Communication And Culture | Race, Ethnicity and the Media
C201 | 1151 | Calloway-Thomas
We are bombarded by the media whether we attend to them or not. Even when
we do not listen, we hear the voices of radio broadcasters and musicians
in the form of songs and instrumentals from our neighbor's house or the
car directly behind us. When we sit in public places, we invariably see
discarded newspapers, magazines on the tables. The media are all
pervasive and ever-present. This course examines the
relationships between the media in the United States and the
social construction of race and ethnicity. At the heart of the
course are two concerns: Media representations of race and
ethnicity and how audiences interpret such portrayals. Finally,
the class also considers efforts to overcome racial and ethnic
stereotypes through critical media literacy and advocacy.
After attending this class, you should be able to:
1. Define the role of the media in propagating cultural norms.
2. Explain how the media portray racial and ethnic groups.
3. Understand audience and professional responses to media
representations of race and ethnicity.
4. Develop a greater appreciation of the media's cultural
5. Become a more critical consumer of media content;