This course examines multiple approaches to understanding media and culture, including ways in which imagery affects perceptions of race, gender, consumer behavior, politics, and social roles. It explores imagery in the context of popular culture, television, and film.

METHODOLOGY

Through a series of readings, lectures, screenings, and class discussions, students will be introduced to the theoretical approaches to the study of culture and will apply these approaches to specific media texts. This critical approach will reveal the ideological effects of dominant culture.

Specifically, we will examine images of race, gender, Latinos, and tourist sites towards the goal of providing students a critical perspective on representations of these in the "mainstream media."

The course will begin with a four week overview of the seminal texts in cultural studies and cultural criticism, providing a theoretical outline from which we will conduct our own case studies and analyses. Students will then explore four specific strategies of cultural criticism and resistance: the academic essay, alternative/community video, culture jamming, and the "Theater of the Oppressed."

Students will be expected to write a critical essay focusing on one specific media text, to create a cultural intervention, and to create a piece of “Street Theater” which will challenge the imagery and paradigms of dominant/popular culture.

COURSE READINGS

A course reading packet has been created for this class and will be available at

This site will be used for communications between professor and students and will include valuable information, including copies of this syllabus, week by week topic and reading assignments, and links to required readings.
Students must check it often.

ASSIGNMENTS

2 randomly assigned "Response Papers" (One page/in class). (5 points each)
This assignment will require students to elaborate on a specific aspect of a given reading.

Critical Essay (7-10 pages)
This assignment will allow students to critically engage with a specific cultural text by incorporating the critical skills learned in the course. In this assignment, writing is conceived as a critical tool, as a way to comment, and as a way to challenge. This essay will include a sumary of the Cultual Theory studied in the first 5 weeks of Class, and will ask students to choose a cultural "text" to closely analyze using these theoretical approaches.
(10 points each of 2 drafts, 15 points final version)

 
Writing Skills

For this assignment to be successful, students must demonstrate appropriate writing skills. We will cover a few aspects of academic writing in class as a way to prepare students for this assignment. Students will also submit rough drafts of their essays on specifically assigned due dates. Students will have the full term to craft a well written final draft. Ultimately, however, it is students' responsibility to provide well written essays.

The Rutgers Writing Center, located on the first floor of Bradley Hall, can provide very useful guidance, including writing tutors. It is highly recommended that every one visit the center as they are developing their essay. To encourage this visit, extra points will be given to those who provide documentation of their work with the center. The Center's online address:http://www.andromeda.rutgers.edu/~nwc/index.html

 
Research

To guarantee success in this assignment, students must provide evidence of substantial research. Cursory searches through the Internet will not be sufficient. Students will have to research academic publications. Students will have to include a bibliography that includes 3 academic works (other than those assigned in class) addressing issues relevant to the paper.  Research must be documented through an appropriately formatted bibliography and through the use of appropriately formatted references (footnotes.) Appropriate formatting for referencing can be found on a number of web sites, including :http://www.liu.edu/cwis/cwp/library/workshop/citmla.htm

For the sake of uniformity, all students must use the MLA STYLE.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is a serious academic offense and will be dealt with according to official university policy. According to University policy, there are four levels of "violations of academic integrity." Levels one through three pertain specifically to plagiarism. Punishment for these can range from failure in the assignment to suspension from the university.

For the University's policy on plagiarism please read the Rutgers-Newark Student Handbook, PAGE 189, available on-line at:

http://ruweb.rutgers.edu/catalogs/newark-ug/03-05/newarkfull.pdf

Culture Jamming – A Cultural Intervention  (20 points)
Details on this assignment will be provided after we explore the strategies of "Culture Jamming"
In brief, students will be required to undertake one cultural intervention that will (1) be publicly visible, (2) provide a clear criticism of one specific text from dominant popular culture, and (3) encourage its audience to shift their perspective and take social action. This exercise can take many forms: a graphic/poster, a photograph, a physical performance, etc. Under no circumstances does this assignment have to involve an illegal act.

Performance : IMAGE THEATER (20 points)
Based on the models provided by Augusto Boal in his seminal work: Theater of the Oppressed, we will explore ways of transforming images from popular culture by performing empowering alternatives. Students will work in groups to prepare a performance which will be publicly enacted. (20 points)

Class Participation (15 points)
This course relies heavily on the participation of students in class discussions. A large component of this is reliant on students' attendance and timeliness, as well as active, in class engagement with the issues of the course.

ONLY 2 UNEXCUSED ABSENCES ARE ALLOWED.

More than 2 unexcused absences will result in a 50% reduction of the participation grade. More than 3 unexcused absences will result in a 100% reduction of participation grade, meaning a full letter drop for the course grade. More than 4 absences will result in professor recommending student's withdrawal from the course.

Tardiness

Students are expected to be on time for all classes, as tardiness is a disturbance to the professor and the class. If a student is not in class for attendance, that student will be marked absent. 2 late arrivals result = 1 absence. Tardiness will be excused only with appropriate documentation.

Engagement in Class Discussions

Even if a student has no absences at all, grade for participation is not guaranteed to be 100%.

WEEK BY WEEK (SUMMARY) 

NOTE: Full details of reading assignments, due dates, and topics of discussion can be found on the course web site under the SYLLABUS: WEEK BY WEEK  link.

WEEKS*