MCS 333 - History and Theory of Mass Communication and Media Studies (3)

This course will introduce students to the history of the discipline of mass communications and media studies, which have their origins in the sociology of “mass society” at the turn of the twentieth century in the US and Europe. The course will chart the shift from a “Mass Communications” approach emphasizing “media effects” approaches that merged in the 1970s as part of a larger shift in studies of human behavior and expressive culture. The course will consider the ways that changes in the technologies of communication, information, entertainment, and surveillance have helped to shape the paradigms under which scholars study audiences, messages, and culture. Further, the course will examine how these same changes have shaped the way producers think about and communicate with audiences.

Grading: Graded
Course ID: 55394
Consent: No Special Consent Required
Components: Lecture
Prerequisite: MCS 222 with a grade of ‘C’ or better.