Date:
6/28/2006
Contact: Wendel Sloan at 505.562.2253
Reporter: Marc Schoder
PORTALES—Eastern New Mexico University is offering "Popular Culture," an upper-division communication class, during the second summer session on July 3–28.
Students in Communication 310 will learn how media and popular culture influence each other and society in general, said Anthony B. Schroeder, professor of communication. The course counts toward ENMU's global diversity general educational requirement.
"Popular culture is to us what water is to fish," Schroeder said. He said students will discuss all forms of popular culture as influenced by the media, including magazines, TV programs, movies, video games, art and fashion.
"In this course, we will take a step back and consciously observe the objects in our society and ask why we idolize the things we do. Analysis will focus on what the images are, how they influence us and the positive or negative influence on society and youth in particular."
The class will also explore how communication technologies have shaped popular culture.
"The media has played a major role in the development of culture, from Gutenberg's printing press, the telegraph, Marconi's wireless, radio, television, the Internet and cellular telephones," Schroeder said. "Each step in the process has resulted in making more information available, faster, and with enhanced images."
He added that in the "global village" scholar and media critic Marshall McLuhan described, media technology makes a larger audience aware of issues that affect members' lives.
For more information, call Schroeder at 505.562.2114.