Universitat Internacional de Catalunya - BarcelonaMassMedia Communication
Main language of instruction: Spanish
Head instructor
Dra. María VICTORIA - mvictoria@uic.es
Office hours
In order to make an appointment, please send an email to the professor
Intellectual discourses, theoretical models or research methodologies that have accompanied the history of the emergence and development of different media can not be summarised in one major and complex theory niether in a single definition of communication.
Due to this evidence, in this subject we will defend the opportunity of do an introductory journey through a selection of theories that have made consistent academic contributions on the media world. Through guided self-learning, the student will critically analyse the main theoretical and methodological beliefs that have served as a compass in this space of dialogue and discussion which has been and makes the story of Communication Theory.
No pre-course requirements are needed to enrol in this subject.
The objective of this course is to help students become oriented to the broad field of theoretical thinking on the media, a complex universe of assertions, theories, concepts and paradigms, not infrequently incompatible.
The historical setting and the compared theming in which this subject is based intends to endow the student with analytical tools to comment critically on the various dimensions of the current dynamics of the digital communication ecosystem.
In turn, this subject aims to awake the students' interest for intellectual work and their enthusiasm for being personally capable of generating their own analytical and critical thinking.
Los/as estudiantes:
SECTION 1: COMMUNICATION THEORY: FOUNDATIONS AND EVOLUTION
Unit 1: Communication. Elements. Classic structure of communication.
Unit 2: Evolution of mass communication. From propaganda to the creation of
frames of thought.
Unit 3: New approaches. The spiral of silence. Cascade of conformity.
Horizontal communication vs vertical communication. New communication structures.
Unit 4: The formation of public opinion and communication. Communication biases and processing in a world with preconceptions.
Unit 5: Communication beyond content. Information sources beyond media. Communication channels and their effects on public opinion. Heuristics and
other ways to reason efficiently. Framing and changing public opinion.
Unit 6: Misinformation and the ability of information to generate knowledge.
SECTION 2: DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT AND PRODUCTION OF A RESEARCH COMMUNICATION
Designing a communication research.
Focus and justification of the issues and research questions.
Methodologies for communication research.
The analysis of empirical data.
Presentation of the results of research in communication.
| TRAINING ACTIVITY | ECTS CREDITS |
|---|---|
| Lectures. In lectures, lecturers/professors not only transmit content or knowledge, but also, and above all else, attitudes, motivation, skills and values, etc. They also ensure that participants can express their opinions and arguments to the other students. | 2.5 |
| Coaching. Monitoring how students learn the content of the subject, either individually or in groups. In the coaching sessions, mistakes will be corrected, queries answered, and exercises and activities to achieve the established objectives will be suggested. | 0.5 |
| Seminar. This activity will consist of taking an in-depth look at specific up-to-date topics in a monographic manner-in some cases these topics will have been debated socially-, via active work in small groups. | 1.5 |
| Practical workshop. A highly practical working activity, where students can acquire skills that are practical or also theoretical (intellectual skills, logical skills, critical skills, intellectual learning skills, study skills, quoting skills, etc). | 1.5 |
* To pass the course you must present the two parts.
** The spelling rules of the Faculty shall apply to all tests and assignments.
*** To pass the second call is necessary to accomplish all assessment activities not approved in the first call.
Baran, S. J. & Davis, D. K. (2011). Mass Communication Theory. Foundations, Ferment, and Future. Wadsworth.
Noelle-Neumann, E. (1995). La espiral del silencio. Opinión pública: nuestra piel social. Barcelona: Paidós.
Scheufele, D. y Moy, P. (2000). Twenty-five years of the spiral of silence: A conceptual review and empirical outlook. International Journal of Public Opinion Research, 12 (1), 3-28.