Convened by Professor Myria Georgiou and Dr Alessandro Castellini

MC418 examines key concepts and critical perspectives on the processes of communication that underpin social, economic and institutional relations across diverse spheres of modern life. It takes an interdisciplinary and theoretical perspective, comparing the claims and contribution of selected key theories of communication in order to understand and critique the symbolic and material power of communication media. With a substantive focus on the shifts from mass to networked media and from national to globalised communication processes, the course is divided into two parts. First, it offers a selective introduction to key theories in communication. Second, it examines a series of critical perspectives, drawing on current research debates in the field of media and communications and beyond. The course is team taught by active researchers in the field of media and communications and aims to enable students to develop their critical understanding of the communication processes central to the contemporary media and communications environment.