UCL - Analysis of cultural and mediatic productions

[COMU2605]

[30h] 5 credits

Teacher(s): Sarah Sepulchre

Language: French

Level: Second

Aims
Main themes
Content and teaching methods
Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Aims

This course uses the concepts and the methods of the narratology and sociology of the culture to analyze the cultural and media productions. It is thus interested in the questions of writing of cultural works, taken in a very broad way (cinema, television, alive performing arts, exposures, festivals), in their production as in their reception. It must also make it possible to pose a critical glance on the general theories of the narration, the cultural studies and the communication

Main themes

The course will study the production conditions of cultural production and media and their integration in the sociological field of contemporary culture. It draws on the main theories of the sociology of cultural fields and work on cultural studies. It will then review the major points of entry of cultural production and media (literature, series and soap operas, movies, theater, festivals ...), with particular attention to audio-visual productions. A specific area will be studied more closely each year, from the subject (the return of fantastic, death in art and on the stage ...) and media (TV series, live performances ...)

Content and teaching methods

This course uses the concepts and the methods of narratology and sociology of culture to analyze the cultural and mediatical productions. It is thus interested in the questions of writing of cultural works, taken in a very broad way (cinema, television, alive performing arts, exposures, festivals), in their production as in their reception. It must also allows to develop a critical thought on the general theories of the narration, the cultural studies and the communication.
The course will study the production conditions of cultural production and media and their integration in the sociological field of contemporary culture. It draws on the main theories of the sociology of cultural fields and work on cultural studies. It will then review the major points of entry of cultural production and media (literature, series and soap operas, movies, theater, festivals ...), with particular attention to audio-visual productions.
A specific area will be studied more closely each year, it could be a specific topic (body, monstruosity) and media (TV series, live performances ...) or a mediatical format (televisual fiction, performing art). The topic will be chosen according to actuality (production in fashion, problematic artistic work, new topics in media). Topics that allows an observation of various cultural practices, various medium, various ages, but that can allows also a link between fiction and reality, will be favorised.
The course includes 15 hours of lectures, and 15 hours of seminars led by assistants. Students will be strongly implicated as the beginning. Il will begin with theoretical expositions. The following sessions will be centred on precise case studies lead by the professor and the students (with the help of the assistants).

Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Assessment methods
Evaluation will concentrate both on a command of the theoretical elements taught, and on the analyses carried out by each group. Normal work will be mandatory throughout the semester, and for the final evaluation.
Course materials
Some articles of reference will be given to students. According to the annual topic, il will assemble texts from various fields of communication and a bibliographical list.
Students will be invited to consult regularly icampus where we will publish some pedagogical documents (summary, slides, texts).