Course ID: | JRLC 5210. 3 hours. |
Course Title: | Social Effects of Mass Communication |
Course Description: | Patterns of influence among mass communication and the individuals, organizations, and institutions in society. Current research and critical literature are analyzed in reviewing debates about claims of media effects, including socialization of children, formation of attitudes and values, promotion of social behaviors, and legitimation of power structures. |
Oasis Title: | MASS COMM EFFECTS |
Pre or Corequisite: | Permission of department |
Semester Course Offered: | Offered spring semester every year. |
Grading System: | A-F (Traditional) |
|
Course Objectives: | This course is designed to give students experience in analyzing
arguments and evidence that individuals and groups use in making
claims about social effects of mass communication.
The course should help the department realize some of the
outcomes included in its assessment plan. |
Topical Outline: | Brief history; Examples of campaigns to persuade society of media effects;
Definition and theories; How arguments over social effects are constructed;
Nature of evidence used; Promise and problems of science as a means of
producing evidence; Major theories; findings of scientific studies;
Non-scientific approaches; Alternative paradigms; Predicting views on
effects of new media. |