Introduction to Media Studies
Wed, 14-16
C 5 3, room 4.08


This course introduces students to the study of media with particular emphasis on visual mass mediated forms like film and TV series. Students will be introduced to various aspects of media history, media theory, and media analysis with a special focus on film studies and on representations of gender in media. The seminar will provide students with a tool kit to critically analyze different media productions and investigate how media productions are shaped by current discourses in society while they at the same time add to these discourses. Students will be introduced to foundations of film and TV studies, for example film narrative, cinematique techniques, serial narration, approaches to contextual interpretation, genre analysis as well as analysis of different modes of production for different media channels like cinema, TV or digital platforms. Furthermore, we will explore how media productions are shaped by historical and social contexts on the one hand, while they contribute to and influence discourses in society at the same time.

Readings/materials: A selection of relevant essays and excerpts from books will be made available via moodle. We will discuss how students can access (excerpts from) visual material in the first session.

Course requirements: Completion of reading assignments, a short (oral) presentation, and an essay and/or test at the end of the course. Students are required to watch (excerpts) from movies and TV series in advance of the sessions in which we discuss them. Regular attendance and active participation in seminar discussions is expected.

Anrechenbar für Zertifikat Gender Studies (Aufbaumodul 2: Aktuelle Fragestellungen der Genderforschung)