CHILDREN AND MEDIA

TOPICS AND READINGS

I. THE CHILD IN HISTORY

Sept 26	Introduction to the course and requirements Imagining the child Video viewing: Sesame Street and Barney Reading: Davies, "Babes 'n' the hood"
Sept 29-Oct 1	The priceless child Readings: Zelizer, Pricing thePriceless Child, Introduction and Chapters 1-3 Friedl, "Moonrose watched through a sunny day"
Oct 3-6	Modern families Video viewing: Mister Rogers and PeeWee's Playhouse Readings: Seiter, Sold Separately, Introduction and Chapter 1 Jenkins, "Going bonkers! Children, play and Pee-Wee" Richards, "Room to dance"
II. TRANSITIONS IN CHILDHOOD
Oct 8-10	Television for little boys and girls Video viewing: My LittlePony, Jonny Quest Readings: Seiter, Chapters 5 & 6 Engelhardt, "The Shortcake strategy" Thorne, from Gender Play.
Oct 13-15	Programming for middle childhood Video viewing: Goosebumps Reading: Palmer, "A new look at children and television" & "TV: The child's view"
Oct 17-20	Global youth culture Readings: Zelizer, Chapter 7 Fox, " Is adolescence a phenomenon of modern times?"
Oct 22	Midterm
III. CHILDHOOD INDUSTRIES
Oct 24	Fashioning cultural categories: The animation industry Video viewing: Animaniacs and Toy Story Guest lecture: Tarleton Gillespie
Oct 27	Disney in children's lives Reading: From Disney, 1996 Annual Report
Oct 29-Oct 31	Media intertextuality: Film, video, games &books Reading: Cunningham, "Moral kombat and computer game girls"
Nov 3-5	Advertising to children Reading: Seiter, Chapters 2, 3 & 4
Nov 7-10	Toys and the material life of children Readings: Seiter, Chapter7 Kline, "The play of the market" Mergen, "Made, bought and stolen"
Nov 12-14	Commercial play spaces for children Reading: Seiter,Conclusion Guest lecture: Susan Davis
IV. REGULATING TELEVISION
Nov 17-19	The battle over children's television Reading: FCC, "Policies and rules concerning children's television programming"
Nov 21-26	Violent imagery and child development Video screening: Men in Black and The Legend of Calamity Jane Reading: Murray, "The impact of televised violence"
Nov 28	Holiday
V. THE GLOBAL CHILD
Dec 1-3	Tele-visions from around the world: Video screening: from Sweden, Korea, England, Canada Read-again: Davies, "Babes 'n' the hood"
Dec 5	Summary and review

1. EXAMS. There will be a midterm and a final. The midterm covers material from the beginning of the course (50% of your grade), and the final, all material after (50% of your grade). By "material," I include: my lectures, assigned readings, guest lectures and handouts. The final is scheduled during the regularly scheduled exam period.

2. READINGS. Two books are required, available from the University Bookstore.

Seiter, Ellen Sold Separately

Zelizer, Viviana Pricing the Priceless Child

A packet of xeroxed readings are also required and available from University Reader Printing Service. A representative will be selling packets outside the classroom during the first week of classes. After this initial period, packets can be purchased by calling the service at 540-8789.

3. PLAYBACK LIBRARY. After viewing in class, the videos will be on reserve at the Playback Library.

4. OFFICE HOURS. Regularly scheduled office hours will be Wednesdays from 10-12. You can reach me by email, cpadden@ucsd.edu if you need to schedule a different time. Please do not use email to inquire about your grades, instead inquiries should be directed to either me or the TA in person.

5. TEACHING ASSISTANT. Tarleton Gillespie, the TA for the course, is available to discuss or review course material during his office hours on Mondays 12:30-2 and Thursdays 1:30-3 in Sequoyah 107. Email address is: tgillesp@weber.ucsd.edu.