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University and Society: Course Focus : Learning theories and arguments on: Contradictions between academic ideals and learning on the one hand & media representation and popular culture on the other. Assignments: Write two quizzes, Essay on a topic (term 1Part 1:; term 2 part II)
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University and Society: Course Focus: Learning theories and arguments on: Contradictions between academic ideals and learning on the one hand & media representation and popular culture on the other.
Assignments: Write two quizzes, Essay on a topic (term 1Part 1:; term 2 part II) (see the list of topics) Evaluation Term 1 Choose a Topic: Part I: Peer reviewed literature 20% In-class multiple choice test 10% Class participation 15% sub-total 45%
Term 2: Part II: Final essay (see guidelines) 25% (includes 5% for conceptual framework) Essay presentation 10% In-class multiple choice test 10% Class participation 10% sub-total 55% Grand Total 100%
Essay: Choose your topic from the list Should address the following question: Why and how are there contradictions between popular cultural representations (on gender, race, intelligence, jobs, etc.,) and the academic ideals, values & views learned/ taught in the university?
Readings, lectures, visual materials, concepts and theories • 1. Will be on the tests • 2. Are to be integrated into your essay
One Course kit (for term 1 & 2) is available in York Book Store.
*October 1: library session arranged specially for you: 11:30-12:30, in Room 531 Scott Library- attendance required. Select your topic in the first two weeks of classes and get my approval on its feasibility *Write a brief paragraph (max150 words) explaining your focus and e-mail it to me by Oct 8. Watch for weekly postings of materials on course web www.yorku.ca/rajagopa
Weekly class readings are posted on our course webpage. • In class discussions and the essay, the main focus will be: • Applying Foucault’s arguments to the university as a social institution: what is Foucault’s view of society? • Examining how the university is portrayed in the popular cultural (movies, media, etc.) vis-à-vis critical culture (e.g., cartoons, lyrics, etc) . • How do powerful social forces, e.g. media, society, workplace, etc., shape the university’s administration, faculty and students.
What is higher education doing with a corporate business paradigm of profit? • Sampleessay topics on this issue: • Commodification of knowledge • Students’ views on education and work • University and corporate interests • American cultural hegemony • Who controls Knowledge: the State or Corporations? • Role of technology in commodification
Commodification: • Is Higher education: a market "product“ to be "consumed“ ?
How has commodification influenced the values of education? • Educational content has been profoundly • changed delivering consumer satisfaction • Commodity • Branded. • Sponsored research • Distance education • “Click” universities generate no peer effects.
How does commodification influence the values of education? Popular media examples- Hollywood movies: The Class (1985); Doctors (1988); Harvard students; Stealing Harvard; Legally Blonde; Gilmore Girls; The Firm; The Paper Chase; Good Will Hunting; With Honors; How High; Soul Man; and Harvard Man. http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080613013914AAM9A3p http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmJD7_ueDLc stealing harvard http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/284797/Homeless-to-Harvard-The-Liz-Murray-Story/overview Harvard man http://www.metacritic.com/movie/harvard-man/trailers/1083121 Harvard beats Yale http://www.metacafe.com/watch/2571100/harvard_beats_yale_29_29_movie_trailer/ http://www.starpulse.com/Movies/Harvard_Man/Great_Film_Moments/ Social network http://www.slashfilm.com/movie-trailer-the-social-network/
Critical media examples: 1.Cartoons 2. Other reality sources: Reliable statistics
Part 1: Theories & arguments from litt. (from peer reviewed articles) on issues related to higher ed. P 1 & 2: Values taught in the university vs. popular cultural views e.g.: Is Information society being turned into a ‘house of certainty’?
Is Information society being turned into a ‘house of certainty’? P1: Values taught in universites: privacy, freedom and security of self P2: How are these compromised/expanded by ICT and the Web?
Is Information society being turned into a ‘house of certainty’? P 1: Peer reviewed articles found e-resources in the library (scholar’s portal) argument: Do Social Media lead to control over its users P2: Does IT maintain or compromise ethics, identity, private and personal information? Privacy, Prurience And Internet Technologies: Globalization Of Voyeurism Downloadable Kindle book on Amazon.com
http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2010/02/16/google-s-orwell-moment.htmlhttp://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2010/02/16/google-s-orwell-moment.html