ECONOMICS AND FINANCE
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
SOC3093	Sociology of Mass Communication	Fall	3	0	3	5

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:	Face to face
Course Coordinator :	Prof. Dr. AYŞE NİLÜFER NARLI
Recommended Optional Program Components:	"."
Course Objectives:	-To introduce mass media theory - To acquire an understanding of media theory and research -To develop a critical understanding for the relationship between media and society -To raise an awareness of political and economic forces shaping media -To deconstruct, analyze and evaluate media messages -To master and apply media literacy skills

Learning Outcomes

The students who have succeeded in this course;
Students will be able to,
1) Synthesize a range of theoretical perspectives to examine contemporary issues in mass media
2) Critically analyze media messages
3) Develop an understanding for the active role of media in social formations
4) Evaluate relationships between media industries and society in terms of political economy perspective
5) Examine the dynamics of developing media technologies

Course Content

This course by focusing on the impact of mass communication, aims to provide students with a framework for understanding the complex relationship between media and society. The main objectives of the course are to provide students with a critical understanding of the media as a key social institution, to develop awareness of political and economic forces shaping media, to develop critical skills to deconstruct media messages and to develop media literacy skills. This course introduces critical theories of mass media and requires a critical understanding to discuss and evaluate media messages and also the ability to synthesize a range of theoretical perspectives to examine contemporary issues in mass media with a reflective understanding.

Weekly Detailed Course Contents

Week	Subject	Related Preparation
1)	Introduction to the course Concepts & Models	“The Mass Communication Process” in McQuail’s Communication Theory, McQuail (2010) pp. 51-78.
2)	Media – Society Theories: Overview	Theory of Media & Theory of Society in McQuail’s Communication Theory, McQuail (2010) pp. 79-110. “Mass Communication, Popular Taste and Organized Social Action” Paul F. Lazarsfeld & Robert K. Merton, in Media Studies (Eds.) Marris & Thornham, (2000).
3)	Critical Theories of Mass Media 1: Cultural Implications of Mechanical Reproduction	Walter Benjamin’s “Work of Art” Essay Chp 1, Critical Theories of Mass Media, Taylor & Harris (2008) pp. 17-38. Summary & Response Essay 1: “Moral Solidarity & Technological Reproduction of Images” K, Tester. Media Culture & Society Journal, (1995)
4)	Critical Theories of Mass Media 2: Culture Industries	Theodor Adorno and The Culture Industry Chp 3, Critical Theories of Mass Media, Taylor & Harris (2008) pp. 62-84. “Culture Industry Reconsidered” Theodor W. Adorno, in Media Studies (Eds.) Marris & Thornham, (2000), pp. 31-37. Summary Response Essay 2: “Cultural Industries In the Digital Age: Some Provisional Conclusions” E. Bustamante, Media Culture & Society Journal (2004)
5)	Critical Theories of Mass Media 3: Mass Communication & Culture	Mass Communication & Culture Chp. 5, McQuail’s Communication Theory, McQuail (2000) pp. 111-134. Debate 1: “Mass Communication & Minority Culture” Raymond Williams, in Media Studies (Eds.) Marris & Thornham, (2000), pp. 44-50. “A Semiotic Analysis of Four Designer Clothing Advertisements” Stone (2000) “Social Anxiety, Class and Disaffedted Youth” in Media Culture, Kellner (1995)
6)	Critical Theories of Mass Media 4: Media & Technology	Marshall McLuhan’s Understanding of the Media Chp 4, Critical Theories of Mass Media, Taylor & Harris (2008) pp. 85-106. “The Medium is the Message” Marshall McLuhan, in Media Studies, Marris & Thornham (2000), pp. 38-43. Debate 2: “Podcasting & Political Life” MacDougall American Behavioral Scientist, (2011) “Requiem for the Media” from A Critique of Political Economy Of Sign” (Baudrillard)
7)	Debates (Homework submission) & Midterm	Debate Group 1 & 2 Midterm
8)	Critical Theories of Mass Media 5: Communication as Ideology	Communication as Ideology Chp. 8, Media & Communication, Scannell (2007), pp. 198-232. “Encoding / Decoding” Stuart Hall, in Media Studies, Marris & Thornham (2000), pp. 51-61. Debate 3: “Myth Today” from Mythologies (Barthes) “Media Culture, politics and ideology from Reagan to Rambo” in Media Culture, Kellner (1995)
9)	Critical Theories of Mass Media 6: Mass Media & Public Sphere	Normative Theory of Media & Society Chp. 7, McQuail’s Communication Theory, McQuail (2000) pp. 161-188. “The Public Sphere” J. Habermas, in Media Studies, Marris & Thornham (2000), pp. 92-98. Summary Response Essay 3: “The Virtual Sphere” Papacharissi, New Media & Society, (2002)
10)	Critical Theories of Mass Media 7: Media & Consumerism	Guy Debord’s Society of the Spectacle Chp 5, Critical Theories of Mass Media, Taylor & Harris (2008) pp. 107-127. Debate 4: “Towards a Genealogy and Typology of Spectacle : Some Comments on Debord” Roberts, Thesis Eleven, (2003). “Debord and the Postmodern Turn: New Stages of the Spectacle” (Best & Kellner) Chp 7 “Banality TV: the democratization of celebrity” in Critical Theories of Mass Media, Taylor & Harris (2008) pp. 155-176.
11)	Critical Theories of Mass Media 8: New Media	New Media – New Theory? Chp. 6, McQuail’s Communication Theory, McQuail (2000) pp. 135-160. Debate 5: “Boundaries and Borderlines: Reflections on Baudrillard and Critical Theory” “Mapping the present from the future: From Baudrillard to cyberpunk” Chp. 9, Media Culture, Kellner (1995) pp. 297-330.
12)	Critical Theories of Mass Media 9: Social Media	“The Masses: The Implosion of the Social Media” Jean Baudrillard, in Media Studies, Marris & Thornham (2000), pp. 99-108. Debate 6: “Media and the Arab uprisings of 2011: Research notes” Cottle, Journalism, (2011). “Video Justice : Crimes of Violence in Social/Media Space” Biressi & Nunn, Space & Culture, (2003). “Twitter: Microphone for the Masses” Murthy, Media, Culture & Society, (2011).
13)	Critical Theories of Mass Media 10: Media & Social Control	Debate 7 : Discuss a case(s) examplifying different ways of social control through media “Media Gatekeeping” pp 75-89 “The Agenda-Setting Role of News Media” pp 90-105 “Spiral of Silence: Communication and Public Opinion as Social Control” pp. 153-168 in An Integrated Approach to Communication Theory and Research. (Eds) Stacks & Salwen, (2009).
14)	Debates (Homework submission) / Presentation	Debate Groups 5,6 & 7

Sources

Course Notes / Textbooks:

Dersin hocası tarafından temin edilecektir.
Will be provided by the professor

References:

Dennis, McQuail. (2010). McQuail’s Communication Theory. London: Sage Publication.

Kellner, Douglas. (1995). Media Culture. London: Routledge.

Marris, Paul & Thornham, Sue. (2000). Media Studies (Eds.). NY: New York Univ. Press.

Kellner, Douglas. (1995). Media Culture. NY: Routledge.

Stacks W. Don & Salwen, Michael Brian. (2009). An Integrated Approach to Communication Theory and Research. (Eds). NY: Taylor & Francis.

Taylor, Paul & Harris, Jean Ll. (2008). Critical Theories of Mass Media. Berkshire: Open University Press.

Media Culture & Society Journal, Thesis Eleven

Evaluation System

Semester Requirements	Number of Activities	Level of Contribution
Attendance	14	% 10
Homework Assignments	2	% 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	14	3	42
Study Hours Out of Class	14	3	42
Presentations / Seminar	1	10	10
Homework Assignments	2	10	20
Midterms	1	2	2
Final	1	2	2
Total Workload			118

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)	Build up a body of knowledge in mathematics and statistics, to use them, to understand how the mechanism of economy –both at micro and macro levels – works.	3
2)	Understand the common as well as distinctive characters of the markets, industries, market regulations and policies.	2
3)	Develop an awareness of different approaches to the economic events and why and how those approaches have been formed through the Economic History and understand the differences among those approaches by noticing at what extent they could explain the economic events.	1
4)	Analyze the interventions of politics to the economics and vice versa.	3
5)	Apply the economic analysis to everyday economic problems and evaluate the policy proposals for those problems by comparing opposite approaches.	2
6)	Understand current and new economic events and how the new approaches to the economics are formed and evaluating.	2
7)	Develop the communicative skills in order to explain the specific economic issues/events written, spoken and graphical form.	3
8)	Know how to formulate the economics problems and issues and define the solutions in a well-formed written form, which includes the hypothesis, literature, methodology and results / empirical evidence.	2
9)	Demonstrate the quantitative and qualitative capabilities and provide evidence for the hypotheses and economic arguments.	2
10)	Understand the information and changes related to the economy by using a foreign language and communicate with colleagues.	3