Anthropology: Media/Culture/Power (B)

About ANTH 3990 B

See Schedule of Courses for specific titles. Prerequisites: ANTH 1100, one 2000-level course.

Notes

Pre-req: Anth 1100 and one 2000-level Anth; Special Topics courses cannot carry CC designations. PACE students by permission and override

Section Description

Nowadays, media are a ubiquitous part of daily routines for people in societies across the globe. From cell
phones to radio to television to movies to on-line social networks, media’s reaches are vast, often leading
people to take their presence for granted and uncritically accept their
role in processes of social interaction, identity formation, political
protest, and economic exchange. However, media are not just props
under human control, but a major means through which people make
sense of publics, objects, and environments around them. In this
course, students will examine social lives, or ‘cultures’ of media;
namely, ways that people have adopted, adapted, and signified media
in practice. In learning about ‘media anthropology’ as a subfield,
students will engage, analyze, and discuss written and audiovisual
texts that position media as racial, gender and sexual expression;
spiritual reckoning; inter-group conflict; advertising tool; and cultural
and/or nationalist propaganda among other phenomena.

Section Expectation

To create the best chances for a learning community built on respect, rigor, and collective curiosity, students are expected to come to classes prepared to discuss assigned readings and other media texts, participate in conversations that involve both active listening and verbal engagement (in small groups as well as an entire class), reflect on and discuss texts shown in class in relation to assigned readings, complete creative exercises that build on relevant course themes, and apply accrued knowledge and insights to real-world contexts, histories, and debates.

Evaluation

Student grades will be based on a combination of in-class participation, required writing and creative assignments (some may require out-of-class activities), group presentations, and a final paper involving external research.

Important Dates

Resources

• Parking
• PACE Course Pricing
• Textbooks

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