Political Economy of Media and Communication

Graduate

The course examines the historical and intellectual roots of critical political economy and explores contemporary applications of this theoretical approach. Students will analyze how media are implicated in the power relations and structural inequalities that underpin the capitalist economy as well as how they may function as sites of resistance and activism. Topics may include analyses of media platforms, ownership structures, labour, policy and regulation, privacy and surveillance issues, and media representation. CMDC-8515 Topics in Cultural Studies This course surveys the historical and intellectual foundations of cultural studies and explores the contemporary relevance of this approach to understanding media and popular culture. Any range of media genres, texts, practices, institutions, signifying systems, and circuits of production/consumption 37 Winter 2027 Academic Calendar may be examined in terms of their aesthetics, representational and cultural politics, power dynamics, and ideological underpinnings. 38 Winter 2027 Academic Calendar