Course SOC 226: Sociology of Media

Elective course for MA Sociology Part ll (MA Final)

Department of Sociology. University of Delhi.
J00 Marks (30% intermal evaluation through tutorial essay; 70% bascd on annual exam)

This course will provide a close eading of some of the key theoretical concepts.
par and debates within Media Studies. We will look at media from a sociological
perspective, approaching mass media as a tool that aids in constructing the political realm, the
public sphere, and subjectiviies. We will examine different traditions within the discipline/sub
disciplines such as communication, media studies and media sociology Three major sub-themes
will guide us throughout the course: a) Cultural studies b) Publie sphere c) Semiotics. We will
interrogate these dominant paradigms for what thcy might offer to our contemporary political.
social and cultural moment and in particular to readings of media in India.

1. Introduction and Theoretical approaches to media studies

a) Cultural studies
b) Puslic spicre
c) Semiotics
2. The politics of media
a) Media and political processes (elections, citizenship etc)
b) Media as a supporter or watchdog of the state
c) Media and the construction of political reality
3. The Mcdia Industry
a) Media as business: ownership, profits
b) State ownership and influence
4. Media and Globalisation
a) Neoliberalism and its implications
b) Transnational and diasporic visual culture
5. Media and ldentity
) Construction of subjectivities
b) Audience reception
6. New mcdiua
a) New media as technology
b) New media and alternative identitics. politics
Note: In any one year, four out of topics (2-6) will be taught.

30/08/2022
Introduction to the Course

1
 ()Guegtien
Section-I: Approaching Media
(Communication, Cultural Studies and Media Sociology). MAM

McQuail. Denis. 1985. Sociology of mass communication. Anmual Review of

Sociology 1:93-1|L.
VEmi, John Nguyet.2001. "Media Studies and Cultural Studies: ASymbiotic Convergence".
in Toby Miller (ed) 4 Companion to C'ultural Studies. Malden: Blackwell Pp: 187
213.
wWcbster, Frank. 2001. "Sociology, Cultural Studies, and DiscipBinary Boundaries", in Toby
Miller (ed) ACompanion to Cultural Studies. Malden: Blackwell. Pp: 187-213. 79.
100

wiliams. Raymond. 1974. Communications As Cultural scicnce Journa of

Commnication. (Summer). Pp: 18-25.

ill, Stuart. 1980. Cultural Studies: two paradigms". Media, Culture and Society, 2: 57-72.
Ovell, Terry. 1971. Sociology and the Cinema. Sereen, Volume 12 (1): 15-26.

Section- Il: Media Theory ( 2or 3qUes)

Infrastrueture and Medium

O,Mehan, Marshall Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man. Cambridge: The 14IT
Press.
Walter Benjamin. "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanica! Reproduction"(Written in
1936). From Walter Bnjamin, lMunminations, 1968, cdited by Hannah Arend1, New
York

Politicz! Ees.
Max Hórkheimer and Theodor W. Adorno. 2002. Dialeciic of Enlightenment: PhiBusophical
Frugmets. (From Page Dumber 94 to 137. "Cultyre Industry: Enlightennment as
Mass Deception"). Stanford: Stanford University Press. 2 Lecture
Adorpe. Theodor W. 1975. Cuiture Industry Reconsidered', New German Critique, 6: 12.19

Nodijeet queo tiom rom Tutoal

neading 2

(opnquegtiens na leme hegh)

 lerman, Eand N. Chomsky. Munufacturing Consent: 1he Political Economy of the Mass
Media. New York: Pantheon Books, (introduction, preface and First chapter from

page number 1to 35). 2 Lecture

Semiotics/ideologv
Barthes, Roland. "Myth Today" (Pp: 108-147), in Mythologies New York: The Noonday
Press. 2 Lecture
Louis. 1971. ldeology and ldeological State Apparatuses (From Lenin and
Philosophy and Other Essays). New Delhi: Critical Quest. I Lecture
ReeçHn alys is
Miall, Stuar. 1997, "Encoding/ Decoding". in Paul Marris and Sue Thormham (eds). Media
Studies: AReader. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. Pp: 41-49. 1 Leetur

, Hl, Stuart. 1982. "The rediscovery of 'ideology': Return of the repressed in media studies".
in Michal Gurevitch, et al (eds). Culrure. Society and the Media, London: Methuen.
Pp: 56-90.
downleadeá

Publ1c Spihere
Habermas, Jurgen. 1991, The Siructural Transformation of the Public Sphere: A Inquiry
into a Category of Bourgeois Sociery (Translated by Thomas Burger) Massachusetts:
The MIT Press. 2 Lecture
KHabermas, Jurgen (198la): The Theory of CommunicativeAction, Vol-l. Reason and the
Rationalization of Society. [Translated by Thomas McCarthy], Boston: Bencon Press
doe leadd.
(chapters: 1,3 and 4].
X
Representation r uwt Urle
JAall. Stuart. 1997. (ed), Representation: Cultural Representations and Signifying Practices.
(Introduetion and chapter 1). London: Sage: Pp: 1-74. 2 Lecture
Hall, Stuart. 1996. "Gramsci's relevance for the study of race and ethnicity", in David Morley
and Kuan-Hsing Chen (eds). Stuart Hall: Critical IDialogues in Cultural Studies,
London and New York: Routledge. Pp: 41|-441. ( Roughly Rea)
Jucaul. Michel, 1990. The Mistory of Sexality. Volume I [Trans. Robert Hurley] London: Penguin. p

Do yeuHnk seality to wde Ktand

inema.
 Pawis- Rajega'sawment.
CHub nAm and de'beHve dmoley)
XButler, J. 1990, Ciender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of idenity. Iondon:
Routledge.
Mulvey. L. 1975. Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema", Screen, March l6. 3Lectur
Case Studies:
McRobbie, Angela (978). Jackic: An kdeolegy of Adolescent Femininity.
Bimingham: Bimingham: Centre for Contemporary Cultural-ar
Studics
H(CCCS
aHn
Stencilled Papers), Univerily of Bimingham

Winship, J. 1987. Inside women's magazines London: Parndora.

OpNqusien Reader ll: Anahtical Discussion (o20uestien)

pla'n queshi en Digi
Democracy and Social Media
iirdner. Ej. 1987. 'Economie Liberalisation in India: The New Electronic Policy', Asian
Survey, 27(1): 188-204,
XSchiller, D. 1997. Digitai Capitaism Neworking the Glohal Marketing System. Cambridgs,
MA: MIT
Lincoln Dahlberg. 201. Reconstructing Digital Democracy. New Media and Society 13 (6) .
p.wb 855-872. VIM
nindnan, M. 2000. Tie khyth of Digitul DemOcracy. Prixeton: Princeion Univ Pres.
.Rjagopal, Arvind . 2001. Politics after Television Cumbridge: CUP.
atteslble
(Howidiy impvtan in in to eny
Cinema, identity and spestatorshin elite
XDyer. Richafd. 1998. Sturs. London: British Film Institute.
Mlippo, Maria San. 2013. The B-world Bisernality in Contemporary Film and Television AMwca)
Bloomington: indian University Press. |From page no 15 to 94). - ollyutead unema
Koss. Oliver, 2016. Same-Sex Desire in Indian Culture: Representations in Literature and
Film, 1970-2015. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. (From page number I to 62].
(leujl
DKon. Wheeler Winston and Foster, Gwendolyn Audrey 2008a. Straight: Construction of
Heterosexuality in the Cinema Albany: State University of New York Press.

y Mazzarella. William. 2013. Censorium Cinema and the Open Edge of Mass Publicity.
Durham and London: Duke University Press
Morin, Edgar. 1978/2005. The Ciemu. or the Imaginary Man London: University of
Minnesota P'ress. (T wddnd
1Rogers, Ariel. 2012. You Don't So Much Watch It As Download It: Conceptualizations of
Digital Spectatorship". Flm History, 24 (2): 221-234.
|asudevan, Ravi. 2010. The Melodramatic Public: Film form and Spectatorship in Indian
Cinema. Ranikhet: Permancnt Black.

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