COMMUNICATION AND THE INDIVIDUAL

Course Syllabus and Readings


I. Introduction
March 31	Communication, consciousness and the individual
II. Images and systems of mediation
April 2	View film: Blow-Up (first half) Readings: Percy, "The Delta Factor," and Geertz, "The growth of culture and the evolution of mind"
7	View film: Blow-Up (second half) Reading: Eisenstein, "Word and image" and Edgerton, "Florentine interest in Ptolemaic cartography"
9	Montage and narrative Music: Bob Dylan: Alice's Restaurant; Don McLean: American Pie.
III. The communicative bases of human nature
14	The journey to consciousness View film: Truffaut's The Wild Child (first half) Readings: Shattuck, "The forbidden experiment"
16	Mediation and consciousness View film: The Wild Child (second half) Reading: Isbell & McKee, "Society's cradle"
21	Metaphors of development View film: May's Miracle Reading: Bakhurst & Padden, "The Mescheryakov experiment"
23	Language and thought Reading: Whorf, "The relation of habitual thought and behavior to cognition"
28	Scripts Readings: Nelson, "Social cognition in a script framework," Peckham, "The dramatic metaphor"
30	In-class midterm
IV. Communication and freedom: The predicament of the individual
May 5	Knowing others Readings: Greenwald, "The totalitarian ego," and Wells, "Country of the Blind"
7	Memory and power Readings: Schudson, "Ronald Reagan misremembered," and Billig, "Collective memory, ideology and the British Royal Family"
12	Media effects Readings: Orwell, from 1984, and Engelhardt, "The strawberry shortcake strategy"
V. Resources of the individual
14	Ambiguity and re-mediation View film: Being There Reading: Edgerton, "Passing and denial"
19	Laughter View film: Being There (second half)
21	Imagination and transformation
26	Memory
28	Crossing boundaries Reading: Thorne, "Crossing the gender divide"
June 2	Networks and collectives Reading: Becker, "Art worlds and collective activity"
4	Communication and consciousness Conclusion and review

Course Requirements

A midterm, scheduled during class on April 30, worth 40% of your grade. You are responsible for all material assigned up to this date. The exam will be short essay format with questions based on readings, lectures and handouts.
A final examination covering all remaining material after the midterm will be given during the regularly scheduled exam period (check your latest Schedule of Classes). This exam will count for 50% of your course grade. Except under very specific circumstances (see student handbook), no early final exams can be arranged. Please plan accordingly.
Participation in section counts for the remaining 10%. You are responsible for communicating with your TA about this portion of your grade. Attendance in sections is required.

Required Materials

Reading packet. All readings will be made available by University Reader Printing Service. A representative will be located outside class for the first two weeks to take orders for reading packets.
Film viewing. After viewing in class,Blow-up, The Wild Child, May's Miracle and Being There will be placed at the Undergraduate Playback Library. You are responsible for all film material shown in class, as well as reading material. Questions about their content will appear on the exams.

Office Hours

Your TA will have regularly scheduled office hours in addition to teaching your sections. Prior to the midterm and final, some TAs will organize specially scheduled review sessions in preparation for the exam. Watch for announcements.
My office hours are Wednesdays 10-12, and by appointment. You are welcome to contact me by email cpadden@ucsd.edu for questions, comments or discussion. But please do not send grade inquiries by email. Instead, you should arrange to meet with either me or your TA in person.

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