Course is in bilingual format, with English and German contributions allowed.
Learning goals:
- gain a broad overview of media and communication theories, essential for the study and evaluation of media and communication situations.
- ability to compare different media and communication theories, to evaluate their suitability for describing communication relationships and to present their historical development.
- knowledge of theories to flexibly understand and illustrate the connection between different social phenomena and certain media and communication relationships, as well as to identify communication problems and to develop situational proposals for solutions
- developed text competence to comprehend and reproduce complex arguments.
- ability to apply acquired knowledge, skills and abilities on the basis of new and original questions and theoretical debates
EMPHASES / TOPICS TO BE DISCUSSED & SELECTED
IN FIRST SESSION
Interpersonal/CMC
1. Uncertainty Reduction Theory of Berger
2. Social Information Processing Theory (hyperpersonal) of Walther
3. Social Judgment Theory of Sherif
4. Symbolic Interaction of Mead
Messages
5. Discourse Analysis of van Dijk
6. Film Analysis of Bordwell
7. Narrative theory of Phelan
8. Aesthetics Analysis of Berlyne
Persuasion
9. Narrative Paradigm of Fisher
10. Elaboration Likelihood Model of Petty & Cacioppo
Selection
11. Cognitive Dissonance Theory of Festinger
12. Selective Exposure of Zillmann & Bryant, Knobloch-Westerwick
Ecology & Culture
13. Media Ecology of McLuhan
14. Cultural Criticism Perspective of Postman / Adorno
Mass Communication
15. Spiral of Silence Theory of Noelle
16. Uses and Gratifications of Katz
Cultivation Theory of Gerbner
17. Priming & Framing of Entman, McCombs & others
18. Social-Cognitive Theory of Mass Communication by Bandura
Recent Perspectives
19. Dynamic-Transactional Models of Früh & Schönbach and others
20. Social Identity Theory of Tajfel & Turner
21. Dynamic Self & Self-Regulation of Marcus, Slater, Knobloch-Westerwick
22. Incivility of Coe et al.
Communication Technologies
23. Diffusion of Innovation Theory of Rogers
24.Select Theories Regarding CMC/HCI/AI:
FOMO, CASA, POPC
(Books by Bu Zhong, Vorderer et al.)
Expectations for successful completion:
Ongoing active participation and discussion, continuous reading and commenting of seminar materials to prepare session discussions and group work, information search and presentation
Note that the FKR (Fakultätsrat) of Fak. I requires that participants do not miss more than 2 sessions of a seminar for successful completion.
