Entry requirements

A Bachelor's degree of 180 credits in a social science or humanities subject relevant to media and communication studies, as well as documented independent academic written work. ‘Independent academic written work’ refers to one or more theses. Proficiency in English equivalent to the Swedish upper secondary course English 6.

Learning outcomes

Completing the course the student should be able to:

Knowledge and understanding

• give an account of theories on the relation between space, place and media
• give an account of the cultural, economic and political dimensions of earlier and contemporary media spaces and places,

Skills and abilities

• describe and critically analyse media spaces and places as cultural/symbolic phenomena that contribute to the construction of social and national expressions,
• describe and critically analyse media spaces and places as media and cultural industries, and as locations of consumption and pleasure,
• describe and critically analyse the political regulation of and accountability in media spaces and places, 
• identify and critically analyse contestation and critique linked to cultural/symbolic, economic and political aspects of media spaces and places,
• independently produce analytical texts and reflect on these texts,
• cooperate with other students in a common project,
• orally present own assignments and give constructive critique on other students assignments.

Content

The course allows students to understand and problematise media in their context, and to study how media are shaped by and are shaping their spatial, cultural, economic and political settings. The course takes theories of mediated space and place as starting point, discussing its cultural, economic and political dimensions. In the cultural dimension, media spaces and places are discussed as cultural/symbolic phenomena that also contribute to the construction of particular spatial expressions (e.g. local, national and global). The economic dimension discusses media spaces and places as locations for capitalist activity but also as spaces and places of media consumption and pleasure. In the third dimension, emphasis is placed on the regulation of and accountability in media spaces and places. Moreover, the contestation and critique of the meaning attached to mediated spaces and places will be addressed.

As a vital pedagogical idea of the course a study tour to an urban centre is included and students choose and design different analytical assignments connected to the visits. Such assignments may cover digital media, journalism or strategic communication, but also spaces and places that are less commonly used as objects of study in media and communication studies, such as exhibitions, museums, memorials, shopping malls, squares or other public places and spaces can be analysed.

Instruction

Lectures, seminars, study visits/place visits, supervision and project work.

Assessment

The course is assessed through presentations and written assignments.

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.