Media and Popular Culture
Fall 2004 Syllabus
Media and Popular Culture
Journalism 4810/Film 4810, Fall 2004
Wednesday 1:00-3:30, 1020 One Park Place South
Professor Ted Friedman
Office: 738 One Park Place South
Email: tedf@gsu.edu; Phone: (404) 463-9522
Home Page: www.tedfriedman.com
Course Description
Popular culture is often described as “escapist” entertainment. But this dismissal evades some very serious questions. What are we escaping? Where are we escaping to? Does everybody go to the same place? How might the trip affect us, once we get back? This class looks at the social consequences and political implications of mass mediated entertainment. Its goal is to develop the theoretical tools and critical perspective to interrogate the TV shows, commercials, films, books, songs, videos, and web sites that saturate our lives.
Prerequisites
For Journalism students, the prerequisites for this course are Communication Law & Regulation (JOUR 3060) and Introduction to Theories of Mass Communication (JOUR 3070). For Film students, the prerequisites for this course are Film Aesthetics and Analysis (FILM 1010) and History of Motion Pictures (FILM 2700).
Readings
The following books are available at the GSU bookstores:
• Channels of Discourse, edited by Robert Allen
• No Logo by Naomi Klein
The coursepack is sold by Bestway Copy Center, 18 Decatur Street SE (on the first floor of One Park Place South).
Email Group
All students will be automatically signed up to the class email list. I will regularly forward media news and cultural criticism to the list. You’re encouraged to forward other interesting information, post your reactions to recent movies, respond to other postings, or continue any other ongoing discussions from class.
Syllabus
8/25 Introduction
In-class screening: “Barbie Nation”
9/1 What Is Culture?
Read Geertz; Berger
In-class screening: “Superstar”
9/8 What Is Cultural Studies?
Read Channels of Discourse: Introduction; Berube; Hebdige
In-class screening: Paris is Burning
9/15 Political Economy
Readings to be distributed via email
In-class screening: “Money for Nothing: Behind the Business of Popular Music”
9/22 Semiotics
Read Channels: Chapter 1; Barthes
Presentations
9/29 Narrative and Genre
Read Channels: Chapter 2, 4
Presentations
10/6 Race
Read Hall, Rodman
In-class screening: Color Adjustment
Take-home Midterm Due
10/13 Audience
Read Channels: Chapter 3; Ehrenreich, Hess and Jacobs; Jenkins
Presentations
10/20 Ideology
Read Channels: Chapter 5; Kavanaugh
In-class screening: “Advertising and the End of the World”
10/27 Cultural Studies
Read Channels: Chapter 8; Hall
Presentations
11/3 Gender
Read Channels: Chapter 7; Doty
Presentations
11/10 Branding
Read No Logo: Chapters 1-5; Gladwell
In-class screening: “Merchants of Cool”
11/17 Globalization
Read No Logo: Chapters 9-11; Kaplan
Presentations
11/24 Thanksgiving Break
12/1 Activism
Read No Logo: Chapters 12-18, Conclusion
Presentations
12/8 Postmodernism
Read Channels: Chapter 9
Presentations
Research paper due
Take-Home Final Due December 15
Assignments
The class assignments add up to total of 100 possible points. Your final grade for the class is determined by adding up your grades for each assignment, adjusting for attendance, then applying the final number to the following scale:
90-100=A, 80-89=B, 70-79=C, 60-69=D, 0-59=F
1. Presentation – 10% of final grade
You will research, prepare, and present a 15-minute discussion relating a contemporary pop text – your choice of music video, TV commercial, web site, movie, etc – to the week’s reading. So, on the week we cover gender, for example, each presenter will discuss the gender politics of a specific pop culture text, drawing on the concepts of the week’s reading.
The presentation should begin with a brief description of the example and its cultural context. You should then discuss how the text relates to the week’s reading, followed up by a short clip/demo (5 minutes or less). Your presentation should conclude with a series of at least three provocative questions for the class to discuss; you will then be responsible for running the subsequent class discussion. Research for the presentation should draw from at least three independent sources.
The presentation will require advanced planning. You’ll need to read your week’s assignments ahead of time, pick an appropriate text to analyze, research the text, and then develop your talk. At the time of the presentation, you will hand in an outline of your talk, which will be returned with your grade for the presentation.
Sign-up for presentations will take place within the first few weeks of class. Presentations may be made individually or collaboratively in groups of two or three; group presentations will be expected to be proportionately longer.
2. Take-Home Midterm – 30% of final grade
The take-home midterm will require you to pick a cultural product not already discussed in class, then relate it to specific concepts from the course. It will be due on October 6.
3. Research Paper – 30%.of the final grade
You will produce an 8-10 page research paper on a topic relating to American popular culture. More details of the research paper will follow in a separate handout. A rough draft of the paper can be submitted at any time up through December 1. The final draft of the paper is due in the mailbox on my office door by December 8.
4. Take-Home Final – 30% of final grade
The take-home final assignment will be similar to the take-home midterm, covering ideas from the second half of the syllabus. It will be due in the mailbox on my office door by December 15.
5. Attendance Adjustment
As Woody Allen put it, “80 percent of success is showing up.” It’s less than that in this formula, but the bottom line is that you can’t contribute to the class if you’re not there. You’re allowed one unexcused absence for the semester. After that, each unexcused absence subtracts one point from your grade total. Excused absences include medical and family emergencies. You will be expected to schedule any employment responsibilities around this class, or accept the consequences of missed classes for your grade. If you do need to miss a class, please contact me ahead of time, and make arrangements to catch up on missed material.
Policies
Re-Writes and Makeup Tests
Opportunities for revision and improvement will be available for the midterm, the presentation, and the research paper prospectus. In addition, I will look at optional drafts of the research paper submitted on or before the deadline listed above. One rule: a 24-hour cool-down period after the return of any assignment. Wait a day before coming to talk to me, and I’ll be happy to listen to your concerns and help you improve your work.
Late and Unsubmitted Papers
Late papers will be marked off by ½ point for every day overdue unless an extension is agreed upon before the due date. No work can be accepted after the deadline for the take-home final. Any unsubmitted papers will receive a 0. Likewise, any unanswered exam questions will receive a 0. So, if you answer only 2 out of 3 required exam questions, you will get a 0 on the third question.
Academic Honesty
The university’s policy on academic honesty is published in On Campus: The Undergraduate Co-Curricular Affairs Handbook, available online at http://www.gsu.edu/~wwwcam. The policy prohibits plagiarism, cheating on examinations, unauthorized collaboration, falsification, and multiple submissions. Violation of the policy will result in failing the class, in addition to disciplinary sanctions.
The Internet makes it easy to plagiarize, but also easy to track down plagiarism. Bottom line: Don’t plagiarize. It’s wrong, and it’s not worth it. There’s always a better way. Cite all your sources, put all direct quotations in quotation marks, and clearly note when you are paraphrasing other authors’ work.
Withdrawals
Students withdrawing on or before the midsemester point will receive a W provided they are passing the course. Students who withdraw after the midsemester point will not be eligible for a W except in cases of hardship. If you withdraw after the midsemester point, you will be assigned a WF, except in those cases in which (1) hardship status is determined by the office of the dean of students because of emergency, employment, or health reasons, and (2) you are passing the course.
Incompletes
Incompletes may be given only in special hardship cases. Incompletes will not be used merely for extending the time for completion of course requirements.
Changes to the Syllabus
This syllabus provides a general plan for the course. Deviations may be necessary.
Posted by tedf at February 27, 2005 05:24 AM