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Communication and Popular Culture
COMM 304
Instructor: Ms Rick Watson
Phone: 858-3014
Office:
Hartnett Hall 302
Office Hours: 2 pm, M//W/ F--1 pm, T/R-- or by appt.
Required Texts:
Barthes, Roland. Mythologies. New York: Hill and Wang, 1972.
Many and various assigned readings during the time
Statement of Course Philosophy: The study of rhetoric is more than discovering
approaches to understanding and analyzing public speeches. Recent research into
rhetoric focuses on a variety of messages and persuaders in our society that we
tend to take for granted. When examined, these messages reveal more significance
and social influence than we at first think. In content,
COMM 304H: Communication and Popular Culture will include analysis of audience,
occasion, subject, and speaker. The subject matter, however, will not be
traditional, i.e., significant speeches or essays. Instead, subject matter will
include those elements of our society which produce culture and create meaning
for individuals and groups. These meanings come from the discourse and various
texts that circulate in a social system: movies, song, television, humor,
fashion, public demonstrations, advertisements, architecture, etc.
Aim: This course offers an opportunity to examine and apply contemporary
communication theory of rhetoric to current message-producing agencies in our
society.
Objectives:
— to emphasize the massive competition governing the decisions of humanity — to
sharpen abilities for critical listening, reading, and viewing — to understand
distinctive characteristics of persuasion — to express ideas effectively by
developing a sensitivity to language
Teaching Methodology: Class activities will include student-centered discussion
intended to reinforce lectures on rhetorical analysis and popular culture, and
oral presentations and papers designed to allow students to demonstrate an
ability to connect rhetorical theory with some particular artifact of popular
culture.
Units of work:
The following assignments and activities will be used to assess your
comprehension and mastery of the course goals. Course requirements might include
but will not be limited to the following:
20%
Readings/short lectures for basic principles and theories
20%
Popular culture readings
20%
Class midterm essay (Barthes)
15% Rhetorical criticism project (oral presentation and a formally
written paper)
20 % Article summaries: Journal of Popular
Culture (4)
5%
class activities; discussions.
Bibliography
(The following books might be consulted for additional perspectives on rhetorical
theory.)
Brandt, William F.
Company, Inc.,
1970.
The Rhetoric of Argumentation.
Brummet, Barry. Reading Rhetorical Theory.
Publishers, 2000.
---.
Rhetoric in Popular Culture.
New York: The Bobbs-Merrill
New York:
New York:
Harcourt College
St. Martin's Press, 1994.
Foss, Sonja K. Rhetorical Criticism: Exploration and Practice.
Heights, Illinois:
Waveland Press, Inc., 1989.
Griffin, Em.
1997.
A First Look at Communication Theory.
Hart, Roderick P. Modern Rhetorical Criticism.
Foresman/Little, Brown
Higher Education, 1990.
New York:
Prospect
McGraw-Hill,
Glenview, Illinois:
Scott,
Hauser, Gerard A. Introduction to Rhetorical Theory. New York: Harper & Row,
Publishers, 1986.
Littlejohn, Stephen W. Theories of Human Communication. Belmont,
Wadsworth
Publishing Company, 1996.
C.A.:
Rybacki, Karyn and Donald. Communication Criticism: Approaches and Genres.
Belmont, Cal:
Wadsworth Publishing Company, 1991.
West, Richard, and Lynn H. Turner. Introducing Communication Theory:
and
Application. Toronto: Mayfield Publishing Company, 2000.
Wood, Julia T. Communication Theories in Action:
C.A.: Wadsworth
Publishing Company, 1997.
An Introduction.
Analysis
Belmont,