Media Reception StudiesDr. Kathy Fuller-Seeleymeets Wednesdays 4:30-7:00 pm in Communication Dept 1020 (10th floor, One Park Place) Office: 1051 One Park Place, 10th floor Office Hours, Mon and Weds 2-4, Tues and Thurs 11-12 or by appointment Phone 404-651-3503 Course Objectives:This is an upper-level course for graduate students in Moving Images Studies, Communication, history, English, etc. which broadly examines qualitative methodological approaches to the study of reception strategies of media audiences. Our readings will include works using historical methodology, TV audience studies, fan cultures (both of these drawing from the Birmingham cultural studies approach), ethnography, feminist film studies, film reception studies, film and the emotional system, and issues of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, & class. We will discuss a wide variety of media; however, we shall start with television and film, we shall see who is interested in other aspects of book/print, comics, radio, internet and other audience cultures. We will examine leading works in the field, studying their methodologies, then individually design and research audience case studies. The seminar will be focused on student group discussion and presentation of texts, research methods, findings. Students will complete 4-5 short (2 page) analytical papers on various books, a 5-7 page midterm essay, and will be working all term on a research project that will become a 15-20 page paper by the end of the term. We will also submit any necessary paperwork to the IRB, especially if we do interviews and ethnography with living subjects. REQUIRED TEXTS:Audience Studies Reader, ed. Brooker and Jermyn, Routledge 2003 Course Requirements and PoliciesGrading Policy: (grades on a 10-point scale; 100- 90=A, 89-80=B, 79-70=C, 69-60=D etc.) Final course grade will be composed of the following components 40% research paper 20% short midterm paper 25% weekly worksheets and in-class presentations 15% participation Weekly worksheets (I will hand out models and forms): Due in class on each week’s readings; a 1-page document analyzing the author’s questions, theses, approaches and relationship to course readings. In-Class presentations: You will be asked to lead class discussion at least on two occasions (we will choose additional book assignments in class); AND to make an oral presentation of your research findings at the end of the semester. Participation: this grade is based on your regular attendance, the quality of your participation in discussions, and the level of preparation and effort you put into your thinking, reading, writing and speaking. Missing more than one class or failing to turn in your worksheets and make presentations in a timely manner will cause the participation grade to suffer greatly. Short mid-term paper (5-7 pages, 1250-1750 words) will ask you to compare several theories and methodologies of the study of media audiences, esp. those that we will have explored by midterms. Due at midterms. The course also requires a traditional graduate-level research paper (15-20 pages) on some aspect of your own choosing related to media audiences. We will work together to develop specific topics for you based on the approaches taken by books we will have read in the course, your own interests, and other secondary literature found in our libraries. The instructor must approve all research paper topics. You will make a presentation of your findings the last two weeks of the class, and turn in preliminary bibliography, initial outline, and a first draft before submitting the final paper. Due during finals week (date to be discussed further in class.) Late assignments will not be accepted. Incompletes for the course will only be given under extraordinary circumstances, as cited on p. 58 of the 2004-5 catalog. Changes to the Syllabus: This syllabus provides a general plan for the course. Deviations may be necessary. University Policies Pertinent to this ClassAs members of the academic community, students are expected to recognize and uphold standards of intellectual and academic integrity. The university assumes a s a base and minimum standard of conduct in academic matters that students be honest and that they submit for credit only the products of their own efforts. Both the ideals of scholarship and the need for practices that are fair require that all dishonest work be rejected as a basis for academic credit. They also require that students refrain from any and all forms of dishonorable conduct in the course of their academic work. Class Schedule:Week 1: Introduction Week 2 from vulnerable to active audiences Week 3 TV Audiences Week 4 Fan Cultures Week 5 More Fan Cultures Week 6 Film audiences Week 7 Film spectators Week 8 (MIDTERMS week) READING Audiences Week 9 Spring break! Wednesday March 9 Spring Break, no class MIDTERM ESSAY DUE TO ME via EMAIL by Monday March 14th Week 10 Film and the Emotions – other ways to think of reception Week 11 Historical Audiences Week 12 RESEARCH/SCMS week Week 13 Research Projects Week 14 Research Projects Week 15 Presentations on research projects Week 16 Presentations on research projects Further bibliography includes: |
