Media
History
and
Theory
(AHI
212)


Tuesday/Thursday
10:30
–
11:50

Dalrymple
25



Edward
Stapel

Phone:
887‐7444

Email:
edward.stapel@chestercollege.edu

Office:
PMAD
Center
Offices
(2nd
floor)

Office
Hours:
Tuesday
and
Thursday,
1:00
–
2:30
and
by
appointment



This
course
will
critically
examine
the
production,
dissemination
and
effects
of
media
in

contemporary
society.
To
engage
this
complex
dynamic,
we
will
investigate
media

through
various
historical
and
theoretical
lenses.
We
will
focus
on
deepening
our

questioning
of
modes
of
communication
that
pervade
most
aspects
of
our
daily
lives.
In

the
process
of
this
examination,
we
will
employ
analytical
strategies
such
as
semiotics,

structuralism
and
historical
analysis
to
gain
a
more
complex
perspective
on
societal

phenomena
that
are
both
ubiquitous
and
elusive.
Ultimately,
the
goal
of
this
class
will

be
for
students
to
become
aware
of
various
strategies
of
“mediamaking”
and
utilize

those
strategies
to
inform
their
own
creative
work.



REQUIRED
TEXTBOOK:



MediaMaking,
Mass
Media
in
a
Popular
Culture,
Lawrence
Grossberg,
et
al.
2nd
ed.



Please
note:

1. If
you
are
not
using
the
school
store
to
purchase
your
book,
you
must
buy
the

2nd
edition.


2. Additional
Readings
will
be
handed
out
in
class.
If
you
miss
that
class,
it
is
your

responsibility
to
obtain
and
complete
the
reading
assignment
for
that
day.



(STRONGLY)
RECOMMENDED
TEXTS:



A
dictionary
(if
you
don’t
already
have
one)

A
Short
Guide
to
Writing
About
Art
(6th
edition
or
later
–
new
or
used)
by
Sylvan
Barnet



EXAMS:



The
Section
1
Exam
and
the
Mid‐term
Exam
will
held
on
the
dates
listed
below
and
the

full
class
time
will
be
allotted.
They
will
both
consist
of
two
parts:
First,
students
will
be

required
to
define
important
terms
discussed
in
class
and
included
in
the
readings
–

Second,
students
will
be
asked
to
write
on
essay
topics
based
on
class
material.








PRESENTATION
AND
PAPER:



Team
Presentations
will
require
students
to
make
two
member
teams
and
present
a

series
of
assigned
readings
to
the
rest
of
the
class.
Students
will
be
asked
to
link
their

readings
to
a
contemporary
media
phenomenon
(Second
Life,
Face
Book,
etc.)
and

provide
presentation
material.
Students
will
also
submit
a
paper
based
on
the

presentation
that
formally
outlines
its
thesis,
provides
supporting
evidence
and
a

conclusion.
First
drafts
will
be
submitted
on
the
day
of
presentation.
Final
drafts
will
be

submitted
at
10:30
AM
on
final
exam
day.




FINAL
EXAM:



The
final
will
be
a
take
home
essay
exam
given
out
on
the
last
day
of
class
(specific

details
to
be
determined).
It
will
be
due
on
the
final
exam
date
that
is
to
be
determined.




EXTRA
CREDIT
OPTIONS:



I
do
not
offer
extra
credit
to
individual
student
who
do
poorly
on
exams
or
assignments

as
it
is
unfair
to
those
who
do
well.
However,
I
will
offer
extra
credit
options
that
are

open
to
the
entire
class.
If
you
do
poorly
on
a
given
exam
or
assignment
and
would
like

to
improve
your
grade
it
would
behoove
you
to
take
advantage
of
any
offered
extra

credit.



ACCOMODATIONS:



Any
students
who
have
one
or
more
documented
learning
disabilities
which
they
feel

may
impact
their
academic
performance
in
this
course
are
encouraged
to
inform
their

instructor
accordingly.
These
students
have
the
option
of
working
out
a
reasonable

accommodation
plan
with
their
instructor
and
the
Dean
of
Students.



ATTENDANCE
AND
GRADING
POLICY:



If
you
miss
more
than
3
classes,
your
final
grade
will
be
dropped
one
letter
grade.

If
you
miss
more
than
5
classes,
you
will
fail
this
class.

If
you
come
to
class
15
minutes
late,
you
will
be
counted
absent.

There
are
no
excused
absences.



Attendance
is
mandatory.

If
you
have
a
conflict
with
a
scheduled
exam
or
due
date
it
is

your
responsibility
to
make
arrangements
with
me
to
turn
in
your
work
at
another
time.





Readings
and
Assignments
are
to
be
completed
by
the
beginning
of
class
on
the
day
that

they
are
assigned.
For
example:
Chapter
1
is
due
at
10:30
AM
on
9/2,
the
Team
1

Presentation
is
due
at
10:30
AM
on
11/30,
etc.




Since
class
discussion
is
a
pertinent
part
of
this
class,
class
participation
is
mandatory

and
will
be
taken
into
consideration
for
grading.




GRADING
CRITERIA:



Attendance
and
Participation

 
 
 20%

Exam
 
 
 
 
 
 
 20%

Mid‐term
Exam
 
 
 
 
 20%

Presentation
and
Paper
 
 
 
 20%

Final
Exam
 
 
 
 
 
 20%







































































ROUGH
OUT
LINE
OF
THE
SEMESTER




 
 
 TUESDAY
 
 
 
 THURSDAY



8/31
Class
intro
and
overview.
 
9/2
Chapter
1



9/7
NO
CLASS
–
go
to
your
Monday
classes
 9/9
Chapter
2

today!



9/14
Chapter
3
 9/16
Supplemental
Reading:
TBA



9/21
Chapter
4
 9/23
Exam



9/28
Chapter
5
 9/30
Supplemental
Reading:
Derrida
and

Barthes



10/5
Chapter
6
 10/7
Supplemental
Reading:
Grundberg


 

10/12
Chapter
7
 10/14
Review
for
Mid‐term
exam




10/19
Mid‐term
exam
 10/21
Supplemental
Reading:
Benjamin



10/26
Supplemental
Reading:
Benjamin
 10/28
Chapter
8


 

11/2
Chapter
9
 11/4
Chapter
10



11/9
Supplemental
Reading:
TBA

 11/11
Chapter
11



11/16
Chapter
12
 11/18
Chapter
13


 

11/23
Presentation/Papers
assigned
and
 11/25
THANKSGIVING!

discussed



11/30
Presentation/Paper
Team
1
 12/2
Presentation/Paper
Team
2



12/7
Presentation/Paper
Team
3
 

 12/9
Final
Exam
Assigned



FINAL
EXAM
DUE
DATE:
TBA