MDST 1502: Popular Culture and Media Literacy

Fall 2012—Gainesville State College

General Information

Professor: Dr. Preston Coleman, Associate Professor of Communication, Journalism & Media Studies

Office: 104, Oconee Campus

Contact: pcoleman@gsc.edu; 706-310-6294

Faculty web page: https://web.gsc.edu/fs/pcoleman/homepage.asp

Office Hours:   MW 2:00-4:00
                        TTh 3:30-5:30 
                        by appointment as needed

Texts and Materials

Postman, Neil (1985)  Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business  New York: Penguin books

Shelley, Mary (2003)  Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus  New York: Bantam Dell

Hawthorne, Nathaniel (2003) The Scarlet Letter  New York: Bantam Dell

IMPORTANT: It is likely we may view content that contain controversial material such as, but not limited to, social & political content, profanity, nudity and/or issues that may be contrary to personal beliefs.  If you object categorically to watching AND discussing such material, you should consider withdrawing from the course. Films, videos, and other media content in this course will be provided by the department and will be shown or distributed during the scheduled class period.  If available, students may re-watch or review films/videos in the library with permission of the instructor.  Please note: We may pull film/videos from outsides sources (e.g. video rentals, personal film/video libraries, etc.,) so we may not be able to make these films available outside of class.  

Course Description

An Area B class, MDST 1502 is an introductory class that focuses on popular culture, such as films, television shows, video games, advertising, books, and other media texts, both American and international.  Students will learn how to discuss and write about popular culture texts with an emphasis on media literacy, critiquing them and placing them in their cultural and historical contexts. Different sections of this class may focus on a specific theme or a specific medium.

For Spring, 2012, MDST 1502 will focus on media criticism and the differences between 19th Century print culture and 20th Century electronic/visual culture.

Course Objectives/Outcomes

1.               Become aware of popular culture in the United States and the world, along with current debates regarding Western culture

2.               Engage popular culture both as an artistic and polemic medium

3.               Recognize themes in popular culture

4.               Understand basic critical and media literacy terms

5.               Discuss ideas in popular culture

6.               Analyze media texts critically and understand how they create and reinforce culture

7.        Understand differences between oral, literate, and electronic culture

8.        Analyze media texts in their particular socio-cultural and historical contexts

Course Calendar

A detailed course schedule is provided below. Key dates this semester include:

August 13 Classes begin
Sept. 3-4 Labor Day Holiday--No Classes
Oct. 5 Midpoint of Semester
Nov. 21-23 Thanksgiving Holiday--No Classes
Nov. 30 Last Day of Classes
Dec. 3-7 Final Exams

Course Policies

All students are responsible for knowing and abiding by the following policies; be sure you've read and understood these policies, as there will be no exceptions made.

1. NO LATE WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED IN THIS CLASS.

    No late written assignments will be accepted for any reason. Failure to turn in a written assignment in person and in class will result in a 0. No assignments will be accepted via email. Written assignments may be turned in early, one class period before they're due.

    No makeup exams will be offered. Failure to take an exam when scheduled without informing the professor before the scheduled time with a documented excused absence will result in a 0. If you inform the professor before the exam and have documentation of an excused absence, a makeup assignment may be given at the discretion of the professor.

2. ATTENDANCE POLICY  Students who are not in class when the roll is called will be considered absent. Students may be absent from two classes per semester without penalty. After 2 absences, each subsequent absence will trigger a deduction from the student's final grade as follows: absence #3: -1; absence #4: -2; absence #5: -3; absence #6: -4, and so on. Six total absences will cause the deduction of 10 points from the student's final grade (1+2+3+4); seven absences, 15 points; eight absences, 21 points; nine absences, 27 points; ten absences, 35 points. These deductions are in addition to any missed work. Note that ten absences will make it virtually impossible to pass the class, and that after six total absences, students will lose a full letter grade from their final grade.

3. In cases of documented excused absences in which the professor is informed before the scheduled time of an exam, appropriate makeup work for full or partial credit will be offered at the discretion of the professor. Acceptable documentation includes doctor’s notes, death notices/obituaries, and court summons.

4. Reading assignments should be completed prior to the class in which they will be discussed; do not read or do homework for other classes while in this class.

5. Plagiarism and cheating will not be tolerated. If you are caught plagiarizing or cheating on a test, you will receive a 0 and will be subject to further disciplinary action, including failing the course. Wholesale plagiarism will result in an automatic failure of the class. There are no exceptions to these policies.

6. Cell phones and pagers must be turned off (or set to vibrate) at all times during class. No digital device may be visible to the student during exams. Laptops are acceptable, but only for taking notes for COMM 1100---don't use class time for checking Facebook or doing homework for other classes. Do not send or receive text messages during class. Students who violate this policy repeatedly will be asked to leave the classroom.

7. Behavior that is disruptive or disrespectful will result in a verbal warning and possible ejection from the classroom. If the behavior continues, the student will be subject to disciplinary procedures as outlined in the Gainesville State College Student Handbook.

8. Due to federal privacy laws, I will not discuss grades via email or telephone without written permission. No exceptions to this policy will be made. For more information regarding the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, see: http://www.gsc.edu/admin/ferpa/ You are responsible for keeping track of your grades and for keeping all of your graded assignments.

9. All emails to the professor should include your name and the day and time your class meets and should be sent from your GSC email account. Otherwise, the email may not be read or responded to.

Grading

Grading will be on a 1000-point scale as follows:

Research paper on literary criticism         200
Research paper on film criticism              200
Book review of Frankenstein                  100
Film review of Frankenstein                    100
Book review of The Scarlet Letter          100
Film review of The Scarlet Letter            100
Essay on print vs. electronic culture         200
Total                                                      1000

900-1000                  A

800-899                      B

700-799                      C

600-699                      D

0-599                              F

A grade of "Incomplete" will be given only in extreme circumstances beyond the student's control.

Supplemental Course Information

Students are responsible for the following college-wide policies (also available at https://web.gsc.edu/sci/):

Inclement weather

Please check the following radio and TV stations for announcements of closings:  WSB-TV Atlanta, FOX 5-TV Atlanta, WXIA-TV Atlanta, WNEG-TV 32, Toccoa, WSB-Radio Group, Atlanta: B98.5FM, News Radio 680 AM, Jazz Flavors 104.1, 95.5 FM;  WGST-Radio Atlanta - 640 AM and 105.7 FM, Radio Center, Gainesville:  WDUN-550AM, WGGA 1240 AM, Magic 102.9 FM, Southern Broadcasting, Athens/Gainesville: WLET 106.1 FM, 103.7 FM, 102.1 FM, 1340 AM, 960 AM; WJJC 1270 AM, Commerce, WCON 99.3 FM and 1450 AM, Cornelia.   TV and radio stations only announce if the college is closed, not if it is open.  Information on closing is also available at 678-717-3639 (Gainesville Campus), 706-310-6201 (Oconee Campus), and http://www.gsc.edu/.

Students with disabilities

Gainesville State College welcomes otherwise qualified students with disabilities.  Disability Services attempts to accommodate these students in every reasonable way, by providing academic and support services that ensure equal access to all programs and activities.

Students who need special accommodations and services must register with Disability Services and submit supporting documentation.  If it is determined that a student is eligible for special services, Accommodations Memos, provided by Disability Services, must be presented to his/her instructors. It is the student’s choice as to whether he/she uses these accommodations and he/she is responsible for making arrangements with instructors. 

To register with Disability Services, please contact the Coordinator of Disability Services at 678-717-3855 (Gainesville Campus) or at 706-310-6204 (Oconee Campus).

Academic dishonesty

The Student Conduct Code in the Gainesville State College Student Handbook states that plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty are prohibited.  Penalties and due process procedures are discussed in this section of the handbook.

Official GSC email policy

As of January 1, 2005, Gainesville State College officially recognized the use of the College assigned e-mail account as a mechanism for official communication within the College.  The College has the right to expect that such communications will be read in a timely fashion.  Official e-mail communications are intended only to meet the academic and administrative needs of the campus community.  As steward of this process, the Office of Information Technology is responsible for directing the use of all students, faculty, and staff official e-mail.

Smoking policy

Gainesville State College does not allow the use of any tobacco products in the buildings or on the grounds of the institution.  This policy applies to the Gainesville and Oconee campuses.

Plagiarism

Accidental or intentional--will be dealt with in accordance with the Student Conduct Code in the Gainesville State College Student Handbook. Plagiarism will be grounds for failing the assignment and perhaps the course. The MLA Handbook defines plagiarism as follows.

The most blatant form of plagiarism is to repeat as your own someone else's sentences, more or less verbatim. . . . Other forms of plagiarism include repeating someone else's particularly apt phrase without appropriate acknowledgment, paraphrasing another person's argument as your own, and presenting another's line of thinking . . . as though it were your own. (sec 1.6)

This course may use plagiarism prevention technology. Students may be given the option of submitting papers online through a plagiarism prevention service or having the papers submitted by the instructor. The papers may be retained by the service for the sole purpose of checking for plagiarized content in future student submissions.               

Copyright

Both Federal and State laws forbid the unlawful duplication of copyrighted computer software or other reproductions of copyrighted material. In accordance with these policies, Gainesville State College expressly forbids the copying of such materials supplied by or used in the College. Unlawful duplication of copyrighted materials by a user may result in disciplinary action by the College under the Student Conduct Code (Non-Academic Infractions--Prohibitions, Theft), and/or possible criminal action by the owner of the copyright.

Course withdrawal process

It is the responsibility of the student to withdraw from a course.  Students who wish to withdraw from a course without academic penalty (to receive a W) must do so prior to the midpoint of the session.  Course withdrawals after the midpoint result in a grade of "WF" (withdraw failing) unless otherwise approved by the Vice President for Academic Affairs.  To drop a course or to withdraw from all courses, the student may complete the "Request Withdrawal" form on Banner Web.  When Learning Support (LS) students request to withdraw from a LS course using Banner, their request must be approved by the LS department unless the student is completely withdrawing from the College.  The student will be notified via email if there is a problem with his or her request.  Students may also complete a course withdrawal form or a complete withdrawal form in the Registrar's Office in Dunlap Mathis, Room 106, on the Gainesville campus or in the Main Office, Administration Bldg., on the Oconee campus.

Course Schedule

Fall Semester 2012 *SUBJECT TO CHANGE*

Week 1  August 13-17
Syllabus, schedule and course policies
Discuss the meanings of particular cultural artifacts
Discuss popular culture texts and criticism

Week 2  August 20-24
Reading Assignment: "Amusing Ourselves to Death," Introductions, Forward, Chapters 1 and 2 (pp. vii-29)
Discuss culture, semiotics, media
Discuss oral, literate, and electronic eras of communication
Discuss literary, film, and cultural criticism

Week 3  August 27-31
Reading Assignment: "Amusing Ourselves to Death," Chapters 3, 4, and 5 (pp. 30-82)
Discuss printing and literate culture
Discuss American history in 19th Century
Discuss emergence of electronic culture with the telegraph

    Research Paper on Literary Criticism DUE August 30

Week 4 Sept. 3-7

Sept. 3,4---Labor Day Holiday, no classes

Reading Assignment: "Amusing Ourselves to Death," Chapters 6 and 7 (pp. 83-113)
Discuss television, visual culture in general
Discuss differences between literate and electronic culture

Week 5 Sept. 10-14
Reading Assignment: "Amusing Ourselves to Death," Chapters 8 and 9 (pp. 114-141)
Discuss religion in oral and literate culture
Discuss the effects of the printing press on Christianity
Discuss television's effects on religion and politics

    Research Paper on Film Criticism DUE Sept. 13

Week 6  Sept. 17-21
Reading Assignment: "Frankenstein," Introductions, Preface, Chapters 1-10 (pp. vii-89)
Discuss "Frankenstein" in terms of modernity, historical context
Discuss "Frankenstein" in terms of setting, character, structure

Week 7  Sept. 24-28
Reading Assignment: "Frankenstein," Chapters 11-24 (pp.90-213)
Discuss "Frankenstein" in terms of plot, meaning, psychology, morality
Discuss critical receptions of "Frankenstein"
Discuss horror genre in book industry

    Book Review of "Frankenstein" DUE Sept. 27

In-class Viewing of Kenneth Branagh's "Mary Shelley's Frankenstein"

Week 8  Oct. 1-5
Continue viewing Kenneth Branagh's "Mary Shelley's Frankenstein"

Week 9 Oct. 8-12
Discuss the use of literate communication in the film, and why
Discuss differences between novel and film; visual elements in the film
Discuss auteur theory, horror genre in film industry
Discuss cultural echoes ("resonance") of "Frankenstein" in 20th Century

    Film Review of "Mary Shelley's Frankenstein" DUE Oct. 11

Week 10 Oct. 15-19
Reading Assignment: "The Scarlet Letter," Chapters 1-12 (pp. 45-144)
NOTE: You do not have to read "The Custom House" (pp. 1-43)
Discuss "The Scarlet Letter" in terms of historical context, Puritanism
Discuss "The Scarlet Letter" in terms of setting, character, structure
 

Week 11  Oct. 22-26
Reading Assignment: "The Scarlet Letter," Chapters 13-24 (pp. 144-235)
Discuss "The Scarlet Letter" in terms of plot, meaning, psychology, morality
Discuss critical reception of "The Scarlet Letter"
Discuss romance genre in the book industry

    Book Review of "The Scarlet Letter" DUE Oct. 25

Week 12  Oct. 29-Nov. 2
In-class Viewing of Roland Joffre's "The Scarlet Letter"

Week 13 Nov. 5-9
Continue viewing Roland Joffre's "The Scarlet Letter"
Discuss differences between novel and film, and why
Discuss drama/romance genre in film industry
Discuss political elements of the film

    Film Review of Roland Joffre's "The Scarlet Letter" DUE Nov. 8

Week 14 Nov. 12-16
Reading Assignment: "Amusing Ourselves to Death," Chapters 10 and 11 (pp. 142-163)
Discuss media's effects on education
Discuss popular culture's effects on US culture/society
Discuss dystopian visions of the present and future

Week 15 Nov. 19-23
Discuss special topics in mass media: fame, morality, role models, aesthetics in pop culture

 Nov. 21-23---Thanksgiving Holidays, no classes

Week 16 Nov. 26-30
Discuss "Amusing Ourselves to Death"---Prophetic? Overstated? Bull$#!+?
Course wrap-up

Week 17 Dec. 3-7

    FINAL EXAM (There's no actual exam; final essay is due)
    Essay on Print vs. Electronic Culture DUE Thurs., Dec. 6. 5:30pm