COMM 470 - Cultural Communication Theory

This course looks at culture and everyday life. Although it has roots in older disciplines such as history, sociology, political science, and linguistics, “cultural studies” is a dynamic and young field that examines how power and ideologies shape people’s everyday lives. Drawing on the theories in our readings, our class looks at how culture is constructed and reproduced through (1) larger economic, political, and ideological structures (the nation, identity, gender, social class, language, race, and ethnicity) that influence (2) people’s everyday signifying practices that include (among many others) shopping, food, and use of mediated texts such as television, films, magazines, the Internet, and music.

Credits: 4
Terms Offered: Fall
Prerequisites: COMM 101, COMM 151, COMM 260 or COMM 270, COMM 280