Course Description
This highly interactive course focuses on representations of disasters in media and pop culture. Issues discussed will include disaster news, social media, symbolism, film, music and disasters, and disaster literature. Students will learn how these issues relate to applied topics in disasters, such as warning communication and policy framing.
Athena Title
Disasters, Media, Pop Culture
Pre or Corequisite
DMAN 3100 or DMAN 3100E
Semester Course Offered
Offered spring
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
In this course, students will be able to: • Compare major theories and trends in disasters as they relate to pop culture. • Describe the role of news media and information in disaster management. • Identify major communication theories related to disaster research, including warnings, protective action, persuasion principles, and ethnography. • Analyze how trends in disaster management relate to public knowledge, social myths, and applied work. • Create research agendas and propose potential benefits of disaster representation in pop culture. • Explore the broad intersection among social issues and disaster narratives in media, art, film, and music. • Interpret needs for potential areas of advocacy and outreach related to warnings, media, and communication.
Topical Outline
1.Overview of Disasters, Media, and Pop Culture a.History of news reporting b.History of major disasters in music (e.g., the Titanic folk music) 2.News a.Warnings and forecasts b.Framing of issues – Katrina looting myth, Chernobyl birth defects myth c.Symbolism and awareness d.Memes, social media, and advocacy (class project) i.Public health outreach (Zika and beyond) ii.Risk communication iii.Major campaigns (FEMA initiatives) 3.Disasters and Film/Movies a.Accurate depictions, documentaries, biography b.Sensationalized film c.Disasters in television series d.Potential for use of film segments in education 4.Disasters and Music a.The Beyoncé effect – imagery in music videos b.Narratives of suffering c.Narratives of interpersonal exchanges d.Potential for use of music segments in education 5.Disasters and Literature a.War and fiction b.Flooding and teen fiction c.International disaster literature
Syllabus