Communication Studies (COMS) 381 - Lecture 61

History of Communications

Summer 2008: Tuesday &Thursday: 18:00 - 20:45             PF 128

 

Instructor:	Thérèse Boyle
Office Location:
Office Phone:
E-Mail:	tboyle@ucalgary.ca; terboyle@shaw.ca
Office Hours:	Tuesday, Thursday: 17:00 - 18:00 or by appointment

Calendar Description:

A study of the technologies of communication from a historical perspective. Coms 381 examines the influences on society of developments in communications technology, including orality, literacy, printing, mass media, telecommunications and information technology. The theories of McLuhan, Innis, Ong and related theories of technology and history will be studied. Prerequisite or Co-requisite: Communications Studies 201

Course Description

This course considers the transformative communication technologies of the present and last century through the lens of communication theory. We will begin with a look at some of the formative themes and influences from the Prometheus myth, Aristotle and the idea of the sensorium, Leonardo and the intelligence of the senses; the new science; the 18^th c notion of the sublime to 19^th c. synaesthesia-the poetics of communication-- and the sublime revisited in the early IR.  Among the various works and authors we will study are Milman Parry, Eric Havelock, Walter Ong on the theory of orality and literacy; Harold Innis and the  ‘Bias' and ‘Empire' of communication; Edmund Carpenter, Marshall McLuhan and ‘medium theory'', James Carey and the ‘ritual' of communication and mass media; D.F. Theall and the realm of hypermedia/technopoetics. This course is designed to give you both a sense of communications history-the social and philosophical background to the new technologies-- and an understanding of the important theories that have emerged with them. Lectures, readings, and class discussion will focus on some of the central ideas and their relevance to communication and culture today. The text we'll be using is Crowley and Heyer's Communication in History, 4^th edition.

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Course Objectives

• To develop a coherent picture of the communication technologies in history in terms of their theoretical, cultural, and social significance
• To demonstrate; i.e. synthesize this knowledge in written and oral work, and:
• To establish a useful foundation for further study

Textbook (Required)

Crowley & Heyer (2004) Communication in History: Technology, Culture, Society. 4^th edition. Boston: Pearson Education.

Course Assignments, and Evaluation

Your final grade will be based on four major assignments, and an individual contribution, or professionalism mark of 10%. The first two assignments are related to and will be done in conjunction with your final research paper (12-15pp.). (I will explain them and provide you with handouts on each of the assignments, in our first class meeting).

 Assignments and Due dates:

 

• Annotated Bibliography -   25%  ..................................................... July 17
• Individual Presentation- Report on Research in Brief - 15%............................July 22 -29
• Group Seminar Presentations - 20%....................July 24^-  August 5
• Final paper - 30%............................................................................................ August 12

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You will be given an assigned date and time for the presentations, and are asked to submit the written assignments on the due date, in class. If you are unable to attend, please submit your paper by email on the due date, as an attachment (MS Word, no special formatting).

Registrar-scheduled Final Examination:  N/A

 

Policy for Late Assignments:

 

Assignments submitted after the deadline may be penalized with the loss of a grade (e.g.: A- to B+) for each day late.

 

Writing Skills Statement

Faculty policy directs that all written assignments (including, although to a lesser extent, written exam responses) will be assessed at least partly on writing skills. For details see www.comcul.ucalgary.ca/info. Writing skills include not only surface correctness (grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, etc) but also general clarity and organization. Research papers must be properly documented.

If you need help with your writing, you may use the Writing Centre.Visit the website for more details: www.efwr.ucalgary.ca

Grading System

The following grading system is used in the Faculty of Communication and Culture:

A+ (96-100); A (92-95); A- (86-91); B+ (81-85); B (77-80); B- (71-76);
C+ (65-70); C (62-64); C- (59-61); D+ (55-58); D (50-54); F (0-49)

 

Plagiarism

Using any source whatsoever without clearly documenting it is a serious academic offense. Consequences include failure on the assignment, failure in the course and possibly suspension or expulsion from the university.

You must document not only direct quotations but also paraphrases and ideas where they appear in your text. A reference list at the end is insufficient by itself. Readers must be able to tell exactly where your words and ideas end and other people's words and ideas begin. This includes assignments submitted in non-traditional formats such as Web pages or visual media, and material taken from such sources.

Please consult your instructor or the Writing Centre (SS 106, efwr.ucalgary.ca) if you have any questions regarding how to document sources.

Students with Disabilities

If you are a student with a disability who may require academic accommodation, it is your responsibility to register with the Disability Resource Centre (220-8237) and discuss your needs with your instructor no later than fourteen (14) days after the start of the course.

Students' Union

For details about the current Students' Union contacts for the Faculty of Communication and Culture see www.comcul.ucalgary.ca/su

"SAFEWALK" Program -- 220-5333

Campus Security will escort individuals day or night -- call 220-5333 for assistance. Use any campus phone, emergency phone or the yellow phone located at most parking lot booths.

Ethics

Whenever you perform research with human participants (i.e. surveys, interviews, observation) as part of your university studies, you are responsible for following university research ethics guidelines.  Your instructor must review and approve of your research plans and supervise your research.  For more information about your research ethics responsibilities, see the U of C Research Ethics "Information for Applicants," sections 3.0 to 9.0, inclusive: http://www.ucalgary.ca/UofC/research/html/ethics/info_undergrad.html

Schedule of Lectures and Readings

 

A detailed schedule will be given in week 2.