Text/Media/Culture: Theories of Modern Culture and Media

This introductory course will explore its three key terms "modern," "culture," and "media" through a variety of theories, historical narratives, and media objects. We will ask how different media—such as print, photography, cinema, television, digital art, online video, archival practices, and social media—yield distinct modes of seeing, thinking, and feeling, structure the ways we act and engage with the common world, and communicate and collaborate. We will read semiotic theory, critical race studies, feminist, post-colonial, queer and political theory, and examine concepts such as textuality, visuality, and networks. Open to undergraduates only.