LFU:online

Goals: The goals of the class are to examine the following questions:   

-          What is the role of mass media in the modern world, across societies and cultures?  

-          How is Identity as a discourse mediated across societies and cultures?  

-          How do different genres (specifically, films and music videos) shape our understanding of Identity in the modern world?  

Outcomes:  Students will develop a research competency through working on in-class and out-of-class writing and presentation projects (research papers, short in-class reflections, PowerPoint presentations).  

Specific Learning Outcomes: The three broad-ranging questions (outlined above) are related to student learning outcomes through the development of competencies (Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes). These competencies will derive from:   

-          Lectures: Providing students with an introduction to the field of “International Communication” (focusing on different theories) especially as it relates to Europe.   

-          Textual Analysis: Focusing on two specific media genres (film and music videos), students will develop competency in “reading” such texts using the theoretical language of International Communication.  

-          Workshop: Students will participate in group discussion (including in-class writing and presentation assignments) that focuses on the media genres identified above.  

This is an introductory course to the field of International Communication (hereafter, IC). IC developed as a subset of the field of Mass Communication (a field based on the premise that mass media -- which includes film, television, smartphones, social media, video games, etc.) are central to making sense of the nature of contemporary society. IC takes those assumptions and extends them to a global level, arguing that mass media connects societies, cultures, and states across regions and the world at large. Most critically, it mobilizes discourses of Identity within and across national borders. The following equation sums up the field: Globalization + Media + Identity = International Communication.  

Students in any field, but especially Business, Management, Mass Communication / Journalism/ Public Relations, etc. will benefit from exposure to the field of IC.

The University of New Orleans International Summer School program has a mandatory class attendance policy. All students are required to attend class for all morning classes and any required afternoon and/or weekend fields trips and lectures. No unexcused absences are allowed. However, LFU students who have to miss a UNO class due to LFU examinations in the first two weeks of our program, can receive one excused absence for this. Any further unexcused absences will result in an academic penalty. Each faculty member determines the penalty for missed classes. Most professors deduct a letter grade for each additional missed class day. For details, please refer to your course syllabi, which will be distributed on the first day of class. The listed ECTS credits are a recommendation by the University of New Orleans Innsbruck Summer School, based on contact hours, anticipated out-of-classroom requirements such as field trips, and projected workload for readings, assignments, and exam preparation. Mail: Center-New-Orleans@uibk.ac.at