SAMPLE SYLLABUS – This syllabus is provided as a sample. Some course content may vary.
New York University, Buenos Aires
Department of Media, Culture, and Communication
GLOBAL MEDIA SEMINAR: LATIN AMERICA
Professor: Dr. Carolina Duek
[email protected]
MCC-UE 9455
Classroom location: TBD
Class meeting times: TBD
1. Description
The idea of the course is to get students acquainted with Latin American theories,
practices and representations about the Media. In order to provide a complex
perspective, the course will begin with a reflection about globalization, identities and
local cultures and their tensions with the constitution of a global culture. The second
and most important part of the course are the Latin American researches, perspectives
and representations about the media, their place in contemporary societies, their active
participation in the constitution of identities and the role in the construction of an
agenda. This is how the course will introduce not only Latin American perspectives but
also a global vision that will allow students to articulate global and local problems from
a critical point of view. The denaturalization of the media, the identification of their
constructions, representations and selections are some of the objectives of the course:
to re-read media practices as a way to reflect about everyday practices.
2. Expectations, grading and attendance
2.1 Expectations
Students are expected to attend classes twice a week and to participate actively in
them. NYU in Buenos Aires has a strict policy about course attendance: No unexcused
absences are permitted.
Each week students must present a brief report (10-15 lines) of an article (not
necessarily a complete one), a picture, a chart or a graphic from the local media using
the concepts and the theories provided by the bibliography of the course. The idea of
this task has a doble implication: on one side, it will help students with the articulation
of theories and media practices and, on the other, will demand them to get acquainted
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SAMPLE SYLLABUS – This syllabus is provided as a sample. Some course content may vary.
with local media. For those who can not read fluently the language there are tools as
“The Buenos Aires Herald” (a local newspaper written in English) or the identification of
pictures, charts and graphics to fullfill the assignment. For the others (the ones who
can read Spanish) a list of local media (and their web location) will be provided at the
beginning of the course.
The course also demands two written exams:
1) A 5-8 page midterm paper based on a questionary provided in advance that will
have to be handed in on time and printed (exams will not be graded if received by
email).
2) An 8-10 page final essay based on two questions that will demand student a miniresearch about some of the topics of the seminar. Students are expected to select a
part of the bibliography and the analysis provided in the course and present a reflection
about Media, Latin America, practices and representations in tension with global
processes. The essay must also be handed in on time and printed (essays will not be
graded if received by email).
2.2. Grading policy:
Class participation/attendance/reports
30%
Midterm
30%
Final
40%
The course uses the following scale of numerical equivalents to letter grades:
100-93
A
76-73
C
92-90
A-
72-70
C-
89-87
B+
69-67
D+
86-83
B
66-60
D
82-80
B-
59-0
F
79-77
C+
2.3 Attendance Policy
NYU Buenos Aires has a strict policy about course attendance. No unexcused
absences are permitted.
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SAMPLE SYLLABUS – This syllabus is provided as a sample. Some course content may vary.
Students should contact their class teachers to catch up on missed work but should
NOT approach them for excused absences.
Absences due to illness must be discussed with the Assistant Director for Academics
Affairs, María Pirovano Peña within one week of your return to class. A doctor note
excusing your absence is mandatory. If students get sick on an exam day, they
must let the Assistant Director for Academic Affairs know in advance about this,
and they must see a doctor the same day in order to have their absence
excursed.
Absence requests for non-illness purposes must be discussed with the Assistant
Director for Academics Affairs, María Pirovano Peña prior to the date(s) in question.
The first unexcused absence will be penalized by deducting 1.5% from the student’s
final course mark. After that each unexcused absence will be penalized by deducting
3% from the student’s final course mark.
Students who have perfect attendance (100%) during the semester and have fulfilled
all course requirements, i.e. class participation, meeting all deadlines, etc. will get extra
points equivalent to 2 % of the final grade.
Students are responsible for making up any work missed due to absence.
NYU BA. also expects students to arrive to class promptly (both at the beginning and
after any breaks) and to remain for the duration of the class. Three late arrivals or
earlier departures (10 minutes after the starting time or before the ending time) will be
considered one absence.
Each class has a duration of one hour and half or two hours. Missing one class
represents one absence.
For those courses that meet once a week (three hours
block), missing one class represents two absences.
Holidays’ make up classes are mandatory as regular scheduled classes.
2.4 Exams and Submission of Work
Final Exam dates cannot be changed under any circumstance.
Mid term exam dates will be scheduled with each professor.
Unexcused absences from exams are not permitted and will result in failure of the
exam. If you are granted an excused absence from examination (with authorization, as
above), your lecturer will decide how you will make-up the assessment component, if at
all (by make-up examination, extra coursework, or an increased weighting on an
alternate assessment component, etc.).
Written work due in class must be submitted during the class time to the professor.
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SAMPLE SYLLABUS – This syllabus is provided as a sample. Some course content may vary.
Late work should be submitted in person to the Assistant Director for Academics
Affairs during office hours (Mon – Fri, 9.30 am to 5 pm), who will write on the essay
or other work the date and time of submission, in the presence of the student. Another
member of the administrative staff can accept the work, in person, in the absence of
the Assistant Director for Academics Affairs and will write the date and time of
submission on the work, as above.
Work submitted within 5 weekdays after the submission time without an agreed
extension receives a penalty of 10 points on the 100 point scale.
Written work submitted after 5 weekdays after the submission date without an agreed
extension fails and is given a zero.
Please note end of semester essays must be submitted on time
Final essays must be submitted to the professor in print and electronic copy. If
the student is not in Buenos Aires, he / she must send a printed copy via express
postal mail (i.e. FeDEX, DHL, UPS, etc) to the NYU Center in Buenos Aires –
Anchorena 1314 - (C1425ELF) Argentina. This copy must arrives before or on the date
of established deadline.
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SAMPLE SYLLABUS – This syllabus is provided as a sample. Some course content may vary.
Schedule
Week 1 (August 30th and September 1st)
PRESENTATION. OVERVIEW OF THE COURSE. INTRODUCTION TO MEDIA STUDIES IN LATIN
AMERICA.
Williams, R. (1974) “The technology and the society” in Television. Technology and
cultural form, London: Routhledge (1-25).
Week 2 (September 6th and 8th)
GLOBALIZATION, MEDIA AND TRADITION
Morley, D. and Robins, K. (1995) “Tradition and translation. National culture in its
global context” in Spaces of identity. Global media, electronic landscapes and cultural
boundaries, Morley, D. and Robins, K (105-124).
Birón, R. (2010) “Globalization” in Dictionary of Latin American Cultural Studies,
Szurmuk, M. and McKee Irwin, R, forthcoming (1-10).
Week 3 (September 13th and 15th)
No classes. Make up days will be set during the semester.
Week 4 (September 20th and 22nd)
AUDIENCES, EVERYDAY LIFE AND “MEDIAPOLIS”
Silverstone, R. (2007) “The ‘Mediapolis’ and everyday life” in Media and morality on
the rise of the mediapolis, Cambridge: Polity Press (106-135).
Press, A. and Livingstone, S. (2006) “Taking audience resarch into the age of new
media: old problems and new challenges” in Questions of method in cultural studies,
White, M. and Schwoch, J. (eds.), Oxford: Blackwell (175-200).
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SAMPLE SYLLABUS – This syllabus is provided as a sample. Some course content may vary.
Week 5 (September 27th) (September 29th is New Year for Jewish community and
there will be no classes)
CULTURAL IMPERIALISM AND COMMUNICATION
Mattelart, A. and Polan, D. (1978) “The Nature of Communications Practice in a
Dependent Society” in Latin American Perspectives, Vol. 5, No. 1, Culture in the Age of
Mass Media, London: Sage Publications (13-34).
Complementary (and optional) readings for the class
Ortiz, R. (2002) “Imperialismo cultural” in Términos críticos de sociología de la cultura,
Buenos Aires: Paidós (140-145).
Week 6 (October 4th and 6th)
COMMUNICATION AND MCDONALDIZATION OF SOCIETY: BRANDING
Duek, C. (2004) “From the media to McDonald´s: the constitution of infantile identities
as present (and future) consummers” in 5th annual graduate Media Conference: critical
themes in media studies, New School University, New York.
Ritzer, G. (1996) “An introduction to McDonaldization” in The McDonaldization of
society, California: Pine Forge Press.
Week 7 (October 18th and 20th)
COMMUNICATION THEORIES AND RESEARCH IN LATIN AMERICA
García Canclini, N. (1988) “Culture and power: the state of research” in Media, Culture
and Society Nº10, London: Sage (467-497).
Martín-Barbero, Jesús (1988) “Communication from culture: the crisis of the national
and the emergence of the popular” in Media, Culture and Society Nº10, London: Sage
(447-465).
Midterm: students will be given the questionaire for the exam.
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SAMPLE SYLLABUS – This syllabus is provided as a sample. Some course content may vary.
Week 8 (October 25th and 27th)
EMPIRICAL RESEARCH ON TELEVISION AUDIENCES
Morley, D. (1988) “The gendered framework of family viewing” in Television, audiences
and cultural studies, London: Routhledge (138-158)
Silverstone, R. (1994) “Television and consumption” in Television and everyday life,
London: Routhledge (104-131).
Week 9 (November 1st)
COMMUNICATION AND MEDIATIONS
Martín-Barbero, J. (2006) “A Latin American perspective on communication/cultural
mediations” in Global media and communication, Volume 2(3), London: Sage (279297).
Week 10 (November 8th and 10th)
MEDIA AND POLITICS IN LATIN AMERICA
Pérez-Liñan, A. (2002) “Television News and Political Partisanship in Latin America” in
Political Research Quarterly, Vol. 55, No. 3, University of Utah: Sage(571-588).
Boas, T. (2005) “Television and Neopopulism in Latin America: Media Effects in Brazil
and Peru” in Latin American Research Review, Vol. 40, No. 2, Austin: University of
Texas Press.
Week 11 (November 15th and 17th)
CITIZENSHIP AND MEDIA
Alfaro Moreno, R. (2006) “Citizens and media cultures: hidden behind democratic
formality” in Global media and communication, Nº23, London: Sage (299-313).
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SAMPLE SYLLABUS – This syllabus is provided as a sample. Some course content may vary.
Maia, R. (2009) “Media Visibility and the Scope of accountability [a case in Brazil]” in
Critical studies in media communication, Nº26, London: Routhledge.
Week 12 (November 22nd and 24th)
DIGITAL CONVERGENCE AND CHANGE OF PRACTICES
Mattelart, T. (2009) “Audio-visual piracy: towards a study of the underground networks
of cultural globalization” in Global media and communication, London: Sage (308-326).
García Canclini, N. (2009) “How digital convergence is changing cultural theory” in
Popular communication, Nº7, London: Routhledge.
Week 13 (November 29th and December 1st)
DIGITAL CONVERGENCE AND POLITICAL ECONOMY OF COMMUNICATIONS
Bolaño, C., Mastrini, G. y Sierra, F. (2004) “A Latin American Perspective for the
Political Economy of Communications” in The Public, Vol. 11 Issue 3, (47-58).
Individual presentations for the final paper
Week 14 (December 6th) (December 8th is a Holiday)
MEDIA IN LATIN AMERICA: BALANCES AND HYPOTHESIS TOWARDS THE FUTURE
Closing remarks, questions and specifications for the paper.
Week 15 (December 13th)
FINAL EXAMS
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