College aantekeningen

Class notes on Introduction to Communication studies

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Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)

Transcription of the lectures held during the year . I have also added examples, student's questions and insights from the text book. I had a final grade of 18/20.

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Type College aantekeningen
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1. College aantekeningen - Class notes on introduction to communication studies
2. Tentamen (uitwerkingen) - Exam (elaborations) introduction to communication studies
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24/09
INTRODUCTION
For the exam, first week of January. 50 points, 40 are multiple choices, 10 are
concept related (fill-in text). Focus on knowledge reproduction and application
of knowledge. 2.30 h. he’ll give us some previous years questions. Mock exam
in the last week of class: half of the questions to have an idea on the exam.
Communication studies is a new subject. The first professor is in the US after
world war II (University of Illinois). A Mickey Mouse Discilpline? Because we are
studying Mickey Mouse, or maybe because they were born at the same time,
it’s easy peasy (trivial issues, media and we all communicate), it’s fluid and
open to different opinion so it’s not a factual science, mickey mouse was used
in political propaganda also, it’s a very diverse subject; there is a negative
appraisal at communication studies. Comm studies deals with things that are
not key to the society; a-historical (focus on the hype of the day like a new
technology), lightweight, it doesn’t have future, unattractive to employers.
Database in Flanders 2013 on how people spend their time (18-75). The
number one is Sleeping and Resting. But on the basis on how the categorize it,
using media is number 3 and since 2013 the number have been rising. We are
always connected.
A mickey mouse discipline is because of general ignorance and
misrepresentation. Media is increasingly pervasive in society and everyday life.
We use a lot of media now, there is a continuous flow of images and narrative
(mediatization). Media is the starting point to investigate society. It is a
complex issue, there are a lot of interferences: they have a material and
immaterial component (his PhD). The media have an economic value but they
have a part of ideas and contents (software of the media), it is immaterial. Who
owns the media will have repercussion on the content: The Sun talking on the
Brexit, f.e. Multidisciplinarity is an asset. There are also a lot of research about
historical reflection, but there is a future perspective.
JOB OPPORTUINTIES people in communication studies find a job within the first
year.
MULTIPLICITY OF COMMUNICATION STUDIES it means all the colours that the
subject has. What would be analysed in the “the Walt Disney” company?
Sympathazing for the Nazi part, the content is western oriented, gender
relations are also really interesting (damsel in distress). Walt Disney is dealing
with ideas, is selling stories. There is a lot of work done with content. Winnie
the Pooh was British and then got americanized, sexualized. There are some
studies on how cartoons that target children how do they contribute to a
routine (exercise etc). There are also connection with propaganda (with the
Fuhrer), the content can be used in propaganda war. The media has
sympathies. The word company makes us understand that is a big business.
Media economics is something really interesting. How did Disney to keep being
relevant? in the 80-90 someone that it was passee. There are a lot of
stereotypes in the content they share. “how to read Donal Duck” is a book

,from Dorfman and Mattelart that explains that the cartoons represent social
classes and kids can be influence by that. Banksi made a representation of
mickey mouse and the Vietnam war, expressing the idea that bombing of
Vietnam is equal to cultural imperialism. What we see on our screens is often
coming from the west. Via this stories, cultures are suppressed through the
Media. There are also cultural studies that assert that we as individuals and
media consumers have some power to say no to the message is being
transferred.
02/10
Open borders of the discipline
Communication studies is a young discipline. We look across borders. There is
animosity with other subjects like sociology. Someone argues that there it is
not a unified strong discipline. So it’s interdisciplinary. For some, it can be
academically marginal. Not for Loisen, there might be fragmentation and
diversity, there also positive sides: scholars are humble, the diversity and open
approach leaves flexibility and gives freedom to search different
experimentation in hot topics relevant for society. There Is space for dynamic
activity. Due to the new media and new trends, it also has to be up to date. It
has to be Incontournable.
OUR APPROACH
What is the discipline, what it become to be? Institutionalization and
development of the discipline. Our focus in presenting the theories that
presents the development of communication studies are based on mass media.
We will be looking into media focused theories (core) and sources of inspiration
(concepts of other courses maybe). Review the work of important actors,
scholars (unified in the same space contribute to the development of the
discipline, Frankfurte Schule). We will focus also on mediated communication,
communication processes with technology (medium is involved). In other com
stud programmes, usually this is the focus, not face-to-face communication
(newspaper etc). Multidisciplinarity is key. Media communication take place
within a complex of interrelated historical, social, political, psychological,
cultural, economic. Insights from sociology, political sciences, economics. There
is also Interdisciplinarity, so integration and combination in comm studies.
There are pros and cons.
IMPORTANCE OF SOCIETAL AND HISTORICAL CONTEXT
When we introduce the work of an author, we’ll try to contestualize
geographically and historically. The context instructs us on the reasons a
theory was advanced. Ex Frankfurt Schule, pessimistic view on the
consequences of media on society (makes sense for their origins, Horkeihmer,
Adorno.. they were Jews working in Germany in the ’40. Media was building up
a nazi society. Many went in the US in the 50’-60’, media was operating
through adv influencing people’s behaviour. It is necessary to understand the
underlying view on man and society. Ex picture in the slides: switch in thinking

,of the Vietnam war. More support for the war, the length. The pictures like that
provides a change of mind. Comes back as a reflection of the role of media on
the society. Context is very instructive.
SCIENTIFIC AND CRITICAL APPROACH
We’ll focus on scientific research, it will be quite abstract. Critical approach to
media and communication: open borders of comm studia. They are complex
topics because of the many intereferences. It is hard to investigare in a neutral
way / value free. Critics and self-criticism are key to researches. Look for
counterview.

PARADIGMATIC BATTLES AND THEORETICAL DIVERISTY
(paradigm= paradaim)
Ex. WAP -> explicit about sex and desire. Feminist in its nature. Controversial.
There is a topic here, an expression, where there are different points of view
(some political, some social, some gender issues). For some it’s degrading for
women. There are different elements taken. There is a background on how you
tackle this.
Kuhn “The structure of scientific revolutions” (science philosopher) Science
builds up knowledge, step by step. He says science doesn’t develop that way.
Science progresses thanks to revolutions and revolutions have the aspect of
scientific revolution (ruptures). Key is the concept of paradigm: shared model,
view on topics. It offers a framework to investigate. It is a model that is
universally shared by researchers around the world, and gives them back
solutions on how to interpret their results and on what to focus (which
questions are relevant), what methods and methodology to use. There is a
ruling paradigm and it is normal science- When sciencists are dealing with
puzzles (it takes years or centuries). At one point, some unexptected results
will come and we won’t have answers. There will be anomalies, where the
existing paradigm is not enough, the generally accepted research methods will
not be able to give necessary empirical verification. In this crisis, there is a
new paradigm that crushes with the old one and the one with better results
wins and a new phase of normal science starts. It is a paradigm shift, a
revolution. It has a specific structure. Ex Copernican revolution (heliocentric
view, before the main paradigm was earth at the centre of the universe) it
changed how reaserchers started thinking about heavenly subjects.
Fundamental change in how we think the universe. There is an
incommensurability of paradigms. In the social sciences, it is different because
paradigm as shared models, body of theory, can exist one to the other (ex
theories on economy). There are also competing paradigms, whoever is not
adiming to the dominant one. There is a non-linear development when it comes
to social sciences.
MAINSTREAM PARADIGMS IN C STUDIES

, After WWII, in the US. It is still dominant in a sense: the most renowned
investigators, universities, are still situated in the US and there many ideas
come from. Why? There is a north American dominance and egemony with
regard to mass media itself (most development in newspapers, movies, was
happening there) and social sciences. Society was still being rebuilt. There is a
growing bipolar context (us vs urss). Many researcher could fit in this paradigm
originated by the us. Perspective and elements: they think that mass media is
very strong (through propaganda fi). Underline view of men and society there
is the idea that the idea of the best society to follow is liberal-pluralistic (virtues
of the market, division of competences, controlling among the three powers,
political philosophy). If we cooperate, we can contribute to a better society that
can develop. It is a consensus-oriented and consensus driven model. Media
instigates a debate in a orderly manner. It is necessary, in opposition to what it
is happening in the east. This model of good society should be exported in the
world.
In academic terms, this returns in the way the theoretical framework is
functionalism (society is a total system, consisting of sub-systems that work
together, contribute to the stability and orderly development of society) (the
media are powerful but contributing to the stability and the harmonious
development of society). Another framework of inspiration is information
theory: what is a communication process? There are some “noises” that might
disturb the message. Mathematicians SHANNON and WEAVER developed a
model of propagation of the message. There is a sender, a message, through a
medium, towards the destination. Sometimes there could be noise and
miscommunication. One of the early models of communication process. No
communication back, no feedback. It is sender oriented. The sender has the
power. It is linear and straightforward, goes only forward. The information
source is not verified, there can be manipulation. It has a lot of critiques.
Behaviourist approach (stimulus response). The sender send out a stimulus and
that will generate a response. Problem: no way that the receiver will interpret
the signal in the same way as the sender.
Key characteristic of the methodology: believing in the quantitative, positivistic
methods, expressing the dynamics in society, the effects of media in numbers,
prefers methods that are similar to exact science. They want neutral method to
study communication. Media will generate effect and scientists can measure
them. We can control the social change. Surveys, social-psychological
experiments, statistical analysis will contribute to increase effectiveness of
communication. How can that be done? Quantitative approach (as the other
framework, which is still very in the trend nowadays to measure the eff of
comm. They believe communication is a linear process, but there are many
problems: comm is not linear, not a mechanical process; it is overly focusing on
effect but it is really hard to measure, nearly impossible; western perspective
to export their own model, it doesn’t consider crisis, conflicts within the
population; very little attention to the social context, how the audience
interprets the content and give meaning to it, it transmit seldom works, the
signal doesn’t reach the receivers, the signal also has different power, it can be
filtered and gatekeeped who manages the comm process.

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