Media, Culture, and Society

3 units

This introductory level course will focus on the critical analysis of media at both structural and interactional levels. The course will approach critical questions about media as a social institution, such as how media is socially constructed and, relatedly, how media shapes the social world. Core themes students will consider include critical media theory, representation in media, consumption of media, and action/engagement with social issues concerning media. Along these themes, the course will consider key concepts such as race, gender, class, sexuality, nation, language, law/justice, generation, space/place, and social change. The course will use an intersectional, social justice framework to discern how media reflects, commodifies, oppresses, liberates, and constructs social life. This course will be an accessible entry point for students who are new to sociology as a discipline. No prerequisite.