Mass Communication

Course Code: SOCI 2010

Academic Year: 2024-2025

How does culture spread across the world? How have the speed and accessibility of the Internet shaped individual and national identities alike? Have new social media platforms like Youtube and Facebook contributed to the evolution of a 'me'-focused culture? Are we taking social cues from reality television shows and other decontextualized tidbits of popular culture? Whether we see ourselves as "mainstream" or as opposed to the mainstream, our very attitudes and ideas have been shaped by the content and technology of mass communication. In this class, students will explore the subject of mass communication by considering its beginnings, the nature of its evolution, and its future. Starting foundationally with a definition of mass communication in its contemporary context, we will progress to a discussion of the communicative process and its role in shaping social change. We will examine the impact of "traditional" mass media outlets like radio, television, newspapers and the cinema. Building on these insights we can then assess the political, economic, and social impacts of the new communication technologies of our ever-changing "digital" landscape.