Communications Studies

This program is offered through the Department of Communications, Popular Culture and Film

Chair

Russell Johnston

Director, Co-operative Programs

Cindy Dunne

Academic Adviser

Penni Lafleur

General Information

Administrative Assistant

Bridget Cahill

905-688-5550, extension 4290

Scotiabank Hall 344

http://www.brocku.ca/cpcf/

The Department of Communications, Popular Culture and Film offers three separate programs of study in Communications Studies, Film Studies and Popular Culture. A four-year program leading to the BA Honours degree and a three-year program leading to the BA Pass degree is offered in all three programs. In addition, the Department is involved in programs with community colleges which offer students the opportunity to earn an honours degree in Communications Studies and a college diploma or certificate.

Communications Studies is a limited enrolment, interdisciplinary program that studies human communicative behaviour, the institutions of communication and the social production of meaning. It has three streams. The streams share a core of COMM courses but focus on distinct areas of interest.

The Business Communications stream combines the study of communications with a study of some aspects of business. The stream aims to equip the student with a sound theoretical basis for analysing and practising communications within the business environment.

The Digital Culture stream views computer networks, information technology and digital media as integral components of contemporary social and cultural practices. Primary emphasis is placed on the study of new media in relation to communications theory. Students also have opportunities to explore these topics and theories in applied settings.

The Media, Culture and Society stream focusses on the impact of media and communication in the creation of meaning, identity and social change, emphasizing the study of media content, audiences and institutions in their political, economic, and social contexts in Canada and elsewhere.

Students admitted to Communications Studies may continue in the program upon successful completion of COMM 1F90 with a minimum final grade of 65 percent. A student with a major average lower than 65 percent will not be permitted to continue in Communications Studies.

Students wishing to transfer into Communications Studies must complete and return the Request to Declare or Change Major form to the Registrar's Office by May 15. Late requests will not be accepted.

Policing and Criminal Justice

The Policing and Criminal Justice program involves courses offered through Brock and Niagara College of Applied Arts and Technology. This four-year program combines training in policing and criminal justice with an education in a chosen academic discipline, which may be Communications Studies, Human Geography, Political Science, Psychology or Sociology. For students majoring in Communications Studies, this four-year program leads to a BA (Honours) in Communications Studies and a diploma in Police Foundations from Niagara College. The program caters to the increasing demand in society for professionals who possess both solid applied skills and the substantive knowledge needed to apply them to the areas of policing and criminal justice. Normally, this involves attending college after gaining a university degree, but the Brock and Niagara program combines the two in a single integrated package. Enrolment is limited.

Please consult the Policing and Criminal Justice entry for a listing of program requirements.

Program Notes

Honours Program

Business Communications stream

Year 1

	COMM 1F90
	FILM 1F94
	MGMT 1P51 and 1P52
	POLI 1F90
	one Science context credit

Year 2

	COMM 2F50, 2P15, 2P20 and 2P65
	one-half COMM credit
	MKTG 2P51 and 2P52
	one elective credit (see program note 4 and 5)

Year 3

	COMM 3P14, 3P15, 3P18, 3P62 and 3P65
	one-half COMM credit numbered 2(alpha)90 or above
	OBHR 2P51 and 2P52
	one elective credit

Year 4

	one COMM credit numbered 4(alpha)00 or above
	one COMM credit numbered 3(alpha)90 or above
	two credits from COMM 4P55, MGMT, MKTG, OBHR numbered 3(alpha)90 or above
	one elective credit

Communications Policy stream

Year 3

Year 3 is now closed

Year 4

	One credit from COMM 3P93, 4P17, 4P32, 4P55
	two credits from COMM 3P93, 4F80, 4F99, 4P14, 4P17, 4P23, 4P30, 4P31, 4P32, 4P50, 4P51, 4P55, 4V50-4V59
	one COMM credit numbered 3(alpha)90 or above
	one elective credit

Digital Culture stream

Year 1

	COMM 1F90
	APCO 1P00 and 1P01
	FILM 1F94
	one Science context credit
	one Social Science context credit

Year 2

	COMM 2F50, 2P15, 2P20, 2P26 and 2P90
	one credit from COMM 2P16, 2P18, 2P21, 2P27, 2P51, 2P65, 2P95
	one elective credit (see program note 5)

Year 3

	COMM 2P91, 3P14, 3P15, 3P18 and 3P90
	COMM 3P91 or 3P92
	one COMM credit numbered 2(alpha)90 or above
	one elective credit

Year 4

	Two COMM credits numbered 4(alpha)00 or above
	two COMM credits numbered 3(alpha)90 or above
	one elective credit

Media, Culture and Society stream

Year 1

	COMM 1F90
	ENGL 1F91 or 1F95
	FILM 1F94
	one Science context credit
	one Social Science context credit

Year 2

	COMM 2F50, 2P15, 2P20 and 2P21
	one COMM credit or one of FILM 2F90, LING 1F94, PCUL 1F92, PSYC 2F20, 2F30, VISA 1Q98 and 1Q99
	one and one-half elective credits (see program note 5)

Year 3

	COMM 3P14, 3P15, 3P18, 3P20 and 3P21
	one-half COMM credit
	one COMM credit numbered 2(alpha)90 or above
	one elective credit

Year 4

	Two COMM credits numbered 4(alpha)00 or above
	two COMM credits numbered 3(alpha)90 or above
	one elective credit

Communications Studies Co-op (Honours only)

Co-op program in Communications Studies is now closed.

Business Communications stream

Year 1

Year 1 is now closed

Spring/Summer Sessions:

	COMM 2P20
	one-half COMM credit
	one elective credit (see program note 5)

Year 2

	COMM 0N90, 2P15, 2P65, 3P14 and 3P18
	one-half COMM credit
	one-half COMM credit numbered 2(alpha)90 or above
	MKTG 2P51 and 2P52
	OBHR 2P51 and 2P52

Spring/Summer Sessions:

COMM 0N01

Year 3

Fall Term:

	COMM 3P15
	one COMM credit numbered 3(alpha)90 or above
	one credit from COMM 4P55, MGMT, MKTG, OBHR numbered 3(alpha)90 or above

Winter Term:

COMM 0N02

Spring/Summer Sessions:

	One Science context credit
	two elective credits

Year 4

Fall Term:

COMM 0N03

Winter Term:

	COMM 3P65
	one COMM credit numbered 3(alpha)90 or above
	one credit from COMM 4P55, MGMT, MKTG, OBHR numbered 3(alpha)90 or above

Communications Policy stream

Year 3

Year 3 is now closed

Spring/Summer Sessions:

	One Science context credit
	two elective credits

Year 4

Fall Term:

COMM 0N03

Winter Term:

	One of COMM 3P93, 4P14, 4P17, 4P32, 4P55
	one-half COMM credit
	one and one-half COMM credits numbered 3(alpha)90 or above

Digital Culture stream

Year 1

Year 1 is now closed

Spring/Summer Sessions:

	COMM 2P20
	one Social Science context credit
	one-half elective credit (see program note 5)

Year 2

	COMM 0N90, 2P15, 2P26, 2P90, 2P91, 3P14, 3P15 and 3P18
	one credit from COMM 2P16, 2P18, 2P21, 2P27, 2P51 and 2P65, 2P95
	one-half elective credit

Spring/Summer Sessions:

COMM 0N01

Year 3

Fall Term:

	COMM 3P91 or 3P92
	one-half COMM credit numbered 2(alpha)90 or above
	one-half COMM credit numbered 3(alpha)90 or above
	one COMM credit numbered 4(alpha)00 or above

Winter Term:

COMM 0N02

Spring/Summer Sessions:

	One COMM credit numbered 3(alpha)90 or above
	two elective credits

Year 4

Fall Term:

COMM 0N03

Winter Term:

	COMM 3P90
	one-half COMM credit numbered 2(alpha)90 or above
	one-half COMM credit numbered 3(alpha)90 or above
	one COMM credit numbered 4(alpha)00 or above

Media, Culture and Society stream

Year 1

Year 1 is now closed

Spring/Summer Sessions:

	COMM 2P20 and 2P21
	one elective credit (MGMT 1P51 and 1P52 strongly recommended)

Year 2

	COMM 0N90, 2P15, 3P14, 3P15, 3P18, 3P20, 3P21
	one-half COMM credit
	one COMM credit or one of FILM 2F90, LING 1F94, PCUL 1F92, PSYC 2F20, 2F30, VISA 1Q98 and 1Q99
	one-half elective credit (see program note 5)

Spring/Summer Sessions:

COMM 0N01

Year 3

Fall Term:

	One-half COMM credit numbered 2(alpha)90 or above
	one COMM credit numbered 3(alpha)90 or above
	one COMM credit numbered 4(alpha)00 or above

Winter Term:

COMM 0N02

Spring/Summer Sessions:

	one Science context credit
	two elective credits

Year 4

Fall Term:

COMM 0N03

Winter Term:

	One-half COMM credit numbered 2(alpha)90 or above
	one COMM credit numbered 3(alpha)90 or above
	one COMM credit numbered 4(alpha)00 or above

Policing and Criminal Justice (Honours only)

Consult the Policing and Criminal Justice entry for a listing of program requirements.

Pass Program

Satisfactory completion of the first three years of the Honours program in any stream entitles a student to apply for a Pass degree.

Combined Major Program

Honours

Year 3 is now closed

Year 4

	One credit from COMM 4P17, 4P23, 4P30, 4P31, 4P50, 4P51, 4P55
	one credit from COMM 2P90, 3P14, 3P17, 3P18, 3P65, 3P90, 3P92, 3P93, 4F80, 4F99, 4P17, 4P23, 4P30, 4P31, 4P32, 4P50, 4P51, 4P55

Description of Courses

Note that not all courses are offered in every session. Refer to the applicable term timetable for details.

# Indicates a cross listed course

* Indicates primary offering of a cross listed course

Prerequisites and Restrictions

Students must check to ensure that prerequisites are met. Students may be deregistered, at the request of the instructor, from any course for which prerequisites and/or restrictions have not been met.

COMM 1F90

Introduction to Communications

Approaches and issues in communications from both humanities and social science perspectives. Topics include the cultural use of symbols and signs, qualitative and quantitative mass media analysis, critical analysis of texts, the cultural character of the Canadian media and the impact of the media and media institutions upon society.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

COMM 2F50

Communications Theory

Systems theory, semiotic and cognitive approaches to message production and reception, symbolic interactionism and other constructivist approaches, interpersonal and group communication theories, communications analysis and theories of the mass media and their functions in society.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

Restriction: open to COMM, PCUL and FILM (single and combined) majors until date specified in Registration guide.

Prerequisite: one of COMM 1F90, FILM 1F94, PSYC 1F90, SOCI 1F90 or permission of the instructor.

#COMM 2F92

Popular Narrative

(also offered as ENGL 2F92 and PCUL 2F92)

Textual and contextual analysis of popular literary genres such as the detective novel, gothic fiction, science fiction and the romance novel; adaptation of popular novels to a variety of other media forms.

Lectures, seminar, lab, 4 hours per week.

Prerequisite: one of COMM 1F90, one ENGL credit numbered 1(alpha)90 to 1(alpha)99, FILM 1F94, PCUL 1F92 or permission of the instructor.

#COMM 2F98

Canadian Public Administration

(also offered as LABR 2F98 and POLI 2F98)

Political, legal and managerial dimensions of public administration. Topics include the structure and management of public organizations; government reform; political-bureaucratic relations; pressure groups; human resources and budgetary processes; the policy process; ethics and accountability.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

Prerequisite: one of COMM 1F90, LABR 1F90 (1P91 and 1P92), one POLI credit numbered 1(alpha)90 to 1(alpha)99 or permission of the instructor.

Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in COMM (POLI) 3P50.

#COMM 2P14

Technical Writing

(also offered as WRIT 2P14)

Processes of technical writing and editing. Document design for scientific, corporate and industrial communication. Practical experience in the production of technical documents.

Lectures, lab, 3 hours per week.

Prerequisite: one credit from COMM 1F90, ENGL 1(alpha)90 to 1(alpha)99, WRIT 1(alpha)90 to 1(alpha)99 or permission of the instructor.

Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in WRIT 2P15.

*COMM 2P15

Communications Research Methods

(also offered as PCUL 2P15)

Introduction to qualitative and quantitative methods for communications and popular culture research.

Lectures, lab, 3 hours per week.

Restriction: open to COMM and PCUL majors until date specified in Registration guide.

Prerequisite: COMM 1F90, PCUL 1F92 or permission of the instructor.

#COMM 2P16

Communication for Organizations

(also offered as WRIT 2P16)

Theory, strategies and practice of writing for both business and public organizations.

Lectures, lab, 3 hours per week.

Prerequisite: one credit from COMM 1F90, ENGL 1(alpha)90 to 1(alpha)99, WRIT 1(alpha)90 to 1(alpha)99 or permission of the instructor.

#COMM 2P18

Reporting and News Writing for Mass Media

(also offered as WRIT 2P18)

News gathering, writing and editing for print and electronic media; journalistic style and conventions; interviewing and other information-gathering techniques; editing basics.

Lectures, lab, 3 hours per week.

Restriction: open to EWRT majors and WRIT minors until date specified in Registration guide.

Prerequisite: one credit from COMM 1F90, ENGL 1(alpha)90 to 1(alpha)99, WRIT 1(alpha)90 to 1(alpha)99 or permission of the instructor.

Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in WRIT 3P09.

#COMM 2P20

Popular Culture Theory and Research Methods

(also offered as FILM 2P20 and PCUL 2P20)

Theoretical and methodological approaches to the study of various forms of popular culture. Critical and research skills specific to studies in popular culture.

Lectures, seminar, lab, 4 hours per week.

Restriction: open to COMM, FILM (single or combined) and PCUL majors until date specified in Registration guide.

Prerequisite: one of COMM 1F90, CANA 1F91, FILM 1F94, PCUL 1F92 or permission of the instructor.

#COMM 2P21

Canadian Popular Culture

(also offered as FILM 2P21 and PCUL 2P21)

Survey of the media in Canada. Studies in the popular arts, with special reference to the ways that institutions (CBC, NFB) and selected artists identify and express a Canadian cultural imagination.

Lectures, seminar, lab, 4 hours per week.

Restriction: open to COMM, FILM (single or combined) and PCUL majors until date specified in Registration guide.

Prerequisite: COMM 2P20 or permission of the instructor.

*COMM 2P22

Media and Sport

(also offered as PCUL 2P22 and SPMA 2P22)

Representation of sport in film, television and advertising. Topics may include issues of race, gender, business, politics and ideology in both professional and non-professional sports.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

Restriction: open to COMM, PCUL and SPMA majors with a minimum of 5.0 overall credits or permission of the instructor.

COMM 2P26

The Information Society

Relationship between information technologies and social and political practices since the 19th century. Historical development of information technologies, role of technology in society, critical theory of technology, and concepts of control.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

Restriction: open to COMM until date specified in Registration guide.

Prerequisite: COMM 2P20

#COMM 2P27

Introduction to Digital Imaging

(also offered as IASC 2P27 and VISA 2P27)

Principles in digital imaging: digital cameras and image capture; digital negatives; colour management; image adjustment and enhancement and image output. History of photography, imaging and critical analysis of visual culture.

Lectures, lab, 5 hours per week.

Restriction: open to COMM, IASC (single or combined) VISA (single or combined) and VISA (Honours)/BEd (Intermediate/Senior) majors until date specified in Registration guide.

Prerequisite: one of COMM 1F90, APCO 1P00 and 1P01, IASC 1F00, VISA 1P97 or permission of the instructor.

Note: enrolment limited to 24 students. Materials fee required.

Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and earned credit in VISA 2F26 and COMM (VISA) 2F95.

COMM 2P51

Language and Communications

Interconnections between language and its cultural and communicative meanings in terms of their situational, interactional, and functional features.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

Prerequisite: COMM 1F90.

#COMM 2P54

Documentary Film

(also offered as FILM 2P54 and SOCI 2P54)

History, theory, aesthetics and cultural implications of documentary film and other visual media.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week; plus weekly film lab.

Prerequisite: one of FILM 1F94, COMM 1F90, SOCI 1F90 or permission of the instructor.

Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in COMM (FILM/SOCI) 2F54.

#COMM 2P55

Interpersonal Communication

(also offered as SOCI 2P55)

Perspectives on human communication including both verbal and non-verbal communication.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

Restriction: open to COMM and SOCI (single or combined) majors and SOCI minors until date specified in Registration guide.

Prerequisite: COMM 1F90 or SOCI 1F90.

Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in RECL 3P14 and SOCI 2P58.

#COMM 2P56

Canadian Cinema

(also offered as FILM 2P56 and PCUL 2P56)

Critical and historical study of Canadian cinema.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week; plus weekly film lab.

Prerequisite: one of FILM 1F94, COMM 1F90, PCUL 1F92 or permission of the instructor.

Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in COMM (FILM) 2F97.

COMM 2P65

Organizational Culture

Comparison of competing approaches and contemporary debates in cultural analysis of organizations.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

Restriction: open to CSBC majors until date specified in Registration guide. Prerequisite: COMM 2P20.

#COMM 2P70

Popular Music and Society

(also offered as MUSI 2P70, PCUL 2P70 and SOCI 2P70)

Critical approaches to popular music in its social, cultural, political, and economic contexts.

Lectures, seminar, lab, 4 hours per week.

Restriction: open to COMM, MUSI (single or combined), PCUL and SOCI (single or combined) majors until date specified in the Registration guide.

Prerequisite: one of COMM 1F90, MUSI 1F00, 1F50, PCUL 1F92, SOCI 1F90 or permission of the instructor.

Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in POLI 2P70, COMM (MUSI/PCUL) 3P70 and COMM (MUSI/PCUL/SOCI) 3P72.

*COMM 2P90

Computer-Mediated Communication

(also offered as IASC 2P90)

Nature of computer-mediated commu-nication (CMC) and its role in social, educational and interpersonal contexts. Introduction to technology and metho-dologies essential to explore the potential of CMC.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

Prerequisite: COMM 1F90, IASC 1F00 or permission of the instructor.

*COMM 2P91

Hypertext: Reading and Writing in New Spaces

(also offered as IASC 2P91)

Theory, philosophy and politics of Hypertext as a communicative mode. Topics include critical theory in a Hypertext context, changing perceptions of reader narrative, new forms of Hypertext fiction and Hypertext compared with other electronic textuality.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

Prerequisite: COMM 2P90 or permission of the instructor.

#COMM 2P94

Popular Cinema

(also offered as FILM 2P94 and PCUL 2P94)

Popular cinema as art and institution emphasizing film genres and cultural contexts.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week; plus weekly lab.

Prerequisite: FILM 1F94 or PCUL 1F92.

#COMM 2P95

Introduction to Web-based Interactive Media

(also offered as APCO 2P95, IASC 2P95 and VISA 2P95)

Basic technical and design foundations of web-based media production, including image processing, interactive web design and multimedia production. Contemporary digital practices within the broader history of cultural production, tracing developments in technology and media arts.

Lectures, lab, 5 hours per week.

Restriction: open to COMM, IASC (single or combined), VISA (single or combined) and VISA (Honours)/BEd (Intermediate/Senior) majors until date specified in Registration guide.

Prerequisite: one of COMM 1F90, APCO 1P00 and 1P01, APCO 2P89, IASC 1F00, VISA 1P97.

Note: enrolment limited to 24 students. Materials fee required. Students might need additional materials and equipment which they must supply.

Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and earned credit in VISA 2F95.

#COMM 3F28

Basic Production: Video

(also offered as FILM 3F28)

Introduction to the theory and practice of video techniques: critique of video and production work.

Workshops, seminar, 3 hours per week; additional production time as required.

Restriction: permission of the Department.

Prerequisite: two FILM credits.

Note: enrolment limited to 15 students. Materials fee required.

COMM 3F71

Internship in Communications Industries

Internship emphasizing the economic and social contexts of media organizations, businesses and technology systems.

Tutorial, 3 hours per week; plus internship placement time.

Restriction: open to COMM (Business Communications stream) majors with a minimum of 10.0 overall credits, a minimum 70 percent major average, a minimum 60 percent non-major average and permission of the Undergraduate Program Adviser.

Note: students are responsible for arranging their placement with a prospective employer and arranging their course with a faculty supervisor, in consultation with the Undergraduate Program Adviser, before registration. Enrolment limited to a maximum of 15 students.

COMM 3P01

Directed Reading

Tutorial combined with one or more research papers or projects in an area of Communication Studies of mutual interest to the student and instructor.

Restriction: permission of the Undergraduate Program Adviser.

Note: students are responsible for arranging their course with a faculty member in consultation with the Undergraduate Program Adviser and must submit a written contract signed by the faculty member to the Undergraduate Program Adviser before registration.

*COMM 3P14

Media Industries

(also offered as PCUL 3P14 and SOCI 3P14)

Media industries emphasizing Canadian media economics and public policy.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

Restriction: open to COMM, PCUL and SOCI (single and combined) majors with a minimum of 8.0 overall credits.

Prerequisite: COMM 2P20 or SOCI 2P12.

*COMM 3P15

Media Analysis

(also offered as PCUL 3P15)

Introduction to methods of media analysis. Comparison of theoretical and methodological approaches to mass media content, production consumption, and reception.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

Restriction: open to COMM and PCUL majors with a minimum of 8.0 overall credits.

Prerequisite: COMM 2P15.

Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in COMM (PCUL/SOCI) 3P16.

#COMM 3P17

Politics and the Mass Media in Canada

(also offered as POLI 3P17)

Canadian mass media and their relationship to the political process.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

Prerequisite: COMM 2F50, one POLI credit numbered 1(alpha)90 to 1(alpha)99 or permission of the instructor.

*COMM 3P18

Audience Studies

(also offered as FILM 3P18 and PCUL 3P18)

Theoretical and methodological approaches to the understanding of audiences for media and cultural products, including print, sound, film, broadcasting, and digital media.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

Prerequisite: COMM 2P15 and 2P20 or FILM 2F90.

#COMM 3P20

Television Studies

(also offered as FILM 3P20 and PCUL 3P20)

Historical, theoretical and critical approaches to television.

Lectures, seminar, lab, 4 hours per week.

Restriction: open to COMM, FILM (single or combined), PCUL and STAC majors with a minimum of 9.0 overall credits.

Prerequisite: one of COMM 2P20 and 2P21, FILM 2F90 or permission of the instructor.

#COMM 3P21

Canadian Television

(also offered as FILM 3P21 and PCUL 3P21)

Historical, theoretical and critical approaches to Canadian television.

Lectures, seminar, lab, 4 hours per week.

Restriction: open to COMM, FILM (single or combined), PCUL and STAC majors with a minimum of 9.0 overall credits.

Prerequisite: COMM 3P20 or permission of the instructor.

*COMM 3P26

Social and Political Aspects of Digital Gaming

(also offered as IASC 3P26 and PCUL 3P26)

Critical investigation of digital gaming, particularly of the interrelationships among communication, media, computing and software development.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

Restriction: students must have a minimum 9.0 overall credits or permission of the instructor.

Prerequisite: COMM 2P20 or IASC 2F00.

#COMM 3P33

Psychology of Intergroup Behaviour

(also offered as PSYC 3P33)

Social psychological theories and research in the area of intergroup relations and intergroup conflict. Topics include realistic conflict theory, social identity theory, social exchange, relative deprivation and research on intergroup perceptions and attitudes. Current issues/controversies and implications for the resolution of intergroup conflict.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

Restriction: open to COMM and PSYC (single or combined) majors and PSYC minors until date specified in Registration guide. Students must have a minimum of 8.0 overall credits or 3.0 PSYC credits above PSYC 1F90.

Prerequisite: PSYC 1F90

COMM 3P51

Language and Public Communication

Constitutive function of language in public affairs. Topics may include the role of language in public discourse, social issues and movements, and social, political and cultural activism.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

Prerequisite: COMM 2F50.

#COMM 3P54

Issues in Documentary Film

(also offered as FILM 3P54 and SOCI 3P54)

Advanced studies in selected aspects of documentary film and other visual media.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week; plus weekly film lab.

Prerequisite: COMM 2P54.

Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in COMM (FILM/SOCI) 2F54.

#COMM 3P56

Issues in Canadian Cinema

(also offered as FILM 3P56)

Advanced studies in selected aspects of Canadian cinema.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week; plus weekly film lab.

Prerequisite: COMM 2P56.

Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in COMM (FILM) 2F97.

COMM 3P62

Public Relations and Integrated Marketing Communications

Examination of the public relations process; role, functions, historical evolution and relevance to effective marketing communications strategy.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

Restriction: open to COMM (Business Communications stream) majors with a minimum of 9.0 overall credits.

Prerequisite: MKTG 2P52.

*COMM 3P63

Desktop Publishing and Design

(also offered as WRIT 3P63)

Practicum in desktop publishing, layout and design.

Lectures, lab, 3 hours per week.

Restriction: open to COMM and EWRT majors with a minimum of 9.0 overall credits.

Prerequisite: COMM 2F50, one WRIT credit numbered 2(alpha)00 or above or permission of the instructor.

COMM 3P65

Organizational Communication

Critical examination of the theories and practices relating to the process of communication in various organizational contexts.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

Restriction: open to COMM majors with a minimum of 9.0 overall credits. Prerequisite: COMM 2P65.

#COMM 3P69

Geography of Cultural Industries

(also offered as GEOG 3P69 and PCUL 3P69)

Theories and models of cultural production including, Cave's organizational model of cultural industries, Scott's model of cultural-product agglomerations, Veblen's theory of the leisure class, and Bordieu's work on the creative field and habitus. Geography of artistic attraction and regional impacts of cultural policies.

Lectures, seminar, 4 hours per week.

Restriction: open to COMM, GEOG (single or combined), GEOG (Honours)/BEd (Intermediate/Senior) and PCUL majors until the date specified in Registration guide.

Prerequisites: COMM 2P20 or GEOG 2P02; GEOG 2P01, 2P06 or permission of the instructor.

#COMM 3P73

Popular Music and Youth Culture

(also offered as MUSI 3P73, PCUL 3P73 and SOCI 3P73)

Cultural relationship between young people and popular music. Topics include music's role in the formation of identity, the connection between musical taste and various forms of youth fashion or style, and the impact of new technologies on the ways in which young people access music.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

Restriction: open to COMM, MUSI (single and combined), PCUL and SOCI (single and combined) majors with a minimum of 8.0 overall credits or permission of the instructor.

Completion of this course will replace previously assigned grade and earned credit in COMM (FILM/PCUL) 4V57.

#COMM 3P75

Cultures of Consumption

(also offered as PCUL 3P75)

Commodities within social life. Topics may include gift giving, shopping malls, identity and status, lifestyles, romanticism and hedonism, and ethical or alternative consumption.

Lectures, seminar, 4 hours per week.

Restriction: students must have minimum of 9.0 overall credits or permission of the instructor.

Prerequisite: COMM 2P20.

#COMM 3P80

Psychology of Interpersonal Behaviour

(also offered as PSYC 3P80)

Social psychology of interpersonal attraction and relationships, as studied through experimental, correlational and longitudinal designs. Reinforcement, exchange, attributional, equity and balance models. Levels of relationships. Aspects of the maintenance and dissolution of relationships and of interpersonal psychopathology.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

Restriction: open to COMM, PSYC (single or combined) majors and PSYC minors until date specified in Registration guide. Students must have a minimum of 8.0 overall credits or 3.0 PSYC credits above PSYC 1F90.

Prerequisite: PSYC 1F90.

*COMM 3P90

Advanced Topics in Digital Culture

(also offered as IASC 3P90)

Explorations of topics such as virtual communities, cyber-identity/identities and cyber-spirituality.

Lectures, lab, seminar, 4 hours per week.

Prerequisite: COMM 2P90 or permission of the instructor.

COMM 3P91

Information Technology: Policies and Issues

Historical perspectives on information policy, including impact of deregulation and emerging digital technologies. Topics may include privacy, security, copyright, intellectual property, open source software, Internet regulation and universal access.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

Prerequisite: COMM 2F50 or permission of the instructor.

Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit earned in COMM 4V61.

*COMM 3P92

Technology and Culture

(also offered as IASC 3P92 and PCUL 3P92)

Exploration of mutually productive relationships among cultural practices and technologies, using historical and contemporary examples.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

Prerequisite: one of COMM 2P20, 2P21, IASC 1F00 or permission of the instructor.

*COMM 3P93

Media and Minorities

(also offered as PCUL 3P93 and SOCI 3P93)

Relations between mass media and minority groups in society including dominant representations and stereotypes of cultural, racial and sexual minorities and minority group access to alternative forms of media production.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week; plus weekly lab.

Prerequisite: one of COMM 2F50, 2P21, SOCI 2P11 and 2P13 or permission of the instructor.

#COMM 3P94

Film Genre

(also offered as FILM 3P94 and PCUL 3P94)

Genre theory and its application to popular film.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week; plus weekly lab.

Prerequisite: COMM 2P20 and 2P21, FILM 2F90 permission of the instructor.

#COMM 3P96

Issues in Popular Culture

(also offered as FILM 3P96 and PCUL 3P96)

Specialized studies in popular culture and its role in specific social, historical or theoretical contexts.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week, plus weekly lab.

Prerequisite: COMM 2P20 and 2P21 or FILM 2F90.

#COMM 3P97

Gender, Race and Class in Cinema to the 1960s

(also offered as FILM 3P97 and WISE 3P97)

Representation of gender, sexuality, race and class, and implications of spectatorship and ideology.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week; plus weekly film lab.

Prerequisite: one of FILM 2F90, FILM 2P20 and 2P21, WISE 2P91, or permission of the instructor.

Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in COMM 3F97.

#COMM 3P98

Gender, Race and Class in Contemporary Cinema

(also offered as FILM 3P98 and WISE 3P98)

Representation of gender, sexuality, race and class via ideology, feminism, queer theory, and spectatorship in film and video texts since the 1960s.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week; plus weekly film lab.

Prerequisite: one of COMM 2P20 and 2P21, FILM 2F90, WISE 2P91 or permission of the instructor.

Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in COMM 3F97.

COMM 3Q93

Issues in International Communication

Current theory and research in international communication; evolution of communication networks and global media flows within their historical, political and economic contexts.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

Prerequisite: COMM 2F50 or permission of the instructor.

#COMM 3Q94

Television Genres

(also offered as FILM 3Q94 and PCUL 3Q94)

Genre theory and its application to popular television.

Lectures, lab, seminar, 4 hours per week.

Prerequisite: COMM 2P20 and 2P21, FILM 2F90 or permission of the instructor.

COMM 3Q95

Issues in Intercultural Communication

Current theory and research in intercultural communication; relationship between communication and culture; comparison of communication codes and norms emphasizing face-to-face interaction.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

Prerequisite: COMM 2F50 or permission of the instructor.

COMM 3V50-3V59

Special Topics in Communications Studies

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

Prerequisites: COMM 2F50, 2P20 and 2P21 or permission of the instructor.

COMM 4F80

Directed Reading

Directed individual or group reading in an area of communications studies.

Restriction: open to COMM majors with a minimum of 14.0 overall credits, a minimum 80 percent major average, approval to year 4 (honours) and permission of the Undergraduate Program Adviser.

Note: students are responsible for arranging their course with a faculty member in consultation with the Undergraduate Program Adviser and must submit a written contract, signed by the faculty member, to the Undergraduate Program Adviser, before registration. The reading may not be on the topic or with the faculty member of the student's COMM 4F99 thesis.

COMM 4F99

Honours Thesis

Thesis to be based on individual study and research carried out under the supervision of a faculty adviser.

Restriction: open to COMM majors with a minimum of 14.0 overall credits, a minimum 80 percent major average, approval to year 4 (honours) and permission of the Undergraduate Program Adviser.

Note: to register in the Honours thesis, the student must consult the Undergraduate Program Adviser about topics, department regulations and the selection of an adviser.

#COMM 4P10

Language and Discourse: Theory and Practice

(also offered as ENGL 4P10 and WRIT 4P10)

Analysis of the relation between stylistic features and discursive contexts; encoding and enacting of social worlds and relations in text (both literary and non-literary); introduction to the field of discourse studies in general and critical discourse analysis in particular.

Seminar, 3 hours per week.

Restriction: open to COMM, ECUL, ENGL (single or combined), ENGL (Honours)/BEd (Intermediate/Senior), LIAU, LING (single or combined), LISL (single or combined), LITE majors and WRIT minors with approval to Year 4, and EWRT majors with a minimum of 14.0 overall credits and a minimum 60 percent major average or permission of the instructor and the Chair.

*COMM 4P14

Advanced Research in Cultural Industries

(also offered as PCUL 4P14)

Advanced research into the national and international development, operations, and political economy of a single cultural industry. Topics may include press, periodicals, radio, music, film, television or interactive media industries.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

Restriction: open to COMM and PCUL majors with approval to year 4 (honours) or permission of the instructor.

*COMM 4P17

Canadian Cultural and Communications Policy

(also offered as PCUL 4P17)

Historical perspectives on the development of government policies affecting the arts, cultural industries, public and private broadcasting in Canada.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

Restriction: open to COMM and PCUL majors with approval to year 4 (honours) or permission of the instructor.

*COMM 4P18

Media and the Natural Environment

(also offered as PCUL 4P18)

Media constructions of the natural environment, environmental movements and environmental issues such as pollution, climate change and consumerism.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

Restriction: open to COMM and PCUL majors with approval to year 4 (honours) or permission of the instructor.

#COMM 4P23

Research on Media and Popular Culture

(also offered as PCUL 4P23 and SOCI 4P23)

Advanced research seminar on the relations between mass media and popular culture.

Seminar, 3 hours per week.

Restriction: open to COMM, PCUL and SOCI (single or combined) majors with approval to year 4 (honours) or permission of the instructor.

Prerequisite: COMM 3P14 or 3P15 (3P16).

*COMM 4P30

Theories of Mass Culture

(also offered as FILM 4P30 and PCUL 4P30)

Studies in cultural theory and its application to mass media texts, with special reference to the work of the Frankfurt School, French Structuralism and British Cultural Studies.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

Restriction: open to COMM, FILM (single or combined) and PCUL majors with approval to year 4 (honours) or permission of the instructor.

#COMM 4P31

Theories of the Visible

(also offered as FILM 4P31 and PCUL 4P31)

Central 20th-century developments in theories of visibility and their relevance to the field of media studies.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

Restriction: open to COMM, FILM (single or combined) and PCUL with approval to year 4 (honours) or permission of the instructor.

#COMM 4P32

Comparative Mass Media

(also offered as POLI 4P32)

Selected problems concerning the mass media and the political process in Canada and other countries.

Seminar, 3 hours per week.

Restriction: open to COMM and POLS majors with a minimum of 14.0 overall credits and either a minimum 70 percent major average and a minimum 60 percent non-major average or approval to year 4 (honours).

Prerequisite: COMM 3P17 or permission of the instructor.

#COMM 4P34

Taste and Cultural Politics

(also offered as FILM 4P34 and PCUL 4P34)

Application of cultural theories to the analysis of taste, distinction, class, cultural standards and moral panics, transgression and trash culture.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

Restriction: open to COMM, FILM (single or combined) and PCUL majors with approval to year 4 (honours) or permission of the instructor.

COMM 4P50

Ethnography of Communication

Anthropological approaches to cultural variations in communications, particularly verbal communication. Purposes to which speech is put and the way it is organized for these purposes in different cultural contexts.

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

Restriction: open to COMM majors with approval to year 4 (honours) or permission of the instructor.

COMM 4P51

Language and Power

Role of language in the creation and maintenance of ideology and power structures. Topics include political rhetoric, religious discourse, language in the professions (law, medicine).

Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.

Restriction: open to COMM majors with approval to year 4 (honours) or permission of the instructor.

*COMM 4P55

Advertising, Mass Media and Culture

(also offered as PCUL 4P55)

Historical research into the development of Canadian advertising practices in an international context. Evaluation of the cultural and economic impact of advertising on the mass media and the role of advertising in the formation of a consumer culture.

Seminar, 3 hours per week.

Restriction: open to COMM and PCUL majors with approval to year 4 (honours) or permission of the instructor.

COMM 4P60

Directed Project in Information Technology

Supervised training in information technology through placement in a public or private sector organization.

Restriction: open to COMM (Digital Culture stream) majors with a minimum of 14.0 credits, a minimum 80 percent major average, approval to year 4 (honours) and permission of the Undergraduate Program Adviser.

Note: enrolment limited.

#COMM 4P70

Advanced Studies in Popular Music

(also offered as MUSI 4P70 and PCUL 4P70)

Focus on a specific culture, genre, issue or historical era.

Seminar, 3 hours per week.

Restriction: open to COMM, MUSI (single or combined) and PCUL majors with approval to year 4 (honours) or permission of the instructor.

COMM 4V50-4V59

Contemporary Research in Communications Studies

Special topics in contemporary communications research.

Seminar, 3 hours per week.

Restriction: open to COMM majors with approval to year 4 (honours) or permission of the instructor.

COMM 4V60-4V69

Historical Perspectives in Communications Studies

Special topics in communications history.

Seminar, 3 hours per week.

Restriction: open to COMM majors with approval to year 4 (honours) or permission of the instructor.

CO-OP COURSES

COMM 0N01

Co-op Work Placement I

First co-op work placement (4 months) with an approved employer.

Restriction: open to COMM Co-op students.

COMM 0N02

Co-op Work Placement II

Second co-op work placement (4 months) with an approved employer.

Restriction: open to COMM Co-op students.

COMM 0N03

Co-op Work Placement III

Third co-op work placement (4 months) with an approved employer.

Restriction: open to COMM Co-op students.

COMM 0N04

Co-op Work Placement IV

Optional co-op work placement (4 months) with an approved employer.

Restriction: open to COMM Co-op students.

COMM 0N05

Co-op Work Placement V

Optional co-op work placement (4 months) with an approved employer.

Restriction: open to COMM Co-op students.

COMM 0N90

Co-op Training and Development

Provides a framework for the development of learning objectives by students for individual work terms. Includes orientation to the co-op experience, goal setting, career planning, résumé preparation and interview skills preparation.

Lectures, presentations, site visits, 2 hours per week.

Restriction: open to COMM Co-op students.