SOC 3380 War, Media and Society

This course introduces the media as a social institution by examining the relationship between the media and the military during wartime in the United States. We will consider how media shape the way war and the military are perceived by the public, the ways that past wars are remembered in the national imagination, and the ways current and future wars are framed. Students will examine how changes in media technology since WWI have changed war reporting and the process of making news. We will use sociological theories to understand the ways that news media can be used to disseminate information, censor certain viewpoints, and encourage or discourage protest of war. Through content analysis projects, students will investigate the themes and ideas that organize war (e.g. militarism, security, patriotism, nationalism, citizenship, and power).

Prerequisite(s): SOC 1010
Credits: 3.0