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Welcome
to the unit, which will be running for the last time in the current
program. Assoc Prof Virginia Nightingale set this unit up over 10 years
ago as part of the Media Study and Policy elective stream. You will be
the last students to have the good fortune to undertake this unit and
thus be influenced by Virginia, who started at UWS in 1987 and is now
situated at Sydney Uni.
Major Essay is due in Week 8 in class:Select
ONE of the following questions and, write an essay of no fewer than
2500 words and no more than 3000 words. Value is 40%..
Question
1: Henry Jenkins claims that fans are the pioneers of cyber
culture. Explain what Jenkins means by this (referring to his articles
and books) and his reasons for making such a claim. Basing your
argument on additional (published) research about fans and fan
communities, explain why you agree or disagree with his views.
Question
2: Media ethnography has recently become very popular with media
researchers. Explain its strength and weakness as media audience
research. Discuss types of studies it can best investigate and those it
is less well suited to research.
Question
3: Effects research is currently being redefined. The search for
direct effects is giving way to research that addresses more complex
social effects – like effects of the media on issues of identity. Why
are such changes occurring in audience effects research? Explain recent
developments in effects research and the innovations in research
methods they have encouraged.
Question
4: The most recent research views audiences as sub-cultures or
producers. Discuss the argument for, or against this way of
conceptualising the audience. What are the benefits/disadvantages of
accepting or rejecting this view?
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see vUWS site
CONTACT
Dr. Ray Archee
(r.archee@uws.edu.au)
0413 149-824 mobile
Colin Dawson (c.dawson@uws.edu.au)
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