Contemporary Culture
Code
711011010
Academic unit
Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas
Department
Ciências da Comunicação
Credits
6
Weekly hours
4
Teaching language
Portuguese
Objectives
The student would be able:
a) To acquire a knowledge of the main trends and controversies in contemporary culture;
b) To understand of the subjects and contemporary issues in the realm of the theoretical discussions and the analytical grids pertaining to cultural studies;
c) To acquire the ability to autonomous learning according to patterns of quality;
d) To acquire the ability to critical reasoning, problematising and questioning empirical facts. This will be done autonomously, from the standpoint of the knowledge and the understanding of the debates in contemporary culture; it will be also done from the standpoint of the application of the analytical tools previously acquired.
f)To develop skills of analysis and synthesis.
Prerequisites
None.
Subject matter
1. Introduction: Culture as a field of study From Ernst Cassirer to Stuart Hall
1.1 The anthropological focus: Nature versus culture
1.2 The sociological focus: Civilization versus culture
2. Culture and technology in Modernity
2.1 Classic concepts of technology: Kapp, Spengler, Heidegger, Benjamin
2.2 Rethinking technology: Leroi-Gourhan, Gilbert Hottois, Gilbert Simondon
2.3 Technological revolution and cultural change: Marshall McLuhan and his followers
2.4 Technology and (re)mediation: From Lev Manovich to Bolter / Grusin
Bibliography
Bolter, Jay David e Grusin, Richard (2002), Remediation. Understanding New Media. Mit Press
Heidegger, Martin (1995), Língua de tradição e língua técnica. Lisboa: Vega
Hottois, Gilbert e Chabot, Pascal orgs. (2003), Les philosophes et la technique. Paris: Vrin
McLuhan, Marshall (1998), Understanding Media. The Extensions of Man. Cambridge: MIT Press
McLuhan, Marshall (1977), La galaxie Gutenberg, 2vols.. Paris: Gallimard
Teaching method
Oral presentation (25%), powerpoint presentation of excerpts from the authors in the bibliography (25%), textual analysis (25%) and analysis of empirical cases (25%).
Evaluation method
The evaluation will consists of a written essay presented at the end of the semester