The University of Oklahoma
College of Liberal Studies
1610 Asp Ave Ste 108, Norman, OK 73072
Phone: 405-325-1061/800-522-4389 Fax: 405-325-7132
5904/5943 Media and Freedom
Course Description
This is a combined course consisting of students at the midway point in their program and others at or approaching their final defense phase. All students will participate in the general subject matter component of the course, which will address the contemporary mediascape and its effect on our freedom. In addition, students enrolled in LSTD 5534 (Colloquium) will have an extra assignment that deals with research methods and development of a prospectus.
The way in which self-identity is constituted, particularly how the individual interprets himself, has a great deal to do with freedom and the environment in which the individual lives. In any culture, actions within life are structured to conform to an image of who I want to be, what I want to do, and how things fit into the overall panoply of my life. In the modern world of media, technology, cyberspace, and instantaneous information exchange, I am faced with a bombardment of varying interpretations of who and what I am, can be, and should be. Furthermore, the market has inserted itself right in the middle of every form of information exchange; it permeates our world. In this world, the play of images and suggestions constitutes a significant part of my total makeup: I see qualities of life that appeal to me reflected in the objects of the market, which are advertised as promoting almost ideal qualities. For example, I would like to be seen by my peers as attractive, so I am seduced into buying a sports car, which carries with it a sense of social acceptance and excitement. Many thinkers have characterized the modern world as a schizophrenic quest for consumer identity. In this course, we will examine the nature of electronic media and McLuhan’s characterization of it as an “extension of the human central nervous system.” From this perspective, we will look at many of the ways in which it can be used to coerce us into making decisions that we might not have made without such enticement. The nature of the mediascape and its attendant organizational influence on human society will be examined from the perspective of individual freedom –in other words, how free are we in a world bombarded by media images?
This course will be multidisciplinary, emphasizing a holistic method of understanding knowledge, and using resources from natural science, social science, and the humanities. Through this study, students will gain a deeper understanding about what it means to be human. The seminar will conclude with several ways of relating this material to modern culture, with a particular focus on practical applications in everyday life.
Course Objectives
The course objectives are three-fold.
- To prepare Advanced Seminar students for their final defense.
- To prepare Colloquium students to begin research and prepare a research prospectus.
- To increase understanding of the history of (post)modern consciousness from the Enlightenment to the 21st century.
Learning Tasks
- Colloquium students will prepare a research prospectus, which will serve as the basis of an oral presentation during the second week of class.
- All students will write a pre-seminar and mid-seminar paper and participate in group discussions based on class handouts.
Course Requirements
Students are expected to attend all class sessions, complete all assignments on time and participate fully in class discussions, both as individuals and as members of assigned groups. Grades will be determined by performance in these areas. (See below for the grading breakdown.).
James B. Twitchell, Lead Us into Temptation: The Triumph of American Materialism (New York: Columbia University Press, 1999);
ISBN 0-231-11519-9
Subject Matter Expert
John Duncan, Ph.D
Clinical Associate Professor
OUHSC Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
College of Medicine
Adjunct Assistant Professor
College of Liberal Studies
University of Oklahoma
(405) 613-7474
drjohnduncan@sbcglobal.net
Web site Design
Catherine Kerley, 2007
