239939 Television Studies: Theory, Methodology, Practice (S) (SoSe 2012)

Despite the increasing importance and widespread use of Internet and social networks, television watching is still the most popular form of entertainment and news for millions of people. While over-the-air television transmission is quickly disappearing, paid television and new modalities for the delivery of television programs (computers, ipads, ipods, smart phones, and so on) are growing fast. This course will discuss the social, political and cultural relevance of television in contemporary Western societies and will review the evidence about its impact and effects on audience members as well as findings on the readings and appropriations of its contents. Special emphasis will be paid to the analysis of the methodological designs employed by the different theoretical approaches looking at the effects or the social uses and readings of viewers. As a sequel to last semester’s class on quantitative methodology, this seminar will address qualitative methodology such as focus groups and interviews. We will be designing the instrument of a survey study with undergraduate students and processing and analyzing the findings of its empirical work. Thematically, the focus will be on crime, violence and the culture of legality in US AMerican tv series.

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