Communication does much more than transfer information between people;
it is not a neutral or transparent "container" for data and ideas.
Communication does not merely "transmit" the beliefs, attitudes,
behaviors, and identities that define human culture - it actively
shapes and defines them.  This course critically examines the
productive and dialectical relationship between communication and
culture, exploring some of the ways that communication crafts culture
and the ways that culture affects communication.

As an introductory course, C205 provides a broad overview of the
conceptual vocabularies and critical strategies that scholars use to
study communication.  The goal here is to provide students with the
ability to recognize and discuss these various perspectives, and thus
begin to develop the tools needed to become an intelligent observer of
human communication as well as an effective participant in
contemporary culture.

This course also is an introduction to the unique perspective provided
by the combined interests and talents of the Communication & Culture
faculty.  Toward this end, we will read essays written by scholars
whose interests represent those that characterize our faculty -
including Rhetoric & Public Culture, Ethnography & Performance, and
Film & Media - within an overall effort to synthesize a productive
intellectual viewpoint.

Coursework will include several short quizzes, two midterms, and a
final.



On-line course materials and instructor contact information are
available at: