93349 - MEDIA E PROCESSI CULTURALI

Academic Year 2022/2023

  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
  • Campus: Bologna
  • Corso: First cycle degree programme (L) in Political, Social and International Sciences (cod. 8853)

Learning outcomes

Il corso intende fornire allo studente le conoscenze per poter definire ed interpretare il ruolo dei media nel contesto sociale e culturale contemporaneo. Al termine del corso lo studente sarà in grado di: •analizzare le differenti strategie comunicative e narrative che contraddistinguono i prodotti mediali •comprendere ed esaminare le dinamiche di fruizione e i processi attivi da parte dei pubblici nell’ambiente digitale

Course contents

The course is organized in lectures and seminars, as detailed in the following program. Lectures (32 hours) aim to introduce students to the core tenets of the discipline. Seminars aim to provide occasions for in-depth discussions of class materials and exercises. The division into lessons and seminars is specified in the program that follows. For the seminar section, students will be divided into 2 groups (14 hours) according to their preferences and according to rules concerning the current pandemic emergency. Therefore, a total of 46 classroom hours are scheduled for each student. Students are required to carefully read the assigned material before the session and - in the case of seminars - active participation through presentations of existing scholarship and case studies will also be expected.

The course comprises an in-depth study of contemporary medial context, by considering the social aspects linked with the use of media (in specific, television and the Internet) and the opportunities of participation/interaction pertaining to online audiences.

The first part of the course (32 hours) will provide in-depths on the role of media, seen both as a resource for individual expression, and as devices for social connection. The media will be studied as tools and products of contemporary culture, and as parts of the fabric of personal and collective experiences, as they promote and take part in the process of change involving language, texts and representations of everyday life.

Specific items and settings will be analysed (tv series, talent shows, virtual communities, social networks) in order to understand the main features and changes which formats and communication and cultural processes are undergoing, alongside changes in users’ habits and the overall contemporary scenario.

The second part of the course, organised in a in seminar-based format (14 hours of classroom), will focus on the in-depth exploration of case studies, in order to highlight the ways medial cultural products are presented and used. Tv series, websites, social networks will be analysed, where the relationship between production and cultural consumption seems to take up different reference models. Special attention will paid to the following:

· the dimension of online fandom relating to tv series and talen shows;

· the ways according to which - in online settings - audiovisual narrative enter into the audiences’ private private experience as value-laden models to be embodied/rejected.

In approaching these topics students will be advised on how to work on their own on the cases considered interesting.

Readings/Bibliography

International students may agree bibliography with teacher.

Teaching methods

Classroom debates, viewing of audio-video materials, exploration of online settings. Meetings with important testimonials are also envisaged.

Assessment methods

Attending-students. The exam is divided into two parts.

First part:

- Active participation during the lessons (10%).

- Written test (3 closed-ended questions and 2 open-ended questions; duration 50 minutes) (90%).

Second part:

- Active participation during the lessons (30%).

- Paper on a topic chosen from those explored in the lesson, and agreed with the teacher during the seminar-based lessons, to be sent via email at least 10 days before the date of the exam session (max. 10 pages of 2000 characters each) (60%).

- Analysis of the submitted paper during the exam session (10%).

Non-attending students.

Written test (3 closed-ended questions and 4 open-ended questions; duration 90 minutes) (90%).

Teaching tools

The lessons will also comprise the critical discussion of texts for the exam, by using different medial products (films, audio-video clips, fashion websites, digital magazines,.. ). Items, materials and typical social aggregation forms, typical of new media settings, will also be included.

Office hours

See the website of Antonella Mascio

SDGs

Quality education Gender equality Responsible consumption and production

This teaching activity contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda.