COM 462 (2): Seminar in Critical Studies In
Mass Communication:
Media and Myth
Spring 2017
Thursdays 6:30 – 9:20 p.m.
Fell 123
Instructor: Phil Chidester Phone: 438-7746 (office)
Office: Fell 465
Office Hours: MWF 10-11 a.m., MTh 5:30-6:30 p.m. Email:
And by appointment
Course Texts:
A work that attempts both an in-depth analysis of myth’s form and function and an application of mythological structures to contemporary modes of communication simply does not exist in the literature. As a result, we must look at a number of individual articles and chapters that together give some shape to myth’s communicative function and rhetorical power. I have prepared a packet of these materials that I hope to make as readily available to you as possible. Some of the readings may be in the form of computerized files; others may be accessed through online databases. I will also be assigning additional readings to individuals and teams throughout the semester; more information on these assignments is included below.
Course Objectives:
When Ernst Cassirer famously defined myth as a “disease of language,” he was referring to the narrative form’s staggering power as a social/cultural structure, a titanium skeleton upon which any collective might construct its necessary tales of centrality and glory. In the most simple of terms, a critical approach to communication study is very much about understanding how what we say about self and other influences how we see and treat self and other – and myth undergirds these communication processes in often profound ways. Much of myth’s vitality comes from its ability to “naturalize” its presence and function within a given culture (a process that Gramsci refers to as hegemony). Even the way we talk about myth today reveals what Hall would call a disarticulation of concept from symbol: To many of us today, myths are nothing more than untrue stories, exaggerations of events or even outright lies that somehow take on cultural relevance as they are shared (the popular TV show “Mythbusters” is a prime example of this approach). In this course, we will explore how the process of mediation contributes to myth’s ability to function in the 21st century – by at once exposing us to a never-ending stream of mythic narratives and effectively masking the force of these messages. We will look at a range of contemporary American myths – from the Horatio Alger mythology to what has been described as a uniquely American “jeremiad” – and investigate their rebirth in new guises, as more modern stories about NBA athletes and 9/11 saviors and even superheroes of popular film. Through our in-class discussions, myth will emerge as the lens through which we will talk about and understand in a new, more profound way the relationship between symbolism and power in the modern media landscape.
Topics to be discussed in the seminar include:
●Myth as a cultural system
●How myth is both revealed and drives our media patterns today
●Various examples of critical theory: critical race theory, standpoint theory, queer theory, the male gaze, feminism, symbolic annihilation, identification
The main purpose of this course is to increase your awareness and understanding of the ways in which myth continues to function as a powerful communicative influence in human collectives, a force that both unites us within a shared worldview and effectively distances us from those with whom we share the globe. In the process of examining and interrogating this important symbol system, one that is everywhere evident in our contemporary lives and yet receives precious little critical attention from scholars, I hope to achieve a number of related objectives. First, I intend to add to your knowledge of and facility with a number of theories of human symbol use. Second, I plan to enhance your recognition of the specifically rhetorical influences of myth and mythology as a bedrock of our symbol systems. Finally, the class will foster your ability to act as critics and rhetoricians in your own right – to effectively evaluate the messages presented by others, and to construct and present sound arguments based on your observations. Classroom discussions, activities and assignments have been specifically designed to achieve these objectives.
Course Preparation and Attendance:
As a master’s level seminar, this course is highly dependent upon you as the student for its ultimate success. While much of your learning through the semester will come from your own efforts at reading and writing, a dynamic classroom environment will also add much to your knowledge and understanding of the subject we are exploring. As the course instructor, my role is not that of a lecturer, but rather of a facilitator – one who raises questions and directs the conversation. In other words, I am depending on you as students to be ready to share your informed opinions on the assigned topics, to seek consensus in a mature, cooperative way, and to “agree to disagree” when multiple perspectives persist. To ensure that such a discussion can take place, it is of utmost importance that you attend each class session, and that you come prepared to contribute to the discussion.
Late Work Policy
It is expected that all written and oral work for this course will be turned in or presented on the day that it is due and that it will represent your highest possible effort in quality. Late assignments will not be accepted; any exceptions are at the discretion of the instructor and must be arranged ahead of time.
Special Needs
Any student needing to arrange a reasonable accommodation for a documented disability should contact Disability Concerns at 350 Fell Hall, 438-5853 (voice), or 438-8620 (TTY).
Course Assignments
Assignments for the semester will include the following:
1. Paper – A journal-length article dealing with some aspect of contemporary myth and its influences on our identification processes and ideologies. Topics might include the reinforcement of gender differences within interpersonal relationships; the process of identification between audience members and mediated “heroes;” or myth-telling as a tool within the organization.The paper will be written and submitted in three parts: a literature review, a description and an analysis. The final paper (a revised manuscript combining the three sections) will be due the final week of the semester. More specific information on the paper will be provided later in the semester.
2. Propositions – In order to encourage your reading of the course materials, I will from time to time assign “propositions” on given articles or book chapters. A proposition is not a summary of the material, but rather a short (one sentence) “observation” on the reading – an argument against the writer’s conclusion, an unusual or unexpected application of the author’s findings, etc. Propositions should be typed and ready to turn in at the beginning of class; you should also be ready to discuss and defend your proposition to the other students.
3. Additional Readings – Throughout the semester, I will assign individuals or pairs to read an article or book chapter and present that information to the rest of the class, focusing on those theories or findings that most directly apply to our study of song. Handouts are a helpful but not required element of your presentation.
4. Attendance and Participation – Being an active member of a master’s seminar is crucial to the learning experience. Therefore, a good share of my assessment of your performance will be based on your attendance and involvement in our classroom discussions.
5. Observing – Finally, the most effective means of understanding myths as symbolic forms is to consume them – lots of them. I will encourage you to talk about the myths that you encounter in your day-to-day experiences, and to think about how these myths fit within broader mythological systems. We will also engage in some in-class “analyzing sessions” to practice the analytical skills we learn about in our discussions.
Course Grading:Grading Scale:
Literature Review: _____100540-600 points = A
Description:_____100480-539 points = B
Analysis_____100420-479 points = C
Final Paper:_____200560-419 points = D
Propositions, Additional Readings<560 points = F
and Participation: _____100
Total Points Possible:_____600
Class Calendar:
January 18What Is Myth? Course Introduction
January 25The Power of Storytelling
Burke, K. (1968). Counter-statement (3rd Ed.) (pp. 124-170). Berkeley,
CA: University of California Press.
Fisher, W. R. (1984). Narration as a human communication paradigm: The
case of public moral argument. Communication Monographs, 51, 1-22.
Rowland, R. C. (1987). Narrative: Mode of discourse or paradigm?
Communication Monographs, 54, 264-275.
February 1Myth as Structure and Function
Barker, J. (2008). “A hero will rise”: The myth of the fascist man in “Fight
Club” and “Gladiator.” Literature Film Quarterly, 36(3), 171-187.
Burke, K. (1984). Attitudes toward history (3rd Ed.)(pp. 34-37, 263-269).
Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.
Rowland, R. C. (1990). On mythic criticism. Communication Studies,
41(2), 101-116.
February 8The Mythic Hero
Chidester, P. (2009). “The toy store of life”: Myth, sport and the mediated reconstruction of the American hero in the shadow of the September 11th terrorist attacks. Southern Communication Journal, 74(4), 352-372.
Koh, W. (2009). Everything old is good again: Myth and nostalgia in Spider-Man. Journal of Media & Cultural Studies, 23(5), 735-747.
Mandziuk, R. M., & Fitch, S. P. (2001). The rhetorical construction of Sojourner Truth. Southern Communication Journal, 66(2),
120-137.
February 15The Language of Myth
Grant, J. A., & Hundley, H. (2008). Fighting the battle or running the race? Visual Communication Quarterly, 15(3), 180-195.
Langer, S. K. (1957). The image of time. In Philosophy in a new key: A study in symbolism of reason, rite, and art (pp. 104-119). Cambridge, MA: HarvardUniversity Press.
Ott, B., & Walter, C. (2000, December). Intertextuality: Interpretive practice and textual strategy. Critical Studies in Media Communication, 17(4), 429-446.
February 22Postmodernism and Theories of Difference
Chidester, P., Campbell, S., & Bell, J. (2006, November) “Black is Blak”:
Bamboozled and the crisis of a postmodern racial identity. Howard Journal of Communication, 17, 287-306.
Durham, M. G. (2003). The girling of America: Critical reflections on gender and popular communication. Popular Communication, 1(1), 23-31.
Foster, D. W. (2008). Of gay caballeros and other noble heroes. Bilingual Review, 29(2/3), 23-44.
Olmstead, A.P. (1998). Words are acts: critical race theory as a rhetorical construct. Howard Journal of Communications, 9(4), 323-331.
March 1Myth and Identification – LITERATURE REVIEW DUE
Harris, R. (2009). The ideal society: Values, visions and variations. China
Media Research, 5(1), 47-54.
Thompson, C., & Tian, K. (2008). Reconstructing the South: How commercial myths compete for identity value through the ideological shaping of popular memories and countermemories. Journal of Consumer Research, 34(5), 595-613.
March 8Mythology and Ideology
Grano, D. A. (2009). Muhammad Ali versus the “modern athlete”: On
voice in mediated sports culture. Critical Studies in Media Communication, 26(3), 191-211.
Lewis, J. (1999). Reproducing political hegemony in the United States.
Critical Studies in Mass Communication, 16(3), 251-267.
Rosteck, T., & Frentz, T. S. (2009). Myth and multiple readings in
environmental rhetoric: The case of An Inconvenient Truth.Quarterly Journal of Speech, 95(1), 1-19.
March 15SPRING BREAK – No Class!
March 22Modern American Myth Systems
Barton, M. H., & Turman, P. D. (2009). VH1’s “Behind the Music” and
American culture: The role of myth in a meritocracy. Texas Speech Communication Journal, 34, 8-23.
Burns, M. E. (2009). Gold medal storytelling: NBC’s hegemonic use of
Olympic athlete narratives. Journal of the Communication, Speech & Theatre Association of North Dakota, 22, 19-29.
Lacy, M. G. (2010). White innocence myths in citizen discourse, the
progressive era (1974-1988). Howard Journal of Communications, 21(1), 20-39.
Wolfe, D. (2008). The ecological jeremiad, the American myth, and the
vivid force of color in Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax. Environmental Communication, 2(1), 3-24.
March 29Myth & Gender – DESCRIPTION DUE
Chidester, P. (2014). “Keep it strapped”: Lil Boosie, Stagger Lee,
gangsta rap and authentic blackness as hypermasculinity. Paper presented at the annual convention of the Pop Culture Association of the South/American Culture Association of the South in New Orleans, LA.
Chidester, P. (2016). “It’s biology, bitch!”: Hit Girl, the
Kick-Ass franchise and the superheroine as Hollywood’s final frontier. Paper presented at the 7th convention of the US-Brazil Colloquium on Communication Research, Boston, MA.
Dubrofsky, R. (2006). The Bachelor: Whiteness in the harem. Critical Studies in Media Communication, 23(1), 39-56.
Yorke, A. E. (2010). From chick flicks to millennial blockbusters: Spinning female-driven narratives into franchises. Journal of Popular Culture, 43(1), 3-25.
April 5Myth and Race
Maurantonio, N. (2017). “Reason to hope?”: The white savior myth and
progress in “post-racial” America. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 94(4), 1130-1145.
Scott, A. B. (2006). Superpower vs, supernatural: Black superheroes and
the quest for a mutant reality. Journal of Visual Culture, 5(3),
295-314.
April 12Myth and Song – ANALYSIS DUE
Sellnow, D., & Sellnow, T. (2001, December). The “illusion of life” rhetorical perspective: An integrated approach to the study of music as communication. Critical Studies in Media Communication, 18(4), 395-415.
Wolfe, A. S., Loy, M., & Chidester, P. (2009). Mass communication and
identity construction: Theory and a case study of song-recordings by a popular musician. Journalism Communication Monographs, 11(1), 67-113.
April 19Myth as a Tool of the State
Al-Rawi, A., & Jiwani, Y. (2017). Mediated conflict: Shiite heroes
combating ISIS in Iraq and Syria. Communication, Culture & Critique, 10(4), 675-695.
Burke, K. (1967). The rhetoric of Hitler’s “battle.” In K. Burke, The
philosophy of literary form (2nd Ed.)(pp. 191-220). Baton Rouge, LA: Louisiana State University Press.
April 26Myth in Modern Media
May 3Final Presentations – FINAL PAPER DUE
FINAL TBAFinal Presentations