Entry requirements

60 credits in media and communication studies including 7.5 credits in media studies

Learning outcomes

After the course the student should be able to:

Knowledge and understanding

• account for and show in-depth understanding of the main theories, media-centric and non-media centric, in the field of Media Studies,
• account for and show understanding of the historical as well as contemporary debates around the concepts media, mediation, mediatization, media logic, media/communication ecology, globalization, digitalization and participation,
• account for indepth knowledge about and show understanding of theoretical discussions focusing the study of media and everyday life, digital societies and media and globalization from critical, cultural and discursive perspectives.

Competence and skills

• apply select concepts and theoretical perspectives to analyse media and contemporary everyday life, digital societies or media and globalization,
• present theoretically anchored assignments in writing and/or through oral presentations, as well as provide constructive feedback to other students' oral and written presentations.

Judgement and approach

• account for and show in-depth understanding of issues of equity, sustainability and participation in contemporary media societies and ethical implications of different theoretical approaches in Media Studies
• be able to present theoretically anchored discussions about the ethical problems associated with unequal media access and power and its implication for participation in social change processes.

Content

This course, building on the MCS B/Media Studies, further explores the main theories in the field of Media Studies. The course offers an in-depth exploration of the key academic debates, media-centric and non-media centric, historical as well as contemporary, in the field. The first part of the course, will explore the historical as well as contemporary development of theoretical perspectives and understandings of the concepts media, mediation, mediatization, media logic, media/communication ecology, globalization, digitalization and participation. In the second part of the course, the students will be required to compare and contrast different approaches to understand the world of contemporary media, in order to explore the impact of different theoretical lenses. Here the theoretical foundation will be used for analysis of contemporary everyday life experiences related to the media, digital societies and globalization from critical, cultural and discursive perspectives. The theoretical explorations and comparisons will develop the students' abilities to independently and critically reflect on issues of equity, sustainability and participation in contemporary media societies, as well as to discuss the ethical problems associated with unequal media access and power, as well as its implications for participation in social change processes.

Instruction

Lectures, seminars and workshops are combined with individual and group assignments.

Assessment

The course is examined through active participation in compulsory activities, including individual and group-work assignments, and in written examinations.

If there are special reasons for doing so, an examiner may make an exception from the method of assessment indicated and allow a student to be assessed by another method. An example of special reasons might be a certificate regarding special pedagogical support from the University's disability coordinator or a decision by the department's working group for study matters.