48
Sociology of Culture and Communication
UNIVERSITÀ DEGLI STUDI DI NAPOLI "L'ORIENTALE"
Overview
Date/time interval
Syllabus
Course Objectives
EXPECTED LEARNING OUTCOMES
Acquisition of Basic Knowledge:
Acquisition of basic knowledge in cultural studies as a perspective capable of facilitating cultural mediation within the broader context of the formation of modern and contemporary cultures.
ABILITY TO APPLY KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
The student must demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the main theories and topics addressed by Cultural Studies (popular culture, ideology, hegemony, cultural identity, diasporic cultures, ethnicity, race and gender, politics of representation, practices of signification). Based on the knowledge acquired regarding the definitions of culture and cultural identity, the student must be able to elaborate even complex discussions concerning the study of contemporary culture and in particular the reference cultures in their course of study.
FURTHER EXPECTED LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Autonomy of Judgment:
Good autonomy of judgment in identifying different declinations and points of view related to key terms that define cultural studies.
Communication Skills:
The additional expected outcomes in students at the end of the course from the point of view of communication skills concern the ability to effectively communicate the essential terms of the debate related to the study of modern and contemporary cultures from the perspective of cultural studies.
Learning Skills:
Students are expected to be able to improve their ability to learn theoretical terms and apply them to concrete case studies.
Course Prerequisites
Essential basic knowledge of history and geography; useful knowledge of philosophy, linguistics and literature;
Teaching Methods
The course includes various teaching and engagement methods for attending students: a) lectures b) formation of groups for bi-weekly exercises on the unior e-learning platform;
Assessment Methods
**ATTENDING STUDENTS**
For attending students, assessment includes:
- Physical attendance at a minimum number of lectures (or catching up via podcasts in case of absence);
- Joining a study group by the **third week** of the course;
- Active participation in **group exercises** on the Moodle platform (*elearning.unior.it*), meeting biweekly deadlines and assigned tasks, including taking on the role of **moderator at least once**;
- A **final oral exam** based on the exercises.
**To qualify as an attending student, the following is required:**
a. Minimum in-class attendance (see below);
b. Enrollment on the *elearning.unior.it* platform by the **third week**;
c. Joining a study group that will participate in **forum exercises** throughout the course, assigned biweekly by the instructor;
d. Acquiring the textbooks by **James Procter** and **Alison Harvey**, which will serve as the basis for the e-learning exercises;
e. Participation in forum exercises by the instructor’s deadlines.
**Two types of attendance are recognized: Full and Minimum**
**Full Attendance**
- **8 credits**: Attendance at **18 out of 24 lectures** + participation in **5 forum exercises**.
- **6 credits**: Attendance at **14 out of 18 lectures** + participation in **4 forum exercises**.
**Final oral exam for full-attendance students (both 8 and 6 credits):**
a. Discussion of forum contributions;
b. Oral exam on **one book** chosen from the *elective reading list*.
** Minimum Attendance**
- **8 credits**: Attendance at **12 out of 24 lectures** + participation in **4 forum exercises**.
- **6 credits**: Attendance at **10 out of 18 lectures** + participation in **3 forum exercises**.
**Final oral exam for minimum-attendance students:**
a. Discussion of forum contributions;
b. Oral exam on:
- **8 credits**: **Two books** from the paired elective topics (e.g., *Visual Culture*, *Digital Culture*, *Queer Culture*, etc.);
- **6 credits**: **One book** from the elective list.
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**NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS**
An **oral examination** assessing comprehension, presentation skills, and knowledge of exam texts.
** 8 credits:**
a. The **two core textbooks** (Procter & Harvey);
b. **Two additional books** from the paired elective readings (e.g., *Digital Culture*: Terranova + Solombrino).
** 6 credits:**
a. The **two core textbooks** (Procter & Harvey);
b. **One additional book** from the elective list.
**Assessment Criteria:**
- Depth of understanding;
- Ability to apply theories;
- Skill in connecting different course components;
- Correct use of terminology.
Texts
Key texts
James Procter Stuart Hall. Routledge, 2004
Alison Harvey Feminist Media Studies. Polity Press, 2019 (Introduction and chapters 1, 3 e 5)
BOOKS TO CHOOSE FROM
1) Postcolonial Culture and Identity
Iain Chambers Paesaggi migratori: Cultura e identità nell’epoca postcoloniale. Meltemi Editori, 1996
Lidia Curti La voce dell’altra: Scritture ibride tra femminismo e postcoloniale. Meltemi, 2018
2. Culture and social class
bell hooks Where We Stand: Class Matters. Routledge 2012
Mark Fisher Ghosts of My Life: Writings on Depression, Hauntology and Lost Futures. Zero Books, 2014 (2 chapters)
3. Queer Culture
Antonia Anna Ferrante Pelle Queer Maschere Straight. Il regime di visibilità omormativo oltre la televisione. Mimesis, 2019
J. Jack Halberstam Gaga Feminism: Sex, Gender and the End of Normal. Beacon Press, 2013
4. Visual Culture
Nicholas Mirzoeff How to see the world: Pelican 2015
Celeste Iannicello e Michaela Quadraro Memorie transculturali: Estetica contemporanea e critica postcoloniale. Napoli: Università L’Orientale 2015
5. Digital Culture
Tiziana Terranova After the Internet: Digital Networks between Capital and the Common, Semiotext)e), 2022
Olga Solombrino Arcipelago Palestina. Territori e Narrazioni Digitali. Meltemi, 2018
Contents
- Introduction to Cultural Studies
- High culture and folk culture
- Mass culture and popular culture
- Structuralism and culturalism
- Ideology and cultural hegemony
- Encoding and decoding of media messages
- Politics of representation
- Cultural identity
- Diaspora and migration
- Postcolonial culture
- Feminist media studies
- Intersectionalities: class, ethnicity/race, and gender
- Queer culture
- Visual culture
- Digital culture
Course Language
Italian