ADV3624 Advertising and Popular CultureBahçeşehir UniversityDegree Programs PERFORMING ARTSGeneral Information For StudentsDiploma SupplementErasmus Policy StatementNational QualificationsBologna Commission
PERFORMING ARTS
Bachelor TR-NQF-HE: Level 6 QF-EHEA: First Cycle EQF-LLL: Level 6

Course Introduction and Application Information

Course Code Course Name Semester Theoretical Practical Credit ECTS
ADV3624 Advertising and Popular Culture Spring
Fall
3 0 3 4
This catalog is for information purposes. Course status is determined by the relevant department at the beginning of semester.

Basic information

Language of instruction: English
Type of course: Non-Departmental Elective
Course Level: Bachelor’s Degree (First Cycle)
Mode of Delivery: Hybrid
Course Coordinator : Dr. Öğr. Üyesi HANDE BİLSEL
Recommended Optional Program Components: None
Course Objectives: This course aims to teach students the evolution of popular culture in light of consumption sociology and advertising industry. Students will analyse the comparative discourses of advertising in various forms both historically, critically and also strategically. Students will also explore the role of advertising in contemporary culture and its connections to larger economic, social and political forces. From an investigation of advertising's crucial function in media economics and our wider capitalist system to a consideration of people who both make and watch advertising, this insightful course enables students to make sense of advertising's powerful influence as both an economic force and an artistic form.

Learning Outcomes

The students who have succeeded in this course;
t the end of the course, you will be able to:
1. Explore historical, social and economic forces and dynamics that have shaped consumer culture in light of advertising and marketing communications;
2. Assess the various claims of different perspectives on advertising and understand how they challenge and complicate one another;
3. Explore a brief history of advertising within the framework of consumer culture theory;
5.Develop understanding in analysing advertisements in terms of form, semiotics and ideology;
6. Breakdown the advertising audience through the use of fragmentation, segmentation and distinction;
7. Learn about the functioning and organizational structure of advertising agencies;
8. Explore the role of 'creativity' and art in making of advertising;
9.Explore different facets of consumer society by analysing consumer empowerment, engagement, interpretation and resistance;
10. Utilize the ways to present student's own research and debate.

Course Content

Week 1: Orientation
Week 2: Why study advertising?, Discussion of the various reasons why advertising matters in shaping of society and consumption
Week 3: The history of advertising: Contexts, transformations and continuity
Week 4: Analysing advertisements: Form, semiotics and ideology
Week 5: Advertising, capitalism and ideology, Consumer society and the magic system, Selling capitalism
Week 6: Advertising commodities and commodity fetishism, The life cycle of the commodity
Week 7: Midterm
Week 8: Audiences for sale: Quantification, segmentation and personalization
Conspicuous consumption, From nishification to personalization
Week 9: Advertising agencies: Organization, agency and internal conflict
Agency as form of chaos
Week 10: Advertising as art: From creativity to critique, Advertising changing the world, The stakes of advertising as art
Week 11: Presentations
Week 12:Empowering consumers: Engagement, interpretation and resistance, What does the audience get from advertising?, Active audiences online, Activist resistance to advertising
Week 13: The politics of advertising: Capitalism, resistance and liberalism
The power of advertising
Week 14: Chapter reviews and total wrap up

Weekly Detailed Course Contents

Week Subject Related Preparation
1) Function of Myth and Archetypes in Formation of Life Narratives The Formation of Today’s Individual: The Hero of the Narrative Reading: Joseph Campbell, “Myth and Society”, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Princeton/Bollingen, NY, 1973, pp 381-391
2) The Economy and the Youth Market Technological Change Changes in the way we consume Reading: George Ritzer, “The Revolution in Consumption and the Larger Society”, Enchanting a Disenchanted World, Pine Forge, London, 2010, pp 23-45
3) The relationship between culture and economy Advertising as a transformative institution The practice of advertising and the new “cultural economy” Reading: Liz McFall, “The Hybridization of culture and economy”, Advertising: A Cultural Economy, Sage, London, 2004, pp 61-88
4) History of Globalization The Rise of Multinational Corporation Spreading images of “Good Life” Advertising and Culture Assignment Due Reading: Katherine Toland Frith & Barbara Mueller, “Advertising and Culture”, Advertising and Societies, Lang, NY, 2007, pp 1-54
5) Political Ideology of Consumption Commercializing Expression Consumption and Social Change Reading: Stuart Ewen, “The Political Ideology of Consumption”,Captains of Consciousness, Basic Books, NY, 2001, pp 51-109
6) The move to specification: Market Segmentation Advertising and the domain of meaning Gender and advertising The Codes of Marketplace and Commodity Fetishism Reading: Sut Jhally, “The Codes of Audience”, The Codes of Advertising, Routledge, London, 1990, pp 122-172
7) Midterm The first six weeks readings, discussions and lecture notes should be reviewed
8) Social Effects and Hidden Effects of Advertising Effects Model Culture Jamming So “why” does it sell? Reading: Marcel Danesi, “Advertising and Society”, Why It Sells, Rowman&Littlefield, Lanham, 2008, pp 175-194
9) Testing the limits of conventional advertising: The Benetton Affair Reading: Pasi Falk, “The Benetton-Toscani Effect”, Buy This Book, Routledge, NY, 1997, pp 64- 83
10) Commodity Bricolage Examples from Jeans Market Photographic Hyperrealism Levi’s and the art of Corporate Bricolage Reading: Robert Goldman, “Levi’s 501s and the Knowing Wink: Commodity Bricolage”, Reading Ads Socially, Routledge, NY, 2000, pp 173-201
11) Presentations The student will conduct extensive research on a topic assigned by the instructor and prepare a presentation she/he will make in class
12) Presentations The student will conduct extensive research on a topic assigned by the instructor and prepare a presentation she/he will make in class
13) Presentations The student will conduct extensive research on a topic assigned by the instructor and prepare a presentation she/he will make in class
14) Presentations The student will conduct extensive research on a topic assigned by the instructor and prepare a presentation she/he will make in class
15) Presentations The student will conduct extensive research on a topic assigned by the instructor and prepare a presentation she/he will make in class

Sources

Course Notes / Textbooks: • Nicholas Holm, Advertising and Consumer Society: A critical Introduction (2017), Palgrave,London.

References: Adbusters
AdFlip.com.
Advertising Bibliographies
Commercial Closet
False Advertising
Media Awareness Network
Zap a Vision
AdCritic

Evaluation System

Semester Requirements Number of Activities Level of Contribution
Attendance 10 % 10
Homework Assignments 1 % 20
Presentation 1 % 10
Midterms 1 % 20
Final 1 % 40
Total % 100
PERCENTAGE OF SEMESTER WORK % 60
PERCENTAGE OF FINAL WORK % 40
Total % 100

ECTS / Workload Table

Activities Number of Activities Duration (Hours) Workload
Course Hours 12 3 36
Study Hours Out of Class 17 3 51
Presentations / Seminar 2 5 10
Homework Assignments 3 5 15
Midterms 1 7 7
Final 1 10 10
Total Workload 129

Contribution of Learning Outcomes to Programme Outcomes

No Effect 1 Lowest 2 Low 3 Average 4 High 5 Highest
           
Program Outcomes Level of Contribution
1) They acquire theoretical, historical and aesthetic knowledge specific to their field by using methods and techniques related to performing arts (acting, dance, music, etc.). 2
2) They have knowledge about art culture and aesthetics and they provide the unity of theory and practice in their field. 2
3) They are aware of national and international values in performing arts. 2
4) Abstract and concrete concepts of performing arts; can transform it into creative thinking, innovative and original works. 1
5) They have the sensitivity to run a business successfully in their field. 3
6) Develops the ability to perceive, think, design and implement multidimensional from local to universal. 3
7) They have knowledge about the disciplines that the performing arts field is related to and can evaluate the interaction of the sub-disciplines within their field. 2
8) They develop the ability to perceive, design, and apply multidimensionality by having knowledge about artistic criticism methods. 3
9) They can share original works related to their field with the society and evaluate their results and question their own work by using critical methods. 1
10) They follow English language resources related to their field and can communicate with foreign colleagues in their field. 1
11) By becoming aware of national and international values in the field of performing arts, they can transform abstract and concrete concepts into creative thinking, innovative and original works. 3
12) They can produce original works within the framework of an interdisciplinary understanding of art. 2
13) Within the framework of the Performing Arts Program and the units within it, they become individuals who are equipped to take part in the universal platform in their field. 3
14) Within the Performing Arts Program, according to the field of study; have competent technical knowledge in the field of acting and musical theater. 2
15) They use information and communication technologies together with computer software that is at least at the Advanced Level of the European Computer Use License as required by the field. 3