ZUR134 Mass culture, mass media and society: critical mass media theory

Faculty of Social Studies
Spring 2009
Extent and Intensity
2/0. 6 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
PhDr. Jaromír Volek, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Jana Pokorná (assistant)
Guaranteed by
PhDr. Jaromír Volek, Ph.D.
Department of Media Studies and Journalism – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Drahomíra Soldánová
Timetable
Tue 14:00–15:40 AVC
Prerequisites (in Czech)
SMER(MED)
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
The capacity limit for the course is 35 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/35, only registered: 0/35, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/35
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The course provide introduction to basic critical theories of mass culture and mass society (Le Bon, Freud, Adorno, Habermas, Marcuse, Macdonald, Lasch and so on) and the theory of popular culture. The course will focus on problems of television culture too (Gripsrud, Ang). In this context the course will concentrate attention to specific nature and the role of new elektronic technologies in modern society (Benjamin,Innis, Mc Luhan, Flusser, Baudrillard). Course outline: introduction to concept of mass culture/ crowd from the psychoanalytical point of view/ frankfurt school and cultural industry/ midcult vs. mass cult/ electronic technologies and extension of man/ reality and its simulation/ soap opera as typical product of popular culture. Main objectives can be summarized as follows: A/ to understand the basic teachings of critical theories B/ to apply different "methods" of critical theories to different types of popular culture and media
Syllabus
  • 1. Critical theory of media: basic definition
  • 2. Mass culture vs. popular culture
  • 3. (Mass) culture as a defensive mechanism
  • 4. Culture of narcissism
  • 5. Narcissism and media
  • 6. Cultural industry I. (Adorno, Horkheimer)
  • 7. Cultural industry II. (Benjamin, Marcuse)
  • 8. Ideology, hegemony, contrahegemony and mass media
  • 9. Media and structural transformations of public sphere
  • 10. Technological determinism: medium is the message
  • 11. Simulation and simulacra
  • 12. Hyperreality
  • 13. Post-critical perspective: unanticipated consequences of informatization of risk society
Literature
  • Kloskowska, A. (1967): Masová kultura. Svoboda.
  • Habermas, J.(2000): Strukturální přeměna veřejnosti. Filosofia
  • Fiske, J.: Understanding popular culture. Routledge 1989
  • Adorno, T. (1992): Culture Industry. Sage.
  • Lasch, Ch. (1979): The Culture of Narcisism. W.W. Norton.
  • Eco, U. (1995): Skeptikové a těšitelé. Svoboda.
  • McLuhan, M. (1991): Jak rozumět médiím. Odeon.
Assessment methods
The course comes in the form twelve two hour sessions that involve a combination of lectures and seminars. Students must be prepared to talk about and critically discuss the material you have read. Assesment: written formal essay 2000 - 2500 words, final written test.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
The course can also be completed outside the examination period.
The course is taught annually.
General note: Přednostní právo zápisu mají studenti oborové specializace "mediální studia", a to i v případě, že se přihlásí později než studenti jiných specializací a oborů.
Information on course enrolment limitations: Přednostní právo zápisu mají studenti oborové specializace "mediální studia", a to i v případě, že se přihlásí později než studenti jiných specializací a oborů.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2005, Spring 2007, Spring 2008, Spring 2010, Spring 2011, Spring 2012, Spring 2013.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2009, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/spring2009/ZUR134