Media

For this assignment you will be required to write a 5-6 page essay that explores a theoretical debate within the field of media studies related to either how people interpret media, how media affect audience, or the relationship between media technologies and social concerns. Choose ONE of the following questions for your essay. Each of the questions focuses on topics covered in a single textbook chapter. You will not need to consult outside sources for this essay however you are free to do so.

1. Chapter 4 focuses on the process of interpreting media content. Most media scholars note that the content of media involves a combination of encoding by the creators of content and decoding by those consuming that content. Several different theories have been proposed to explain how that process works – specifically, structuralism, semiotics, post-structuralism, discourse analysis, and critical political economy. Compare any TWO of these theoretical approaches to meaning and discuss which, if any, is the most convincing and why. You should illustrate points and/or support your arguments in relation to specific media or examples of media contents.

2. Chapter 5 examines media audiences and more specifically the kinds of effect media might have on them. Compare any TWO of the following theories of media influence – cultivation theory, gratification theory, Marxist/Frankfurt school theory, British cultural studies, feminist research, or reception analysis. Your comparative evaluation should explain how the selected theories conceptualize the way media influence audiences and discuss which approach, if any, is most convincing. You should illustrate points and/or support your arguments in relation to specific media or examples of media contents.

3. Chapter 6 discusses various ways media scholars have tried to explain the relationship between media technologies and society. Media theorists reject the instrumentalist view that technology is value neutral and instead tend to adhere to some version of technological determinism. The textbook discusses three of these alternative theories – substantivism, critical theory,, constructivism/social construction theory. Select one of these three approaches and discus why it rejects instrumentalism and how it conceptualizes the relationship between technology and society. Then discuss the theory you have selected in relation to one of the following concerns discussed in the textbook: [a] the digital divide [b] social control [c] surveillance and privacy. You should illustrate points and/or support your arguments in relation to specific media or examples of media contents.

Format: Assignments should be in paragraph form. Please keep margins and fonts to reasonable size. Note: You are allowed to quote the textbook or other source material, however you must reference any citations (author, title, page number(s)) and should limit individual citations to no more than three sentences. If you paraphrase an author you must also reference them - failure to do so constitutes plagiarism (please refer to the academic calendar for more information). Assignments will be graded on the basis of the quality of your original work. Please avoid excessive paraphrasing and over-citation.