ENG 102: Approaches to Media Studies
Bishop’s University, Winter 2015
Instructor: Dr. Steven Woodward
Class time: TH 8:30
Classroom: Nicolls 211
Office: Morris 17
Office telephone: x.2250
e-mail address: steven.woodward@ubishops.ca
Office hours: Tues. 3-5pm; Wed. 10am-12pm
Description (from the Academic Calendar)
Through a close examination of the different forms of contemporary culture people are frequently
exposed to and consume – movies, TV sitcoms, internet blogs, pop music, and so on – this course
considers how our understandings of reality and our perceptions about society and our identities are
shaped by the various media that surround us. Informed by both cultural theory and the history of
media, this course offers a series of case studies of media texts with the goal of helping students
understand the nature and effects of our contemporary media culture.
Required Texts
Campbell, Richard, Christopher R. Martin, and Bettina Fabos. Media Essentials: A Brief Introduction.
2nd ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2013.
Readings posted to Moodle, including the following articles and chapters:
Bignell, Jonathan. “Signs and Myths.” Media Semiotics: An Introduction. 2nd ed. Manchester: Manchester
UP, 2002.
Friedberg, Harris. “‘Hang Up My Rock and Roll Shoes’: The Cultural Production of Rock and Roll.”
Popular Culture: Production and Consumption. Ed. C. Lee Harrington and Denise D. Bielby. Oxford:
Blackwell, 2001.
Ong, Walter. “Orality and Literacy: Writing Restructures Consciousness.” The Book History Reader. Ed.
David Finkelstein and Alistair McCleery. London: Routledge, 2002.
Thwaites, Tony, Lloyd Davis, and Warwick Mules. “Some Aspects of Signs.” Introducing Cultural and
Media Studies: A Semiotic Approach. Houndmills: Palgrave, 2002.
Woodward, Steven. “The Arch Archenemies of James Bond.” Bad: Infamy, Darkness, Evil, and Slime on
Screen. Ed. Murray Pomerance. Albany: SUNY Press, 2004.
Evaluation
Personal Introduction (due 12 Jan.)
Ad Analysis (due 22 or 27 Jan.)
Mid-Term Test (17 Feb.)
Essay (due 26 March)
Final Exam (in exam period)
Participation
Total
5%
15%
15%
25%
30%
10%
100%
ENG 102: Approaches to Media Studies
Bishop’s University, Winter 2015
Assignments
Personal Introduction
Due: 12 January, noon
Length: one page
Weight: 5%
This course is all about signs and media. Using whatever combination of verbal and visual signs you
like (i.e. words and images) and whatever genre (e.g. poem, newspaper report, biography, obituary,
collage, very short story) you prefer, construct a short text (it must fit on the medium of one lettersize page) that will serve as your introduction to the other members of the class. Convert it into
digital form as a Word, pdf, or jpg file. Name the file simply with your last name. Upload the file to
Moodle by Wednesday, 12 January, at noon. We will examine a select number of these introductions
in class on 13 January. Be prepared for your classmates to “read” you from the text you have
constructed.
Ad Analysis
Due: 22 or 27 January (see Moodle schedule)
Length: 5-7 minutes for oral presentation; 500-700 words for written analysis.
Weight: 15%
Working in groups of three, select a print ad from newspaper or magazine. Scan it and upload it to
Moodle. Following the examples of analyses of advertisements (and other texts) conducted already
in the course, perform a detailed semiotic analysis of the ad, paying attention to such matters as the
seven functions of signs (particularly the conative, expressive and phatic functions) and the use of
metaphor, metonymy, myth, and narrative (in other words, use all relevant concepts discussed in the
Thwaites and Bignell readings). You will present a brief version of your analysis to the class AND
submit a written version, including a copy of the ad.
Mid-Term Test
Date: 17 February
Length: class-time (75 minutes)
Weight: 15%
In this test, you will be presented with a number of short texts and will have to answer a
number of questions about each, drawing on the theoretical ideas and analytical practices we
have developed in the class to date. There will also be a number of questions about the
history and nature of print media. Sample questions are posted on Moodle.
Essay
Due: 26 March
Length: 1000-1200 words (3-4 pages)
Weight: 25%
Choose a topic from the list distributed in class. Write an essay with a decisive thesis, systematic
argumentation, clear analysis, complete documentation (in MLA format, with parenthetical citations),
and faultless grammar, spelling, and punctuation. If you have doubts about your ability to produce
such an essay, consult the Writing Centre (Divinity 10) or the instructor well before the due date.
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ENG 102: Approaches to Media Studies
Bishop’s University, Winter 2015
Final Exam
Length: 2 hours; in exam period
Weight: 30%
The final exam will test your knowledge of the history of media (with the exception of print media,
covered in the Mid-Term Test), as well as your ability to analyze texts drawn from a range of media.
Previous exams are posted on Moodle.
Participation
Weight: 10%
Your participation grade will depend on your informed contributions to discussions, as well as on
your attendance. For this reason, it is essential that you prepare for each class in advance by reading
the texts specified in the course schedule with care and attention.
Assignment Submission Policy
Assignments are due IN CLASS on the due date. Any assignments submitted after this time, either to
the instructor or the departmental secretary (Morris 2), will be subject to a penalty of 5% per day (with
the weekend counting as one day). No assignments will be accepted more than seven days after the due
date without significant reason AND supporting documentation.
Students who, for good reasons, fail to submit assignments or sit tests or exams must take responsibility
for explaining the circumstances to the instructor and for making alternate arrangements to make up the
missed work. Students with extreme workloads may ask for extensions. However, students who have
more than three class absences at the time of their request are NOT eligible for extensions.
You may NOT submit assignments by e-mail, unless you have explicit permission from the instructor.
Hard copy of your essay MUST be submitted into the HANDS of the instructor or the departmental
secretary. Do NOT push papers under office doors. Note that some assignments must be uploaded by
you directly to Moodle (see the description of assignments above).
Attendance and Participation
Regular attendance is expected. If you know in advance that you will be missing a class for a
legitimate reason, please discuss it with the instructor. Students who miss numerous classes will
undoubtedly not perform well on tests and assignments, will also lose points for participation, and may
be barred from the final exam.
Throughout the semester, you will be expected to give your full attention to lectures and to participate
actively in discussions. Your participation grade will depend on your informed contributions to
discussion, not simply on your attendance. For this reason, it is essential that you prepare for each class
in advance by reading the chapters and articles specified in the course schedule with care and attention.
The instructor will endeavor to announce class cancellations via myBU. However, in the event that the
instructor does not arrive at the class on time, students should wait for 15 minutes before assuming that
the class is cancelled and leaving the classroom.
Consultations
If you need additional help or advice on any aspect of the course, please come to talk to me during my
office hours, listed on page one, or get in touch with me via e-mail to arrange an appointment time.
3
ENG 102: Approaches to Media Studies
Bishop’s University, Winter 2015
Class Schedule
Note: In the list or readings, ME refers to our textbook, Media Essentials, Moodle to articles that can be accessed
online through Moodle. Parenthetical references in the form (1: x-yz) refer to the relevant page numbers in the
earlier, first edition of Media Essentials.
Date
6 Jan.
26 March
Subject
Our Culture, Our Media,
Our Selves
Media and Mass
Communication
Personal Introductions
Semiotic Theory I
Semiotic Theory II
Advertising Analysis
Advertising Analysis
PRINT MEDIA
Books
What Literacy Means
Newspapers
Magazines
Murray Pomerance,
“SIGNIFICANT CINEMA:
The Scene of the Crime”
Case Study:
Lifestyle Magazines
MID-TERM TEST
ELECTRONIC MEDIA
Sound Recording
Radio
Case Study: Rock n Roll
Movies
Case Study: Women and
Villains in the Bond Movies
Television
Case Study:
Police Procedurals
DIGITAL MEDIA
Internet & Convergence
Electronic Gaming
31 March
2 April
Advertising
Public Relations
8 Jan.
13 Jan.
15 Jan.
20 Jan.
22 Jan.
27 Jan.
29 Jan.
3 Feb.
5 Feb.
10 Feb.
11 Feb.
12 Feb.
17 Feb.
19 Feb.
24 Feb.
26 Feb.
10 March
12 March
17 March
19 March
24 March
4
Reading/Assignment
ME 3-31 (1:3-29)
Personal Introduction due on Moodle by noon on 12 Jan.
Thwaites et al., “Some Aspects of Signs” (Moodle)
Bignell, “Signs and Myths” (Moodle)
Advertising Analysis due for Groups #1-10
Advertising Analysis due for Groups #11-20
ME 33-59 (1:31-58)
Walter Ong, “Orality and Literacy” (Moodle)
ME 61-93 (1:59-92)
ME 95-125 (1:93-122)
Ogden Glass Lecture, N4, 7pm
Editorial and Advertising Content in GQ
ME 127-159 (1:123-156)
ME 161-191 (1:157-186)
Friedberg, “‘Hang Up My Rock and Roll Shoes” (Moodle)
ME 193-223 (1:187-216)
Woodward, “The Arch Arch-Enemies of James Bond”
(Moodle)
ME 225-261 (1:217-254)
CSI vs. The Wire
ME 263-289 (1:255-280)
“Inside Facebook’s Plan to Wire the World” (Moodle)
ME 291-319
Essay due
ME 321-353 (1:281-312)
ME 355-381 (1:313-338)