Assignment 2: Short Answer Questions
Due: After Unit 6
Length: 150–500 words
Weight: 20% of final grade (10 questions × 2 marks each)
Instructions:
Answer all ten of the following questions, and follow the submission instructions below:
1. Using Frankfurt School critical theory, describe ways that cultural industries limit discourse.
2. Identify at least three reasons why Carah and Louw argue that there has been little structural change in the shift from analogue to digital media.
3. Shade and Lithgow argue that there are problematically high concentrations of media ownership in Canada. Why do they say this is important? Identify three concerns they suggest concentration of ownership presents in a democratic context.
4. One of the aspects of “public interest” addressed in media reform is national identity. Shade and Lithgow identify a number of problems with and criticisms of national identity. What are they? Do you agree? Defend your answer.
5. Shade and Lithgow argue for the importance of cultural citizenship. What is this, and why is it important?
6. Identify and briefly describe three problems that Murdock suggests are created by new media technologies.
7. What is the “digital commons,” and why does Murdock say it is important?
8. What does Raboy mean when he describes Canada’s broadcasting system as a “hybrid” system?
9. Raboy argues that public broadcasting has been defined by three dominant tensions that still shape it today. Identify and briefly describe each.
10. Shade identifies four challenges for media reform in Canada looking to the future. Identify and briefly describe each.
Assignment 3: Short Answer and Essay Questions
Due: After Unit 9
Length: —Short Answer Questions: 150–500 words
—Short Essay Question: 1500–2000 words
Weight: 20% of final grade (6 questions × 2 marks each for short answer; 1 question × 8 marks for short essay)
Instructions for short answer questions:
Answer all six of the following questions, and follow the submission instructions below:
1. Kozolanka et al. argue that the Canadian context in which alternative media emerge is uniquely defined by five characteristics. Identify them, and briefly describe each.
2. Kozolanka et al. argue that alternative media are defined by three key characteristics: structure, participation, and activism. Define each of these characteristics in terms of their significance to alternative media in Canada.
3. Bredin identifies at least three key characteristics that distinguish Aboriginal media from other media. Identify and describe each.
4. Bredin argues that Aboriginal media in Canada emerged in a neocolonial context. What does this mean, and why is this important?
5. What does Karim argue is one of the major reasons for the existence of ethnic media?
6. Using Karim’s article as a guide, what is the significance of civic pluralism, third space, and public sphericules in relation to ethnic media?
Instructions for short essay question:
Answer the following question, and follow the submission instructions below:
o Contrast and compare alternative media, ethnic media, and Aboriginal media. Support your claims with references from the readings.
Assignment 4: Short Answer Questions
Due: After Unit 11
Length: 150–500 words
Weight: 20% of final grade (10 questions × 2 marks each)
Instructions:
Answer all ten of the following questions, and follow the submission instructions below:
1. What are the three main elements of a network? Briefly describe each.
2. Briefly describe what Barney means by post-industrialism.
3. Briefly describe what Barney means by information society.
4. Barney describes the state’s role in a post-Fordist society as both withdrawing from society and as interventionist. What does he mean by this?
5. Briefly describe what Barney means by postmodernism.
6. What are the two fundamental characteristics of a network society?
7. Manuel Castells (see Barney’s article “Chapter 1, Network Societies”) identifies five attributes of network societies. What are they?
8. According to Papacharissi, what are the differences between (i) audiences and publics? (ii) citizens and consumers? (iii) consumers and producers?
9. What does Papacharissi mean by convergence of practices? Be thorough in your answer.
10. How do Nafus and Sherman defend their argument that Quantitative Selfers offer a form of resistance to power relations established by big data? Identify at least five possible arguments.
Assignment 5: Short Essay Questions
Due: After Unit 12
Length: 1500–2000 words total
Weight: 20% of final grade (2 questions × 10 marks each)
Instructions:
Answer any two of the following essay questions (Remember to reference relevant readings in your answers, and use of quotations is encouraged. Also, please note that words in quotations are not included in the word count):
1. Briefly describe mass consumerism and mass democracy, and their significance in the context of public service broadcasting. In what ways did mass consumerism support mass democracy? What kinds of democratic issues were not addressed by mass consumerism?
2. Has the internet changed society? Or does society use the internet to make changes? Defend your answer.
0 comments