Understanding Contemporary Media

4 credits

An introduction to both the historical framework of media studies and the emergent contemporary discourses that define the discipline. Students will confront a series of issues (politics, aesthetics, and ideology) related to the topical concerns of media and communication theory.

We live in a highly mediatised world. The paper will equip students with tools for engaging critically with this world in both New Zealand and international contexts. Students will engage with theories of representation, subjectivity and power, as well as develop valuable skills for analysing media texts. These skills include discourse analysis of a range of media texts in terms of the following frameworks: Marxism, feminism, postcolonialism and postmodernism.

Learning Outcomes
Students who successfully complete the paper will

• Gain a theoretical understanding of the social issues raised by contemporary media studies
• Develop critical tools for analysing contemporary media
• Develop an understanding of the distinctive and interconnected nature of contemporary media
• Form necessary skills for writing about contemporary media