An introduction to the study of human communication from prehistory to the digital age, emphasizing the social implications of technological change, past and present.

An introduction to the key issues in Canadian mass communications from a variety of perspectives, including such topics as social history of mass media in Canada, public policy and politics, and popular culture.

(Cross-listed as FI104.)

A study of the complexity of everyday communication through an examination of the interplay between verbal and non-verbal resources used to produce "messages". Discussed are the powers and limitations of language as well as the role of communication in maintaining and changing social reality. (The course does not include direct instruction in communication skills.)

(Cross-listed as PY201.)

An introduction to the study of nonverbal communication in interpersonal, intercultural and mass media contexts. Topics include the relationship of nonverbal to verbal communication, human versus animal communication, facial expressions, body language, gesture, visual art, body adornment and dress.

A study of key topics in communication and culture, such as language, representation, ideology, knowledge, power, subjectivity, emancipation and community. Emphasis will be given to the analysis of theoretical perspectives.

A study of the technical problems of film making, leading to the writing, production and editing of a silent film.

A study of the principles involved in electronic filmmaking, sound recording for film, and the merging of film and video techniques.

Basic study of the selection, organization, and arrangement of written material in various media, with some practical application, designed to develop an awareness of functions such as news reporting, public relations and advertising. Study of media, such as newspapers, periodicals, radio and television.

An introduction to the technologies of print production and basic principles of effective graphic design. Some consideration is given to design and digital communications, as well as to critical visual literacy. (It is recommended that students have access to a computer and be proficient in the use of a word processing software package.)

A study of the history and technology of radio and audio recording, with some attention to audio production, including scriptwriting.

A study of the history and technology of television, with some attention to the details and demands of studio and technical work.

An examination of the relationship between language, communication and culture from a multi-disciplinary perspective, including anthropology, linguistics, philosophy and sociology. Topics examined include the nature of language, words and meaning, the relationship between language, culture and the world, and the idea of the preservation of languages.

The aim of this course is to understand technology as a social practice. It will focus on a number of issues concerning the intersections between technology, science and values from a multidisciplinary perspective including history, philosophy, sociology and women's studies. Topics examined include the nature of technology, technological determinism, technology and gender, technology and expertise, and the relationship between technology and social values.

A survey of communication studies research, acquainting students with the variety of quantitative and qualitative methods used in the field. The emphasis is on developing skills needed to gain access to, and to evaluate critically, research in communication studies on such topics as media influence, public opinion or interpersonal communication.

An exploration of communication concepts in Western intellectual history and social thought from the 17^th century to the present. Topics include the nature of language, oral versus literate traditions, cultural relativity, progress, emancipation, and the role of technology in extending and limiting human communication. Primary source readings will be used.

This course is a survey of classic and contemporary literature in the area of Canadian communication, media and cultural criticism. Topics include aboriginal and colonial media, the enduring tension between continentalism and nationalism, the use of cultural institutions in nation building, multiculturalism, as well as Innis, McLuhan and Grant and their legacy in contemporary theory. (Cross-listed as CA304.)

This course is a survey in the classic and contemporary literature in the interdisciplinary study of culture. Topics discussed include the Birmingham tradition of cultural studies, continental European and American perspectives, subculture and queer theory.

(Cross-listed as SY308.)

(Cross-listed as AN332.)†

An examination of some of the narrative formats and medium specific techniques that have been used in film, radio, and television over the past one hundred years. Topics to be covered include the legacy of silent film, film sound, the codes of radio, television genres, and the documentary tradition in all three media.

This course examines the production and distribution of primary forms of print communication, such as newspapers, magazines and books, against a historical and contemporary background, and with respect to print communication's role in the formulation and dissemination of ideas in society. Topics include print design and technological change, audiences and reading spaces, the impact of promotional culture, and the reinvention of print in the digital age.

An in-depth study of gender and communication as approached by sociolinguistics, media and cultural criticism. Topics may include debates on sexist language, the gendered subject and linguistic performance, media representations of gender, and normative and alternative forms of gender in culture.

An examination of the main ethical issues in mass communications media (television, newspapers, the Internet, etc.), including such topics as objectivity, freedom of expression, representations of sex, violence and other human behavior, privacy, confidentiality and obligations to the public.

This course is a survey of classic and contemporary literature in the area of digital media and culture, including the personal computer, the Internet, virtual reality, digital photography, computer-generated imagery and video games. This course is meant to reflect the emergent interest in these technologies and their implications for identity, political economy, society and culture.

This course examines the history, structure, role, content, and development of a range of independent, progressive and radical media. The emphasis is on different media and communication forms (e.g., language, pamphlets, manifestos, video, Web sites) set within their historical and socio-political contexts, particularly their contribution to, and position within, oppositional cultures, social movements and political organizations.

This course examines various culturally-based critiques of advertising, by contrasting what critics of the industry say advertisers are doing and what advertisers say they are trying to do. Students will be introduced to key concepts and approaches in the industry. The course proceeds through a combination of lectures, seminars, workshops and readings.

This course will examine the political implications of media and culture, including topics such as media conglomerates and the globalization of cultural markets, the political role of museums, the commodification of culture, culture as a form of political resistance, post colonial theory, and the impact of free trade agreements on culture and cultural policy.

This course examines and analyzes the production, interpretation and exchange of images as visual communication across a diversity of cultural practices. The course stresses that visual communication both influences and is influenced by culture. Specific areas of discussion include visual communication in medicine, anthropology, law, and in television, the visual arts, advertising and the Internet.

The course integrates communication concepts from the humanities, social sciences and media components of the major. Special attention is given to contemporary issues as they affect individuals and society.

An examination of current literature and debates in the subfield of language and communication. Topics may include non-verbal communications, discourse analysis, per formative theories, gender and representation, rhetorical analyses, theories of meaning and politics of language.

An examination of current literature and debates in the subfield of media studies. Topics may include political economy and policy in media productions, convergence, globalization, new media technologies, alternative and non-Western media, and identities and media representation.

An examination of current literature and debates in the subfield of culture and technology. Topics may include risk analysis, technological determinism, identity and difference, subcultures and countercultures, intercultural communication and cultural citizenship.

An intensive seminar designed to prepare students for graduate studies or further research in communication studies. The seminar will emphasize critical and analytic skills essential to advanced academic work. Students will develop and evaluate their own research and writing skills by producing a substantial research paper on a topic drawn from the sub-fields of Language and Communication, Media Studies and Technology and Culture.

This course enables students to work in a selected area of Communication Studies, under the guidance of a faculty member.