1. Blekinge Institute of Technology
School of DSN, Humanities
COURSE SYLLABUS
Kultur och Mediestudier I
Culture and Media Studies I
7,5 ECTS credit points (7,5 högskolepoäng)
Course code: EN1103
Educational level: Basic level
Course level: A
Field of education: Technology
Subject area: English
Version: 1
Applies from: 2007-07-01
Approved: 2007-02-28
1 Course title and credit points
The course is titled Culture and Media Studies
I/Kultur och Mediestudier I and awards 7,5 ECTS
credits. One credit point (högskolepoäng)
corresponds to one credit point in the European
Credit Transfer System (ECTS).
2 Decision and approval
This course is established by School of
Technoculture, Humanities and Planning
2007-02-28. The course syllabus is approved by
School of Technoculture, Humanities and Planning
and applies from 2007-07-01.
3 Objectives
The objective of the course is to introduce students
to the increasing influence of the visual during the
20th century with examples from film, photography,
advertising and computer games. Students will be
able to recognize how visual culture can be
understood and analyzed from a cultural-theoretical
perspective.
4 Content
In the course the students study a range of cultural
artefacts (ads, photographs, paintings, films,
computer games) for how images produce
information, claim documentary values, and
(re)produce ideologies. Students will be introduced
to concepts and terminology to critically analyze
images and question their representational power
and authority.
Students will generate a list of key critical terms
studied in the course.
5 Aims and learning outcomes
On completion of the course the student will be able
to:
• Identify a range of visual strategies and concepts
used in the 20th century;
• study basic analytical concepts used to critique
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mass media images;
• recognize and explain the basic cultural and
aesthetic ideas that have shaped visual culture of the
period;
6 Generic skills
The following generic skills are trained in the
course:
• Critical reading and writing practices in English
• Reflection about critical analysis and its
application to practice.
• Computer literacy.
7 Learning and teaching
The teaching comprises lectures and seminars. The
course is outlined around seminars and group
discussions based on the readings. The students’
insights from the readings will be further discussed
and concretized in class discussions with the teacher
and in the individual assignments of each student.
The lectures will introduce a theoretically anchored
conceptual basis and give insight into 20th century
visual culture using theories such as semiotics.
Individual assignments will give further
opportunity for reflection and specialization in a
particular focus that the student is particularly
interested in, such as ethnicity or gender issues in
visual mass media.
The teaching language is English.
8 Assessment and grading
Examination of the course
-------------------------------------------------
Code Module Credit Grade
-------------------------------------------------
0710 Exam[1] 7.5 ECTS U/G/VG
-------------------------------------------------
1 Grades are set both according to the Swedish scale
U-VG and the ECTS scale. ECTS grades are as
follows: A= Excellent (Utmärkt), B = Very Good
(Mycket bra), C = Good (Bra), D = Satisfactory
(Tillfredsställande), E = Sufficient (Tillräckligt), FX =

2. Fail, (Otillräckligt), F = Fail (Otillräckligt). The
course assessment comprises a written exam and
continuous assessment of students’ assignments and
class participation. Participation in seminars and
lectures is compulsory. Submission and attendance
policies are posted on the program website.
Students with a passing grade can request a course
diploma.
The course will be graded Fail, Pass or Pass with
Distinction.
On request grades according to ECTS will be given.
9 Course evaluation
The course coordinator is responsible for
systematically gathering feedback from the students
in course evaluations and making sure that the
results of these feed back into the development of
the course.
10 Prerequisites
The special prerequisites for this course, besides
basic eligibility for university studies, are a pass
mark from the following upper secondary school
courses: English B.
11 Field of education and subject area
The course is part of the field of education and is
included in the subject area english.
12 Restrictions regarding degree
The course cannot form part of a degree with
another course, the content of which completely or
partly corresponds with the contents of this course.
13 Course literature and other teaching material
Culture and Media Studies I
The instructor will make a selection from the
following:
Jonathan Bignell, Media Semiotics: An Introduction.
Nicholas Mirzoeff, ed. The Visual Culture Reader.
Marita Sturken and Lisa Cartwright, Practices of
Looking: An Introduction to Visual Culture.
A number of images from films, ads, and computer
games.
Critical essays and other material can be provided as
part of the reading for the course.
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