General Outline and Key questions

Culture and Media Analysis

In this module you will address questions of representation, exploring how close analysis can contribute to a deeper understanding of the power structures and processes that inform both the production and consumption of media texts. Critical reflection around representations of an emerging globalized world, development and social change is one important way to gain a better understanding of communication for development processes.

Choice of texts for analysis
In this module you are encouraged to consider a broad range of different media texts that are of interest within the field of communication for development. During this module you can analyse representations of Development and/or the Global South presented in a variety of media. Media texts that offer representations of development and/or social change processes within the Global North, would also be an interesting area of investigation for this analysis. For this assignment the choice of possible texts to analyse is wide however we ask that your analysis is narrow in focus and addresses specifically concerns of development and/or social change and how these are articulated through the representational strategies deployed.

You may chose to analyse a text that is an example of strategic communication for development (e.g. edutainment, fundraising, campaigning or advocacy), alternatively you may choose to analyse journalistic representations of development/social change including documentary, reportage or user generated video content. You can also consider fictional representations of development and/or social change within film or television. Another possible area of inquiry are fine and contemporary art works or public art and memorials, in both these cases perhaps also considering the significance of exhibition spaces and the documentation that surrounds these representations.