Since Antiquity, scholars have appreciated the importance of communication: as social beings, we cannot exist without communication. We need to interact with people around us, to make sense of the world and to position ourselves in a wider social and cultural reality. In this course, we look at how and why communication evolved as a science and reflect on today’s dominant paradigms. The course also extends beyond the boundaries of communication science itself, exploring dimensions of history, sociology and psychology. Join our class, together with people all over the world.
Introduction to Communication Science
Instructor: Rutger de Graaf
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There are 4 modules in this course
In this introduction to the course I will briefly introduce the field of communication science and discuss some basic models that will serve as guidelines to the rest of the course. Also, they explore the historical roots of the science of communication. I will discuss the development of communication theory and the evolution of the media landscape in Antiquity, Medieval and Early Modern times.
What's included
16 videos8 readings2 assignments
The linear effect-oriented approach is discussed and how it developed in the twentieth century. Evolving from a belief in all-powerful effects after World War I to a more nuanced negotiated effects perspective in the sixties.
What's included
16 videos3 readings2 assignments
This covers theoretical approaches that understand communication processes as social and cultural forces, as building blocks of reality, and a binding element of power in society.
What's included
16 videos2 readings1 assignment
What's included
1 video2 readings4 assignments
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