TR
Dr.
Michael
Ault
Email:
mault@csub.edu
Office Hours: TR
and by appointment
Website: www.csub.edu/~mault/classes.htm
The contents of
this document will affect your performance in this class and ultimately your academic
career. To ensure that you understand the classroom policies, the course
requirements, and my professional expectations, please read the entire document
carefully. You are responsible for any changes that may occur during the course
of the quarter and you will be held responsible for all announcements that are
made in class.
Course
Description
This
course is organized as a seminar for advanced undergraduate students in the
humanities and social sciences. We will focus on the intersection of media (all
forms), propaganda, and the social-political-economic links of media in America
by reading core theoretical writings in politics that address such varied
phenomena as the role of media in the formation of culture, the
political/institutional structure of media, the use and implication of
propaganda, observing the political world through the lens of television, and
the public relations industry. Themes will include classical conceptions
of public opinion in a democratic state, the political economy of the media,
political sociology, literature, and communications.
Mid-term Exam 30%: The test format is short answer and essay,
and will cover both the course readings, movies, and classroom lectures. If you
have an excused absence for the midterm, a makeup exam will take place on the
last day of class. If you have an unexcused absence for your midterm, you will
receive a 0 for that test -- this means you will fail the course.
Final Exam 30%: Your final exam will be comprehensive and
will count for 30% of your total grade. The test format is short answer and
essay, and will cover both the course readings and classroom lectures. If you
have an unexcused absence for your final exam, you will receive a 0 for that test
-- this means you will fail the course.
Unannounced Quizzes and Class assignments 30%: It is impossible to do well in this course if you just simply read the material without thinking about it. The quizzes and class assignments are designed to engage you with the readings. One way to try to make sense of the readings is by asking yourself questions. For example, What is the author saying? What are the major and minor points? Does it make sense? What problems does it raise? The quizzes are designed to test: 1) whether or not you have read, and 2) whether or not you understand what you have read. There will be no advance notice of quizzes and there will be no make-up quizzes. For the class assignments, you will be asked to review an argument presented in class or the readings. You will have to explain the argument, assess its merits, and identify its shortcomings. These assignments range in length from 1-6 pages.
Class Participation 10%: I expect all students to
come to class prepared to engage in discussion and critique of the assigned
material. I consider this to be a critical part of the educational journey -
learning requires that you become actively engaged in your own educational
development. This means when reading the material, you should take notes and
you should come to class each day with at least two questions concerning
the readings.
Academic Expectations and Attendance: I expect that every
student is taking this class because s/he is interested in pursuing the study
of important ideas and the analysis of our social and historical
conditions. Until proven otherwise, I’ll assume that every student in the
class will receive an “A”. Failure to complete any of the assignments, or
assignments that in the estimation of the instructor represent minimal effort
on the part of the student, will lead to deductions from that grade, as will a
failure to attend class regularly and participate in class discussion. It
is impossible for you to do well in this class without attending regularly and
your participation is required.
Personal Conferences: I have office hours and I
encourage you to take advantage of them to come and discuss any problems you
may be having with this course or with University life in general. If you
cannot see me during my scheduled office hours, please feel free to come by my
office or schedule an appointment.
· Alex
Shakar. The Savage Girl: A Novel. Perennial/Harper Collins. 2002. ISBN:
0060935235. You can purchase a used copy of the book (ranging from $3-$10) here or here.
Class
Schedule
Week One (1/3)
Introduction
to course
Week Two (1/8-1/10)
Movie:
Rebel Music: The Story of Bob Marley
Read:
War – Lyrics by Bob Marely
Read:
Selassie’s Speech to the UN 1963
In
Class Discussion: Lyrics of Protest
Concrete Jungle
Burnin’ amd Lootin’
Small Axe
In
Class Discussion: Lyrics of Redemption
Redemption Song
No Woman, No Cry
Lecture:
Marcus Garvey and Cornel West discussion on Tavis Smiley.
Week Three (1/15-1/17)
We
will be discussing three articles next week (see below). While you are only
required to read three, you will find several other articles in the Peace
Review Special Edition that might be of interest.
Peace
Review Special Edition: Subcultures and Political Resistance.
Read:
”Subcultures and Political
Resistance.” Jeffrey Paris and Michael Ault.
Read:
“New Protest Formations
and Radical Democracy.” Oliver Marchart.
Read:
“Counter-tribes, Global
Protest and Carnivals of Reclamation.” Graham St. John.
Week Four (1/22-1/24)
Guest
Speaker: “The Dream.” Kweisi Gharreau
Movie:
Beyond Black Rock.
Week Five (1/29-1/31)
Political Economy of Media
Read: “The
Numbing of the American Mind.” Thomas de Zengotita.
Read: “The
Propaganda Model (1).” Noam Chomsky.
Chapter 1 from, Manufacturing Consent.
Read: “The
Propaganda Model (2).” Noam Chomsky. Chapter
1 from, Manufacturing Consent.
Read:
“How
Synthetic Experiences Shape Social Reality.” Funkhouser and Shaw.
Recommended
Recommended
Week Six: (2/5-2/7)
Midterm 2/7
Additional Information
The following points are intended to enhance the
classroom environment. Some of them are pre-existing regulations
determined by the university, and others describe the basic expectations for
anyone prepared to embark on an educational journey.
I have office hours and I strongly encourage you to take
advantage of them to come and discuss any problems you may be having with this
course or with University life in general. If you cannot see me during my
scheduled office hours, please drop by my office any time, or call to see if I
am there. If not, leave a message and I’ll be back with you shortly to
arrange a time to meet. You may contact me through email, as well.
Students with demonstrated
disabilities are encouraged to speak with me as soon as possible in order to
identify any ways in which your disability may be accommodated.
Addresses the assignment
thoughtfully and analytically, setting a challenging task.
Displays awareness of and
purpose in communicating to an audience.
Establishes a clearly
focused controlling idea.
Demonstrates coherent and rhetorically
sophisticated organization; makes effective connections between ideas.
Provides clear
generalizations with specific detail, compelling support, and cogent analysis.
Cites relevant sources and
evaluates their validity, effectively integrating them into text when
appropriate.
Displays superior,
consistent control of syntax, sentence variety, word choice, and conventions of
Standard English.
Addresses the assignment
clearly and analytically, setting a meaningful task.
Addresses audience needs and
expectations.
Establishes a clearly
focused controlling idea.
Demonstrates clear and
coherent organization.
Provides clear
generalizations and effective support and analysis.
Cites relevant sources,
effectively integrating them into text when appropriate.
Displays consistent control
of syntax, sentence variety, word choice, and conventions of Standard English.
Addresses the assignment
with some analysis.
Addresses most audience
needs and expectations.
Establishes a controlling
idea.
Demonstrates adequate
organization.
Provides support for and
some analysis of generalizations.
Cites appropriate sources,
adequately integrating them into text.
Displays adequate control of
syntax, sentence variety, word choice, and conventions of Standard English;
errors do not slow the reader, impede understanding, or seriously undermine the
authority of the writer.
Addresses the assignment
inadequately.
Shows insufficient audience
awareness.
Strays from the controlling
idea, or the idea is unclear.
Displays formulaic, random,
or confusing organization.
Lacks generalizations, or
provides generalizations with inadequate support or analysis.
Fails to cite sources or
cites and/or integrates them inappropriately.
Shows deficient control of
syntax, sentence variety, word choice, and conventions of Standard English;
errors impede understanding.
Fails to address assignment.
Demonstrates a lack of
audience awareness.
Lacks a controlling idea.
Lacks organization or
organizes illogically.
Displays inability to
generalize, analyze, or support ideas.
Fails to use outside sources
or misuses the texts of others.
Shows inadequate control of
syntax, sentence variety, word choice, and conventions of Standard English.