Page 81 of Boston College 2004-2005 Catalog by Boston College University

ARTS AND SCIENCES The Boston College Catalog 2004-2005 79 Applying these insights to our media environment, we will develop a set of values suitable for media practitioners and media industry that will foster greater good for the media consuming public. These values will be applied critically to actual news and entertainment as it appears in the media of print journalism, advertising, film, and television providing a basis for constructing a set of principles useful for the media consuming public, helping it to become wiser, more critical, and demanding. Kevin Kersten, S.J. CO 442 Intercultural and International Communication (Fall/Spring: 3) Satisfies Cultural Diversity Core Requirement Satisfies one of two writing intensive courses required within the Communication major This course studies communication as it relates to culture, and as it occurs interculturally and internationally. In those contexts, questions and issues will be pursued which reveal processes, effects, methods, and critical norms for evaluating interpersonal, group, and mass communication. Kevin Kersten, S.J. Marilyn Matelski The Department CO 447 Communication Criticism (Fall/Spring: 3) Satisfies one of two writing intensive courses required within the Communication major This course examines a wide range of critical methodologies that can be used to reach a greater understanding of public communication. In addition to speech events, the impact of other communication media such as film, television, advertising, political cartoons, and music will be examined from a critical perspective. A greater understanding of the critical choices available allows us to better evaluate the impact of public communication. Ekaterina Haskins Bonnie Jefferson CO 448 Television Criticism (Fall/Spring: 3) Satisfies one of two writing intensive courses required within the Communication major This course provides students with methods for critically evaluating the cultural and social impact of television. First, students learn some fundamentals of television production and the structure of the media industry. Based on this knowledge, students examine and practice the critical analysis of contemporary television programs. The goal of the course is to make students more informed critics of our television-saturated age. Elfriede Fursich The Department CO 449 Crisis Communication (Fall/Spring: 3) Prerequisite: It is recommended that students have completed CO 240 Public Relations before enrolling in Crisis Communication. Satisfies one of two writing intensive courses required within the Communication major This course is designed to examine events and situations that potentially threaten the viability of an organization. Attention is devoted to developing an effective crisis communication plan, speaking to multiple stakeholders, decision-making under pressure, and resolving rather than litigating organizational problems. Among the studies examined are the Tylenol product tampering incident, the Exxon Valdez accident, the Union Carbide gas leak, the Challenger Space Shuttle disaster, the Three Mile Island accident, and the Pepsi syringe hoax. Donald Fishman CO 451 Gender Roles and Communication (Fall/Spring: 3) Satisfies one of two writing intensive course requirements within the Communication major. This course is both a writing-intensive seminar and a womens studies course. Focus is on the social construction of gender through communication. The early section of the course compares historical and cross-cultural notions of gender. Then, building on these comparisons, students read about, examine, and analyze communication texts, focusing particularly on television programming and advertising. Students are encouraged to develop a sense of themselves as active participants in the social construction of gender rather than as passive consumers and receivers of mass-mediated communication. Lisa Cuklanz CO 458 Radio in Culture and Society (Fall/Spring: 3) Satisfies one of two writing intensive courses required within the Communication major This course will seek to examine and analyze the role of broadcast radio in non-mainstream segments (minority, counterculture, extremist, and alternative-lifestyle clusters) of the population. In the last quarter century, so-called outerculture or fringe groups have asserted their rights to a fair and equal access to the airwaves as a means for mollifying the negative perceptions and stereotypes that have prevented them from fully benefiting from citizenship in the worlds largest democracy. Students will gather research data for an extensive paper designed to probe and evaluate the effects and implications of American Radio Broadcasting. Michael C. Keith CO 465 Health Communication (Fall/Spring: 3) Satisfies one of two writing intensive courses required within the Communication major We will address ways in which research in health communication relates to patients health and well-being or to the health and well-being of society at large, how research in health communication advances our understanding of the process of human communication, and how contemporary societal developments such as managed care impacts research and health care delivery. The class addresses the social construction of health and illness and theoretical perspectives used within the field of health communication in four areas: interpersonal communication, community health, organizational issues, and health messages in the media. Ashley Duggan CO 470 Capstone: Conflict, Decision, and Communication (Fall: 3) Cross Listed with UN 510 Satisfies one of two writing intensive courses required within the Communication major. For Seniors only. This course focuses on inevitable questions underlying undergraduate study as well as critical decision-making throughout our lives. As conflicts result from varying priorities within a society, people make critical decisions about justice, freedom, social responsibility, and spiritual activities. This course underscores communication as a dynamic reflection of our most cherished values and hopes. It invites students to review their education in order to reflect on the lifelong task of integrating their commitments to work, relationships, citizenship, and spiritual development. This Capstone course features the shared viewing of several contemporary films relevant to course topics. Ann Marie Barry CO 478 Producing Documentaries (Fall: 3) This course is advanced for learning and practicing the role of producer in planning, making, and transmitting television/video documentaries. In addition to studying the role of producer, students will develop skills to handle practical requirements of the production process.

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