Insegnamento a.a. 2026-2027

30469 - CRITICAL APPROACHES TO THE ARTS II - MODULE I (TELEVISION AND CULTURE)

Department of Social and Political Sciences


Course taught in English
Go to class group/s: 31
CLEACC (6 credits - I sem. - OBS  |  L-ART/06)
Course Director:
ANDREA QUARTARONE

Classes: 31 (I sem.)
Instructors:
Class 31: ANDREA QUARTARONE


Suggested background knowledge

The course does not require proficiency in the subject, but a genuine interest in mass media, news, politics and contemporary history is strongly recommended.

Mission & Content Summary

MISSION

Television and democracy Television has always been more than a "window to the world", as it was defined in its early days: it is one of society's most powerful social architects. It shapes the perception of reality, frames political discourse, and defines the boundaries of what citizens consider possible, desirable, legitimate, or unsettling. The recent transformations in the public sphere — in the way information circulates, public debate takes shape, and political narratives are constructed — have made the relationship between television, public opinion, and democracy more complex and more relevant than ever. The course maps this relationship in all its facets. Students will examine the reciprocal influence between the medium and political power, business interests, public institutions; how it affects public consensus; and how it influences civic participation in the democratic process. The analytical lens, applied to the interplay between television and public discourse, with a specific focus on current political, social and historical events, will enable students to understand the strategic role television holds in shaping cultural change and to develop a rigorous, critical, and responsible approach to the medium.

CONTENT SUMMARY

Built on theoretical/critical basis mostly linked to cultural, sociological and political studies, the course is designed around three key conceptual dimensions:

 

·         The medium's nature – historical and social role, communication spectrum, storytelling processes, relation with audiences

·         Television's social impacts – meaning structures, ideological architectures, public agenda, impact on public opinion and popular consent

·         Television and democracy – relations of power, political narratives, electoral processes and institutional legitimacy


Intended Learning Outcomes (ILO)

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

At the end of the course student will be able to...

  • Identify and illustrate the complexity of the television communication spectrum.

  • Define and summarize the historical and contemporary roles of television within society.

  • Examine and explain the relationships between television, audiences, culture, politics and democracy

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

At the end of the course student will be able to...

  • Analyze and understand the ideological and symbolic framework of television.

  • Apply historical and contemporary analytical frameworks to examine the social dimensions of the medium and reflect on its possible future developments

  • Become informed television professionals with a full awareness of the medium’s potential, as well as a deep understanding of the social and civic responsibilities involved in cultural production.


Teaching methods

  • Lectures
  • Guest speaker's talks (in class or in distance)
  • Individual works / Assignments
  • Interaction/Gamification

DETAILS

The teaching style is characterized by a strong, continuous, and meaning-creation-oriented interaction between teacher and students. In addition to this:

  • Guest speakers will provide different (broader, narrower, or lateral) perspectives on the course topics.

  • Case studies will be analyzed and discussed through interactive, organized class activities (e.g., workshops).

  • Individual assignments (for attending students) will give students the opportunity to develop and demonstrate their own critical and analytical skills.


Assessment methods

  Continuous assessment Partial exams General exam
  • Oral individual exam
     x
  • Individual Works/ Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.)
 x    

ATTENDING STUDENTS

  • Individual assignment: a 2-page critical essay—submitted a few weeks before the exam—on one of the topics discussed in class, chosen by the student. The essay aims to evaluate the student’s ability to:

    • Apply historical and contemporary analytical frameworks to examine the social dimensions of the medium and reflect on its possible future developments

    • Analyze and understand the ideological and symbolic framework of television
  • Oral exam about the course topics. The exam is designed to assess the student’s ability to:

    • Identify and illustrate the complexity of the television communication spectrum

    • Define and summarize the historical and contemporary roles of television within society

    • Examine and explain the relationships between television, audiences, politics, culture and democracy


NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

  • A final oral exam focused on two books (more detailed information will be provided in the syllabus). It is designed to evaluate the candidate’s abilities in:
    • Identify and illustrate the complexity of the television communication spectrum
    • Define and summarize the historical and contemporary roles of television within society
    • Examine and explain the relationships between television, audiences, politics, culture and democracy

Teaching materials


ATTENDING STUDENTS

Slides, personal notes and a bibliography will be provided in the syllabus at the beginning of the course.


NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

  • Davis A., Fenton N., Freedman D., Khiabany G. (2026), Media, Democracy and Social Change: Re-imagining Political Communications, 2020, Sage
  • Hodkinson P., Media, culture and society: an introduction (3rd edition), Sage Publications, 2024
Last change 08/05/2026 12:39