What
you will learn
This
course specifically examines the impact of the Internet
on culture, both within the U.S., and, especially, outside
this country.
The
technology subjects will include some of these
-
The
expanded use of the Internet at the TCP and IP levels
-
DNS
expansion
-
Wireless
technologies and the "Great Leap"
-
International
cooperation on Internet protocols
-
Regulation
of the Internet and the Web, historical and prospective
The
media areas covered will include some of these
-
Media
mergers
-
Convergence
-
Demassification
-
New
media forms
-
Advertising
The
cultural issues covered will include some of these
-
Global
capitalism
-
The
shift from industrial to service industries
-
New
"democracies"
-
Transitional
democracies
-
Terminal
worlds
-
Anarchy
and capitalism
-
And
the impact of colonial capitalism on Africa, China,
Russia and East Germany
It
has no prerequisites.
Materials
to help you learn
The
World Wide Web and Contemporary Cultural Theory.
Eds.: Andrew Herman and Thomas Swiss. New York: Rouledge,
2000.
Jihad
Vs. McWorld. Benjamin R. Barber. New York: Random
House, 1996.
Can't
find it in town? Try Amazon
Some
good texts (not required)
New
Media Technology: Cultural and Commercial Perspectives.
John V. Pavlik. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1996.
The Media Monopoly. Ben H. Begikian. Beacon: Boston,
1997
Handouts
Case
Studies from:
Media
Moguls. Jeremy Tunstall and Michael Palmer. Routledge:
London, 1997.
The
Known World of Broadcast News. Roger Wallis and Stanley
Baran. Routledge: London, 1997.
Contrary
to popular belief -- at times subscribed to by me -- merely
owning a book is not sufficient. Your text books will be
an invaluable guide in this course only if you actually
read them. These texts have been used by classes before
you and have been found very useful. Of some note, you will
find that your ability to participate in class and fully
appreciate the daily discussions will be greatly enhanced
if you read the texts.
To
this end, it is essential that you read the assigned material
before class. It is important that you read everything
in the assigned pages, including the examples provided and
case studies and online materials. The course moves quickly,
so let's all move together on this one, okay?
In
addition to my wonderful lectures (worth the cost of admission
themselves), we will chat, debate, and the sort.
To maintain the restaurant quality of these discussion,
reading the material will help. After all, I may at times
ask you questions about the assigned material, and I will
not always rely on volunteers who raise their hand to answer.
I will call on you whether you volunteer to answer or not
(hey, it's my job; it's what I do).
Second,
you should bring your books to class every day because we
will frequently discuss cases and other material from the
chapters.
How
you will demonstrate what you learn
You
will have different ways to demonstrate what you learn in
this course.
One,
I expect you to do the assigned reading in advance of the
specified date. Students, in teams, will take the lead in
arguing for or against the positions taken in the essays.
Make sure you can participate fully in such discussions
and demonstrate what you have learned from the reading.
I also urge you to come to class with questions and opinions.
Two,
you will be able to demonstrate your ability to apply the
principles you learn in this course to a problem by reporting
to the class about the status of mass communication technologies
used in a favorite nonwestern (not North America, Japan
or Europe) country (other than India: we have a special
speaker for that). In addition, your report will include
other details about that country's future in technology.
Three,
you will submit a brief (5-8 pages) paper based on your
research.
Four,
you will have a final exam over materials from class discussion
and the textbook. The final will be comprehensive and will
count also for 35% of your final grade. It will be a combination
of multiple choice, short answer and essay. Please bring
a blue book to class.
Class
attendance and participation
I
believe learning is enhanced by active involvement in class
discussion and activities. That's why I will ask questions
to elicit your opinions and knowledge of the reading material.
It is impossible to participate in class without attending
class (as proved by Einstein). I
would add only that attendance and grades on exams have
been found to be highly correlated. This class meets
for roughly 14 sessions. Missing one would be bad.
I
ask for your cooperation in being seated when class begins.
Determinants
of your course grade
Final
exam: 35 percent
Class
participation in discussions of readings: 30 percent
Research
Project: 35 percent
Graduate
students taking this course for graduate credit must submit
a formal graduate research paper on an approved topic.
This will substitute for the final exam and will count
70 percent of the student's course grade.
