Academic Calendar

Media and Communication Studies


English language proficiency requirements

Students registering in post-secondary level courses (numbered 100 to 499) will be required to meet the English language entrance proficiency requirements. Students in ELS or the University Foundations programs can register in those courses identified in the University Foundations program with lower levels of language proficiency.


Please note that not all courses are offered every semester.

MACS 110

3 credits

Introduction to Communication Studies

Prerequisite(s): None.

Corequisite(s): None.

Pre- or corequisite(s): None.

An exploration of foundational theories in media and communication studies on such topics as propaganda, debates over high and mass culture, violence in the media, and audience uses of the media.

MACS 130

3 credits

Introduction to Digital Media and Communications

Prerequisite(s): None.

Corequisite(s): None.

Pre- or corequisite(s): None.

Students examine digital media and communications in all its forms, and the political, social, cultural, economic, legal, and geographic factors that shape them.

MACS 201

3 credits

Popular Music and Society

Prerequisite(s): None.

Corequisite(s): None.

Pre- or corequisite(s): None.

Popular music is everywhere in our day-to-day lives, yet we seldom consider how it was made, what it means, and how it affects us. In this course, we’ll draw on different scholars’ ideas to reflect on the diverse social contexts in which people create and listen to popular music.

Note: This course is offered as MACS 201 and MUSC 201. Students may take only one of these for credit.

MACS 203

3 credits

Literature and Film

Prerequisite(s): Any two 100-level English courses numbered ENGL 105 or higher), or (B or better in any 100-level ENGL class numbered ENGL 105 or higher), or (one 100-level English course numbered ENGL 105 or higher and one of [MACS 110 or MAC 130]).

Corequisite(s): None.

Pre- or corequisite(s): None.

Students will study literature in relation to film. Mutually illuminating analytical approaches to literature and film, and related vocabulary, will be explored, along with thematic and historical-contextual considerations.

Note: This course is offered as ENGL 203 and MACS 203. Students may take only one of these for credit.
Note: This course will be offered under different letter designations (e.g. C-Z) representing different topics. This course may be repeated for credit provided the letter designation differs.


MACS 206

3 credits

Politics of Art Latin America

Prerequisite(s): None.

Corequisite(s): None.

Pre- or corequisite(s): None.

In this course, we examine Latin American artistic culture from the perspectives of the social sciences. Focuses may include art, architecture, literature, film, music, dance, folk art, and popular culture. The intent will be to relate these to the social context in which they are located. In particular, we will be interested in the ways in which artistic expression helps to legitimize or to challenge particular social orders.

Note: This course is offered as LAS 206, ANTH 206, MACS 206, and SOC 206. Students may take only one of these for credit.

MACS 210

3 credits

History of Communication

Prerequisite(s): None.

Corequisite(s): None.

Pre- or corequisite(s): None.

This course focuses on the historical development of systems of communication, from ancient pictographs and oral traditions to the social networks of today. Focusing primarily on Western civilization, the course assesses how and why these systems arose, how their adoption affected existing technologies, and what their myriad social effects were. It shows that today’s optimistic and pessimistic assessments of new communication technologies have numerous precedents.

MACS 212

3 credits

Introduction to Media and Public Relations

Prerequisite(s): One of the following: CMNS 125, CMNS 145, CMNS 175, or ENGL 105.

Corequisite(s): None.

Pre- or corequisite(s): None.

Students tailor messages to a specific target audience in today’s complex media environment, through analysis, creativity, and development of skills. This course examines the public relations history, environment, and process, as well as the increasingly diverse publics, channels, and tools used in the field.

Note: This course is offered as CMNS 212 and MACS 212. Students may take only one of these for credit.

MACS 215

3 credits

Advertising as Social Communication

Prerequisite(s): None. MACS 110 or 130 recommended

Corequisite(s): None.

Pre- or corequisite(s): None.

This course provides an interdisciplinary examination of the significance of advertising as a social message system in our consumer culture. The course presents a way of assessing the role that advertising plays in defining how we see ourselves, one another, and the world at large. It includes a brief history of advertising, but the emphasis is on current functions and styles of the global advertising business.

MACS 221

3 credits

Media and Popular Cultures

Prerequisite(s): None.

Corequisite(s): None.

Pre- or corequisite(s): None.

This course provides an introduction to the field of cultural studies, particularly as it relates to contemporary popular culture. Writers in cultural studies take a critical look at the mass media and their audiences. How do media and audiences affect each other, and how does this relationship make for a better or a worse society?

MACS 230

3 credits

Cultural Industries in Canada

Prerequisite(s): None. MACS 110 or MACS 130 recommended

Corequisite(s): None.

Pre- or corequisite(s): None.

Conglomerates produce and distribute most of the information and entertainment that we encounter in our day-to-day lives. Much of this mass culture is American in origin. Nevertheless, through public and private initiatives, Canadians over the decades have managed to create a space for their own industries. MACS 230 explores this situation by focusing on specific cultural industries in Canada – how they came about, how they are organized, and where they are going – and their impact on Canadian audiences.

MACS 235

3 credits

Introduction to Journalism in Canada

Prerequisite(s): None.

Corequisite(s): None.

Pre- or corequisite(s): None.

Journalists inform us about events and issues from around the world. But what factors determine their choice of stories to cover and the perspectives that they bring to these stories? This course takes a critical look at the role of the journalist in Canadian society.

Note: This course is offered as JRNL 235 and MACS 235. Students may take only one of these for credit.

MACS 240

3 credits

Media, Money, and Power

Prerequisite(s): None. MACS 110 or 130 recommended.

Corequisite(s): None.

Pre- or corequisite(s): None.

Ideally, the media in a democratic society should play a watchdog role, keeping an eye on government and business to ensure that no abuses of power occur. In reality, media practitioners face numerous challenges in informing citizens about the actions of the rich and powerful. This course provides an introduction to the political economy of communication, a critical approach that focuses on the media’s ability to report on the power elite.

MACS 255

3 credits

Introduction to Social Research

Prerequisite(s): One of ANTH 102, SOC 101, or MACS 110

Corequisite(s): None.

Pre- or corequisite(s): None.

This course provides a critical introduction to sociological and social anthropological research techniques, data analysis, and questions of methodology. Among the topics considered will be the research cycle, research design, developing and measuring concepts, sampling, methods of data collection, and elementary data analysis. Considerable importance will be given to an exploration of interpretive frameworks that guide research projects, as well as questions of ethical research.

Note: This course is offered as SOC 255, ANTH 255, and MACS 255. Students may take only one of these for credit.


MACS 270

3 credits

Dynamics of Racism in Canada

Prerequisite(s): One of SOC 101, ANTH 102, MACS 130, or LAS 200

Corequisite(s): None.

Pre- or corequisite(s): None.

This course is a critical introduction to the area of race and ethnic relations within the Canadian context. In particular racism, inequality, and the social construction of racial and ethnic categories and identities will be examined. The student will develop an awareness of competing conceptual definitions and theoretical interpretations of racism, examine controversies about the extent and meaning of racism in Canada, and investigate how the process of racialization occurs within institutions such as education, the media, and the criminal justice system. Course material will draw upon a variety of historical and contemporary sources, cases, and examples, particularly those relevant to the Fraser Valley.

Note: This course is offered as SOC 270, ANTH 270, and MACS 270. Students may take only one of these for credit.


MACS 299

3 credits

Special Topics in Media and Communications Studies I

Prerequisite(s): None. MACS 110 or MACS 130 recommended.

Corequisite(s): None.

Pre- or corequisite(s): None.

This course involves an examination of a selected topic in media and communication studies that is not addressed in current course offerings. Topics covered will vary from semester to semester.

Note: The special topic is denoted with a letter designation (e.g. MACS 299C). Students may receive credit for MACS 299 more than once as long as the letter designation differs.

MACS 334

4 credits

Cultural Policy in Canada

Prerequisite(s): 45 university-level credits, including three credits of AH, MACS, or SOC.

Corequisite(s): None.

Pre- or corequisite(s): None.

Examines the essential role played by the federal government in shaping and supporting culture in Canada. Explores Ottawa’s involvement in such areas as radio and television broadcasting, Indigenous media, the fine and performing arts, and multiculturalism.

Note: This course is offered as MACS 334 and SOC 334. Students may take only one of these for credit.

MACS 337

4 credits

Taste and Culture

Prerequisite(s): 45 credits, to include at least six credits of sociology and/or MACS.

Corequisite(s): None.

Pre- or corequisite(s): None.

This course is an interdisciplinary examination of the concept of taste. Why do we value certain cultural artifacts while we denigrate others? How do our choices reflect who we are? What is “bad taste”? What role do class and subculture play within these notions of taste? This course will investigate theories of aesthetics, identity, subcultures, and taste in such areas as art, film, music, photography, food, and advertising.

Note: This course is offered as MACS 337 and SOC 337. Students may only take one of these for credit. Students with credit for SOC 399D cannot take this course for further credit.

MACS 355

4 credits

Quantitative Research Methods

Prerequisite(s): (One of STAT 104, STAT 106, or PSYC 110) and (ANTH 255/MACS 255/SOC 255).

Corequisite(s): None.

Pre- or corequisite(s): None.

This course is an examination of measurement issues within sociological and anthropological research, focusing on the logical and conceptual construction and interpretation of tables, and an examination of the uses and abuses of statistics. Students will blend classroom knowledge of statistics with real life analysis of sociological data (including the use of computer software) to develop practical research skills. The course focuses on the application, rather than the mathematics, of statistics.

Note: This course is offered as SOC 355, ANTH 355, and MACS 355. Students may take only one of these for credit.

MACS 356

4 credits

Qualitative Research Methods

Prerequisite(s): 45 credits, to include ANTH 255/MACS 255/SOC 255

Corequisite(s): None.

Pre- or corequisite(s): None.

This course examines methods used in the collection and analysis of sociological data including interviews, participant observations, ethnographic research, archival research, feminist and critical methodologies, and research ethics.

Note: This course is offered as SOC 356, ANTH 356, and MACS 356. Students may take only one of these for credit.

MACS 369

4 credits

Media Law and Ethics

Prerequisite(s): 45 university-level credits, including three credits of CMNS, JRNL, or MACS.

Corequisite(s): None.

Pre- or corequisite(s): None.

Knowledge of moral and legal issues can assist media professionals in their everyday activities. Indeed, ethical values like fairness, respect, and truthfulness can guide them in their decision-making. Moreover, familiarity with the law as it applies to copyright, defamation, and other areas can help them assess the limits of what they can do.

Note: This course is offered as JRNL 369 and MACS 369. Students may take only one of these for credit.

MACS 375

4 credits

Indian Mediascapes

Prerequisite(s): One of ANTH 102, SOC 101 or MACS 110; plus 45 university-level credits including a further six credits of ANTH, SOC, MACS, or INCS. Recommended: ANTH 303 (Peoples and Cultures Of India) and FILM 220.

Corequisite(s): None.

Pre- or corequisite(s): None.

In this course, students will critique how Indian society and socio-cultural issues are represented in South Asian media through their comparison with the ethnographic record. Taking an anthropology of media approach, the complexities of belonging to a diversity of regional South Asian communities are examined in both ethnographic and media interpretations. In particular, the course will consider religious, ethnic, caste, class, and gender communities, the influence of postcoloniality, and processes of modernity and diaspora.
Note: This course is offered as ANTH 375 and MACS 375. Students may take only one of these for credit.

MACS 385

4 credits

Television and Social Values: The Simpsons

Prerequisite(s): 45 credits, to include at least six credits of SOC and/or MACS

Corequisite(s): None.

Pre- or corequisite(s): None.

In well over four hundred episodes, The Simpsons TV series has explored innumerable aspects of contemporary North American life, always with humour and often with profound insight. This course uses both the series and scholarly writings based on it to explore a diversity of social and cultural issues, focusing on such areas as education, family, the media, religion and work.
This course is offered as SOC 385 and MACS 385. Students may take only one of these for credit.

MACS 399

4 credits

Special Topics in Media and Communication Studies II

Prerequisite(s): 45 university-level credits, including at least three credits in MACS.

Corequisite(s): None.

Pre- or corequisite(s): None.

This course involves an examination of a selected topic in media and communication studies that is not addressed in current course offerings. Topics covered will vary from semester to semester.

Note: The special topic is denoted with a letter designation (e.g. MACS 399C). Students may take MACS 399 as many times as they wish, but will not receive credit for the same letter designation more than once.

 

MACS 460

4 credits

Issues in the Information Society

Prerequisite(s): 45 credits, to include at least 9 credits of Sociology and/or MACS.

Corequisite(s): None.

Pre- or corequisite(s): None.

This course explores the social, political, and cultural dimensions of information technology and what has come to be known as the “information society”. Students will examine technology in relationship to a variety of social issues such as the changing nature of: work, individual identity formation, social roles, democracy, privacy, and community.

Note: This course is offered as MACS 460 and SOC 460. Students may take only one of these for credit.

MACS 480

3 credits

Crisis Communications

Prerequisite(s): 60 university-level credits, including six credits of lower-level and three credits of upper-level MACs and/or CMNS.

Corequisite(s): None.

Pre- or corequisite(s): None.

Canadian and international examples are used to explore how to (and how not to) deal with crises and serious challenges to public safety. To do so, this course draws on both theoretical and practical approaches to communicating strategically with diverse audiences in crises.

Note: This course is offered as CMNS 480 and MACS 480. Students may take only one of these for credit.

MACS 490

4 credits

Directed Studies in Media and Communications Studies

Prerequisite(s): 45 university-level credits, to include six credits of MACS, and written permission of the instructor and department head.

Corequisite(s): None.

Pre- or corequisite(s): None.

This course is designed for upper-level students who wish to examine in greater depth a particular problem/issue in Media and Communication Studies.

MACS 492

2 credits

Directed Studies in Social, Cultural, and Media Studies

Prerequisite(s): 45 credits, to include 6 credits of area of specialization (ANTH, SOC, LAS, MACS). Permission to enter requires written consent of both the faculty member supervising the student and the department head.

Corequisite(s): None.

Pre- or corequisite(s): None.

This course is designed for upper-level students who wish to examine in greater depth a particular problem/issue in Anthropology, Sociology, Latin American Studies, or Media and Communication Studies.

Note: This course is offered as SOC 492, ANTH 492, LAS 492, and MACS 492. Students may take only one of these for credit.

Last extracted: May 05, 2023 04:48:05 PM

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