Spring 2008 Undergraduate Course Offerings


View/Download PDF of Spring 2008 Courses

125.     Communication Behavior
           Chomsky M/W 9-10 Room 110
           Recitation 201 F 10-11 Room 108
           Recitation 202 F 10-11 Room 221
           Recitation 203 F 10-11 Room 318
           Recitation 204 F 10-11 Room 110
           Recitation 205 F 9-10 Room 108
           Recitation 206 F 9-10 Room 221
           Recitation 207 F 9-10 Room 318
           Recitation 208 F 9-10 Room 109

This course is an introduction to the fundamentals of communication behavior. It focuses on social science studies relating to the processes and effects of mass communication. Research reviewed includes media use behavior and media influences on knowledge, perceptions of social reality, aggressive behavior, and political behavior.

221.     Media and Militarism
           Horner MWF 12-1 Room 221

This seminar focuses on the representation of organized, state-sponsored violence in American popular media. Militarism, defined as "a political condition characterized by the predominance of the military in government or a reliance on military force in political or diplomatic matters," has been evaluated by historians and social theorists in a variety of contexts, for a range of purposes. In this class, we assess American militarism through imagery and narrative in contemporary popular media. To understand militarism as a political condition, we will take critical perspectives on entertainments including feature films, documentaries, newscasts, video games, and commemorative events. How can we evaluate the relationship between "fictional" military depictions in entertainment media and the "objective" imagery and narratives presented by news media? How does entertainment and news media overlap in the task of informing the public in time of war? What are the consequences of popular militarism for foreign policy? Through discussion of these issues, we will evaluate the role of American media in reporting, critiquing, and celebrating war from the latter part of the 20th century through the present. Students' mastery of the course materials will be assessed in part through the quality of their contributions to classroom discussions. The purpose of the class is to familiarize students with work in media studies on topics of war and militarism and to build expertise in close reading and criticism.

237.     Health Communication
           Jacobsohn T/R 10:30-12 Room 108

An examination of the influence of public health communication on health behavior. The course will consider: intervention programs addressing behaviors related to cancer, cardiovascular disease, HIV/AIDS, drug use, obesity and others; theories of health behavior change; issues in the design of effective health communication programs; concerns about the portrayal of health and medicine on mass media.

275.     Persuasion and Comm
           Cappella T/R 9-10:30 Room 109

Theory, research and application in the persuasive effects of communication in social and mass contexts. Primary focus on the effects of messages on attitudes, opinions, values, and behaviors. Applications include political, commercial, and public service advertising; propaganda; and communication campaigns (e.g. anti-smoking).

299.     Internship Course
           Theophano T 4:30-6:30 Room 319

Seminar for students concurrently participating in department-approved internships in communication-related organizations. Students will develop independent research agendas to investigate aspects of their internship experience or industry. Building on written field notes, assigned readings, and classroom discussion and evaluation, students will produce final papers using ethnographic methods to describe communications within their site or industry in order to understand and critically examine their hands-on experiences.

300.     Public Space, Public Life
           Kelley M/W 3:30-5 Room 108

Public space is a comprehensive context for human interaction and communication at all scales – from great moments in history to subtle and routine daily events. It is the intersection of the individual life and the communal life, where societies express their character. Public space is the physical medium that we all share. It is a rich environment that gives relevance to our common understanding and to our memory of what takes place and what we say to each other - a physical reference for the action of life. This course will survey and discuss the scope of public space, with the objective of finding its definition and its ongoing cultural value.

306.     Racial Politics and the Media
           Wickham M 3:30–6:30
           x-listed with AFRC306 401

This course will explore the interplay between journalists, media organizations and the racial issues they cover. It will examine how race – and sometimes racism – influences the reporting of news, and the serious ripple effects that flow from such

322.     Freedom of Expression
           Marvin MWF 11-12 Room 319

Origins, purpose, theory, practice of freedom of expression in the West. Philosophical roots of contemporary debates about expressive limits, especially problems associated with mass communication. Major topics may include but are not limited to sexual expression, violence, hate speech, traitorous and subversive speech, non-verbal expression, artistic expression, privacy.

323.     Contemporary Politics, Policy, & Journalism
           Hunt R 1:30-4:30 Room 108

A course on the modern media and its impact on government and politics. It primarily covers the post-Watergate/post-Vietnam era of journalism, the past quarter century. We will focus each week on specific topics and areas of post-Watergate journalism as enumerated below. In weeks we do not have guest lecturers, the first half of class will concern the assigned readings and the second half of class will talk about current press coverage of national events over the prior week. In addition to assigned readings, students are required to stay informed about major national news stories and to follow coverage of them in the national media outlets. An important objective of this course is to afford students the opportunity to interact and discuss the intersection of the press, politics and public policy with some of the leading practitioners in the field, people who work in the "media environment" created by the national press.

330.     Advertising & Society
           Turow MW 2-3:30 Room 110

This course will explore the historical and contemporary role of the advertising industry in the U.S. media system. Readings will include social histories of advertising, economic examinations of advertising's role in society, and critical analyses of the ad industry's power over

336.     Local News Media & Urban Policy
           Kaniss T/R 12-1:30 Room 108

This course will examine the changing nature of local news in the 21st century and the challenges facing media organizations as they reach out to their audiences. A central question will be whether new models of news can be created that are capable of attracting local audiences while providing them with the information necessary to understand the challenges and opportunities facing local communities, cities, and regions. The course will begin with an examination of how suburbanization and the rise of local television newscasts affected metropolitan newspapers in the 20th century, leading up to a consideration of current challenges from new online media. We will consider trends in the media consumption habits of 18-34 year olds and relate those trends to declining youth civic engagement. The class will analyze new approaches to news gathering and dissemination--from citizen journalism and “hyperlocalism”, to blogs and podcasts, to online newspapers, public access cable and free dailies targeted to youth. At the same time, the course will examine the changing professional values and “standard operating procedures” of local journalists as well as how local public officials shape the nature news through their own media strategies (or lack thereof). Assignments will include the examination and analysis of local news coverage of urban policies in cities across the country, with a particular focus on new models of local news generation and citizen engagement with news creation. Throughout the semester, guest speakers from both the local news media as well as from the policy community will be invited to class, providing an opportunity for students to conduct interviews on the state of local news and its influence on policy decisions. Students will be expected to contribute weekly to online discussions of course content.

395.     Communication & the Presidency
           Eisenhower T 3-6 Room 108

This course will examine the vital aspect of communication as a tool of the modern Presidency. Reading and class discussions will focus on case studies drawn from modern Presidential administrations (beginning with FDR) that demonstrate the elements of successful and unsuccessful Presidential initiatives and the critical factor of communication, common to both. This course is also an introduction to primary research methods and to the use of primary research materials in the Presidential Library system.

398.     Journalism & Public Service
           Romano W 6-9 Room 319

Is journalism by definition a form of public service? Some in the field think so. Others view it as an enterprise that necessarily stands apart from "public service," with whatever benefit journalism contributes to society a byproduct rather than aim of its core missions. In real life, the imperatives of journalism and public service regularly meet, sometimes dovetailing, sometimes clashing. How should journalists interact with government officials? Is it okay for reporters to intervene in stories they cover, as some did in post-Katrina New Orleans? Is investigative journalism always public service, or is it sometimes selfish "scoopism"? We'll ponder such issues, looking at the dual concepts of this seminar in a broad philosophical framework that includes coverage of government, work alongside NGOs, and the press's depiction of volunteerism in general. Readings will include Robert Coles ("The Call of Service"), theorists of the "Public Journalism" movement, other thinkers about both areas, and "clinical" material that brings the interaction of journalism and public service to life.

398.     Ritual Communication
           Paxton M 2-5 Room 109

This course explores the significance of rituals as communicative events in American culture. We will examine both the “how” and the “what” of ritual communication and, with the aid of several ritual theorists, we will come to better understand the unique language of ritual. We will pay particular attention to the ways in which rituals contribute to the making and re-making of social groups, be they religious, political, familial or institutional. And we will necessarily attend to the obverse: the ways in which rituals create and perpetuate boundaries between “us” and “them” and between “appropriate” and “deviant” social behavior. Starting with birth and ending with death, this course will focus largely on what are called “lifecycle” rituals or “rites de passage”. We will look at rituals that focus on individual transitions -- the quinceanera, for example -- as well as those that mark transitions on a far larger scale such as presidential elections. We will explore rituals that unfold at the local level and are experienced “up close” as well as those that most Americans experience only via the media.

399.     Independent Study
           Staff

The independent study offers the self-motivated student an opportunity for a tailored, academically rigorous, semester-long investigation into a topic of the student's choice with faculty supervision. Its structure and purpose is different from the internship experience. Students must also complete and file a designated form, approved and signed by the supervising faculty member and the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies, which includes a topic proposal. This form must be received in the Undergraduate Major Office during the Add period of the semester during which the independent study will be conducted. a strong emphasis on independent research: students will learn how to develop and carry out an original qualitative research project throughout the semester.

416.     Intimacy, Privacy & Surveillance
           Rosen T/R 12-1:30 Room 318

When is state incursion into personal privacy justified? This course will examine some of the ways in which the state has regulated our private lives. Topics to be considered include abortion prohibitions; prohibitions on access to contraception; regulation of consensual sexual activity; regulation of marriage; and state -sanctioned access to personal or private communications.

420.     Race: History, Theory and Practice
           Jackson T 2-5 Room 318

This class examines the history of "race" as a meaningful social category used to distinguish social groups. Where did it come from? Why/how did it develop? What are its various manifestations? In which ways might it be inextricably linked to other forms of social differentiation (such as class, gender, religion, ethnicity, and sexuality)? The course highlights the kinds of theories scholars (from different disciplines) use to explain race's continued relevance (or irrelevance), and it specifically analyzes how Communication Studies integrates race-based analyses into its research projects.

421.     Covering the Media
           Rubin R 6-9
           x-listed with GAFL421 401

This course will examine the challenges of covering a dangerous region that is crucial to America's security. It will examine the complexities of the Iraq war, Iran, the Israeli-Palestinian issue, and radical Islam, and how foreign correspondents gather the material that goes into their stories. The course is designed for students who want the tools to evaluate news from the Middle East and to understand what goes into producing that news. Assignments will be designed to help students learn how to dissect tough issues and produce essays that go to the core of difficult problems. Trudy Rubin writes the Worldview column for The Philadelphia Inquirer, travels to Iraq and Iran, and has covered the Middle East for thirty years.

445.     Imagery, Media and Middle East
           Al-Marashi T/R 10:30-12 Room 342

This course examines the various media systems in the Middle East, examining the Arab world, Israel, Iran and Turkey. Particular emphasis will focus on the roles of media systems in national identity formation and the politic process. Other questions that will be dealt with throughout the course include how do mass media affect the perception and practice of politics, and what is the interplay of the media, publics and the political process in the Middle East. In addition to studying news media, we will examine entertainment and film, the internet and alternative media in the region.

481.     Social Networks Media
           Hampton R 1:30-4:30 Room 318

Social networks analysis is the study of the patterns of social relations. It has applications in the study of friendship, social support, Internet use, organizational behavior, mental and physical health, and the diffusion of information. This seminar takes a non-mathematical approach to the study of network theories and methods. It is an introduction to the fundamental concepts of social structure, including: network size, diversity, frequency of contact, tie duration, and tie strength. The course focuses on how network structure is related to everyday life, such as health, access to social support, and job attainment. Particular attention is given to the role of communication media in facilitating interpersonal connectivity (face to face, over the telephone, and over the Internet), and the role of information and communication technologies (i.e. the Internet) in social support.

495.     COMPS Capstone Thesis
           Staff

Offered for credit in the senior year, the capstone thesis is the project goal for all Communication & Public Service Program participants. Students choose the topic of the capstone thesis from a range of public policy/public service issues. Research may involve funded travel to selected archives or fieldwork sites. For students graduating with a 3.5 cumulative GPA, the capstone project may be designated as a senior honors thesis in public service.

499.     Senior Honor Thesis
           Staff

The senior honors thesis provides a capstone intellectual experience for students who have demonstrated academic achievement of a superior level. Students should consult with and arrange for a supervisor from the standing faculty no later then the middle of the term that precedes the honors thesis. Students must file a designated form, approved and signed by the supervising faculty member and the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies, which includes a topic proposal. This form must be received by the Undergraduate Major Office no later then the last day of classes in the semester that precedes the thesis.

531.     Public Opinion and Elections
           Johnston W 9-12

This is a reading course on the mainstream of research about elections and public opinion. The focus tends to be on material originating in and concerned with the United States, but due attention is paid to classic work from or on other countries, and the propositions are meant to be quite general. Historical, social, or institutional context intrude mainly as they are necessary to test or condition otherwise general propositions. The books and articles occupy the theoretical or empirical high ground and constitute a sort of canon. Topics include the key early voting studies, success or failure in the export of those early ideas, the rational choice incursion into electoral studies, the multifaceted debates over the quality of democratic choice, the foundations of opinion as expressed in survey response, communications factors and campaign dynamics, and the current state of the field.

Copyright 2006 The Annenberg School for Communication at University of Pennsylvania
3620 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 215.898.7041
Copyright Information | Contact Us | Privacy | Disclaimer | Sitemap