Aims
- to explore the active processes involved in making sense of what we watch
- on television;
- to explore the diversity of viewing styles;
- to explore various approaches to researching the viewing experience.

Learning Outcomes:

Typically, upon completion of this module, a student will be able to:
- reflect critically upon their own experience of watching television;
- identify some of the processes of interpretation involved in making sense of television programmes;
- identify key functions which television can serve for viewers;
- outline key theories and studies concerning viewers' use and interpretation of TV.

Content:

We explore various aspects of the psychology and sociology of TV viewing. One focus is on gender, covering the on-screen portrayal of gender stereotypes, how we make sense of these, and also gendered differences in the use of television in the home. We also consider how we come to make sense of production and editing conventions. As adults, we tend to be largely unconscious of what we know about TV conventions such as the use of 'cuts', and we will try to make some of this knowledge more explicit. In doing so we will become more aware of our role as active interpreters of TV rather than merely as passive victims of it. There is a particular focus on the process and diversity of viewers' interpretations of television programmes.