Time Schedule:
Susan Juanita Harewood
BIS 339
Bothell Campus
Examination of various topics and approaches to the study of culture in a global context. May include the study art, literature, theater, cultural history, music history/ethnomusicology, and/or cultural anthropology/geography. Topics and approaches may vary with instructor.
Class description
The notion that we live in a “mediated society” can be understood in several different ways. This class will examine this contention in relation to the ways in which the rapid flow of mass media content across the globe shapes the ways in which we understand ourselves and others. Mass mediated content- whether radio, television, film, music, print publications or internet communications- by constructing how we view ourselves and others are important to determining the ways in which we judge what is just, what political issues should be pursued, and the ways in which those issues should be pursued. It is for this reason that the power imbalances in the global flow of should be closely examined. Taking the Caribbean as its focus, this course examines the factors that determine the global flow of mass media content and the mass mediated production of the Caribbean. Students will analyze the significant debates in international communication and link these debates to historical and contemporary issues in the Caribbean. Students will explore the ways in which the media shapes ideas about the Caribbean and cultural practices within the Caribbean. Drawing from readings in communication and cultural studies, as well as examples from a variety of mass media, the course examines the mass mediated production of Caribbean culture under three broad headings: Representations of the Caribbean, Media Flows into the Caribbean, and The Caribbean on the World Stage.
Student learning goals
Analyze the role of the mass media in production of meaning
Evaluate the key debates in the field of international communication
Discuss the role of the mass media in the articulation of Caribbean culture
Identify consistent tropes used in media representations of the Caribbean
Assess arguments for and against regulation and control of media flows into the region
General method of instruction
Recommended preparation
Class assignments and grading
