The major in Culture and Media provides students with critical research and production tools to understand the pivotal role of culture and media in the contemporary world. The major examines a variety of symbolic practices through interdisciplinary lenses, and particularly through a grounding in the technologies, forms, institutions, and effects of media. A vibrant, lively, and morphing area of inquiry in the international academic world, the converging fields of media and cultural studies are engaged in making sense of our rapidly changing global media environment. Because media (forms of information and communication ranging from the written word to print, film, television, radio, and the Internet) is playing an increasingly visible role in politics and economics, business and education, and art and entertainment in local, national, and international contexts, a proper understanding of processes of mediation is key to understanding how cultures are shaped. Incorporating insights from various fields, both traditional and emergent, Culture and Media is a fertile meeting ground for theories of publics and audiences, power and subjectivity, and representations and actions.
Course subjects, perspectives, and topics are grouped around concentrations that focus on new media cultures; transnational media dynamics; popular and media histories; and issues of racial, gendered, and sexual identity formations. Students learn to understand old and new media through historical, political, technological, sociological, textual, and ethnographic approaches. They also learn how to interpret the formal properties of diverse cultural texts—including newspapers, magazines, films, photographs, and online communication. Courses also allow students access to opportunities in the working world through internships and practical media experience.
By successfully completing the Culture and Media major, students acquire a variety of scholarly and practical abilities. They gain a broad understanding of cultural histories, debates, and practices; they gain a comparative media and cultural perspective; they see media as a tool of social engagement; and they learn to put their ideas into practice through production skills in digital media. By using critical thinking and writing and production skills, students are prepared for internships and jobs in publishing, media production, and research organizations. The concentrations within the major can also be a preparation for those interested in pursuing graduate work in these areas.
In addition to the major, students have the option, if majoring in a different program, to elect an academic minor in Culture and Media. Students interested in completing the minor should review the minor curriculum.