The Image in Society

Media and communication technologies are crucial to our modern way of living. New media technologies make opportunities for connections and information flows across cultural borders, and modern systems of transport and communication create a ”global village” where people in different parts of the world are increasingly part of each others’ lives. Systems of communication integrated on a national or international basis enable the forging of formal as well as informal communities, while at the same time facilitating the drawing of new lines of conflict based on bigotry, nationalism, and various kinds of religious fundamentalism. People’s identities are not given, but increasingly negotiated through mediated encounters with others, where media contribute both to identification and alienation.

This course explores questions of media, globalisation and identity through themes like the role of media in forming individual and group identities; commercialisation and celebrity culture; gender perspectives; sexualisation of public sphere and media content; surveillance and self presentation in social media.

Knowledge
Upon successful completion of this course, students will have:
- knowledge of a broad range of theories on the roles of media in a globalised world
- awareness of the relationship between visual media and cultural identity
- knowledge of the uses of images in self presentation in the past as well as the present
- knowledge of theories on how media relates to visibility and power.

Skills
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
- apply theories for critical reflection on questions of media, globalisation and identity
- explain how different media enable the forging of individual and group identities
- identify cultural stereotypes and assess the extent to which specific media presentations contribute to creating, maintaining or undermining established notions of ourselves and others.
- Reflect critically and independently on problems relating to the power aspect of visual technologies

Lectures and seminars.

Compulsory assignment:
The compulsory assignment is a reading report. Students must have had their reading report approved by the course leader before sitting the final exam.

Students are required to use Blackboard actively for updates and information, in addition to other information resources of the course.

This course may be taught in Norwegian or English, pending staff availability.