Prerequisites: Upper Level Standing

Media &Special Audiences

COM/LLAS 4320

Spring 2015

Credits: 3

Prerequisites: upper level standing

Instructor: Dr. D. Rios, Ph.D.

E-mail: Use the e-mail (Messages) inside this class to communicate with the professor. We also can set up a cell phone appointment to chat. We can meet in person in Storrs too.

Office: Dept. Communication, Arjona, second floor #200.

Required Texts and DVD: You can purchase textbooks from a bookstore, through an online company on the Internet. It is your responsibility to obtain your materials. You must plan in advance.

TEXTS

◦  Wilson, C., Gutierrez, F. and Chao, L. (2013) 4th Edition. Racism, Sexism and the Media: Multicultural Issues Into the New Communications Age. Thousand Oaks: Sage. ISBN 0-7619-2516-3

◦  Berger, A. (recent edition). Media research techniques. Newbury Park: Sage. ISBN: 0761915370.Note that some chapters are available as pdfs inside the site.

◦  Twenge, J. (2006). Generation Me: Why today's young Americans are more confident, assertive, entitled—and more miserable than ever before. NY: Free Press.

◦  Rodriguez, Clara. E. (2000). Changing race: Latinos, the Census, and the history of ethnicity. NY: NYU Press.

◦  Cho, M. (2001). I'm the one that I want. NY: Ballentine. ISBN: 0345440145

REQUIRED movie

◦  The Bronze Screen: 100 years of the Latino image in Hollywood. (2002). HBO/Cinemax, Questar Video Collection. ASIN: B00006LPIH (Available through Amazon.com and other Internet movie streaming services.)

◦  Note that UConn's El Instituto has this DVD. You can go to Ryan Hall to view it. You can call Anne the secretary at El Instituto to get directions to Ryan. Make an appointment during the week 860-486-3997. Never wait until the last days since staff take certain days off.

ARTICLES

Articles (pdfs are located inside the class already); there will be additional articles for you in a digital folder inside the class.

THIS SITE

Students must go into this site at least 5 days a week in order to keep up. If you ignore the class you will not do well. If you forget to turn in or complete assignments by the due dates you can get an F. This is not an easy class.

Media and Special Audiences offers students an opportunity to explore and evaluate issues of race, ethnicity, culture, gender, sexual orientation, etc. in mass communication processes.

By the end of this course, the student should have a more developed and expanded media knowledge as it relates to U.S. ethnic populations and other population segments. It is desired that the student will gain more sophisticated knowledge about ethnicity, race, culture, social class, and gender.

This course is for any student who (1) is planning a career in the communication field (2) wishes to have a more complex understanding of mass media in a diverse world. A goal of this class is to offer students an environment in which they take a serious look at general market (mainstream) media, alternative media and specialized audience segments.

Essays 15%

Discussion-Participation 25%

Quizzes on readings 10%

Midterm 25%

Final 25%

Discussion-Participation is required in every module. During the regular semester participation is scored in 2 parts, the first half (mod 1,2) and then the second half (3,4,5). During summer there is one discussion score that is done at the end of the term. Everything is averaged at the end during the regular term and during the summer term. If you do not do the basic required work, you will earn an F.

An additional note on Discussion-Participation: It is so sad that I have to put this on our syllabus. Your course grade can drop at least one full letter grade if you "flame". Flaming means being disruptive, unprofessional to your peers and to your professor. You can also get a final grade of F for discussion-participation if you flame.

Any student demonstrating aggressive, disruptive behavior will automatically be sent to the Dean's office and could be reported to the police for the sake of safety for the entire UConn community.

Please seek out mental health services if life is too overwhelming for you and you need a professional ear to lean on and help you through the rough spots.

The quizzes and exams in this course are objective question types, True/False and multiple choice. There are two quizzes, one midterm and one final. See the Course Schedule on the left hand tool bar for the due dates.

There are two short essay assignments for this class. Excellent writing, structure, quoting, citing and a reference page are important for these essays. Essays

cannot be rewritten if you don't like your grade. Strive for excellence the first time you submit your work.

The Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD) at UConn provides accommodations and services for qualified students with disabilities. If you have a documented disability for which you wish to request academic accommodations and have not contacted the CSD, please do so as soon as possible. The CSD is located in Wilbur Cross, Room 204 and can be reached at (860) 486-2020 or at . Detailed information regarding the accommodations process is also available on their website at www.csd.uconn.edu. For more information, contact: Kim McKeown at