2005 Handbooks

This unit examines the consequences of living in a world where mediated forms of communication have replaced forms of face-to-face communication. Newspapers, radio, cinema, television, and new media forms such as the internet, are not only sources of information and entertainment; they also shape how we frame our social experiences and how we see the world.

Through a survey of key thinkers in the sociology of media literature, students will examine questions such as: how do new media technologies impact society? Do television images of suffering increase or decrease a viewer's sense of moral responsibility? Is watching television an almost sacred activity? What type of society do we live in when gossip and scandal dominate public discourse? And how do we experience place and cultural traditions in the electronic 'global village'? In reflecting on these topics, the unit aims to demonstrate the advantages of adopting a sociological approach to media, as well as the necessity of placing media at the centre of any discussion of contemporary society.