bateson, “A Theory of Play and Fantasy”

Roger Caillois, Man, Play, and Games (excerpts) (handout)

Erving Goffman, excerpts from Presentation of Self in Everyday Life

Hogan, Bernie. “The Presentation of Self in the Age of Social Media: Distinguishing Performances and Exhibitions Online”

22 November: No class (Thanksgiving) 

27 November: Convergence Culture

Reading:
Henry Jenkins, Convergence Culture (excerpts)

29 November: No class (Thanksgiving)

4 December: New Media

Reading:

Lev Manovich, “What is New Media?”

Short paper on Paris is Burning is Due
6 December: Video Games

Reading:

Derek Burrill, “Masculinity, Play, and Games” in Die Tryin’

Gonigal, Jane.  Reality is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can

Change the World.  New York: Penguin Press, 2011 (excerpts)

Final handed out

11 December: Review

Final handed out

14 December (Friday):  
Work on final papers Meet with Brian and Edward

18 December:Final Papers Due

20 December: Papers Due by 5pm. 

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