Module Identifier TF23720  
Module Title TELEVISION AND SOCIETY  
Academic Year 2003/2004  
Co-ordinator Professor Thomas P O'Malley  
Semester Semester 2 (Taught over 2 semesters)  
Other staff Mr Jamie Medhurst  
Pre-Requisite TF10420  
Co-Requisite a further 20 credits of film modules  
Course delivery Lecture   20 x 1 hour  
  Seminars / Tutorials   10 x 1 hour  
  Other   Total of 30 viewing hours  
Assessment
Assessment TypeAssessment Length/DetailsProportion
Semester Exam 1 x 2 hour For information on due dates for submission of assessed work, please refer to the departmental web pages at http://www.aber.ac.uk/tfts/duedates.shtml 50%
Semester Assessment 1 x 2500 word essay  50%

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
To have gained a clear understanding of key theoretical approaches to the study of TV.

To have developed an understanding of the relationship between different approaches to the study of Television.

To possess the ability to critically evaluate key texts in the area.

Aims

One of the main aims of the proposal is to fill a gap in the current Film and Television Studies degree scheme structure by providing a compulsory second year module in television studies. It will build on the work introduced in Part I and will equip students with the necessary skills to go on to further study in the Department?s more specialist television modules at Level 3 in the final year. This is being implemented following discussions with, and feedback from, students and discussions at Subject Group level within the Department.

The aims of the module are to investigate the role of television in society and to do this in three strands: textual, historical and social theoretical.

Brief description

This module will develop an in depth understanding of major approaches to the study of television and will allow you to develop the ability to evaluate a range of empirical and theoretical tools for the analysis of television.The content includes in depth analysis of key issues, including, theories of textual analysis, social theory and television and debates in TV history. This includes topics such as TV flow, theories of genre and textual analysis, the development of television at key moments in television history, and questions of the relationship between television and
social theories such as the public sphere, class, national identity, and race.

Reading Lists

Books
** Recommended Background
Corner, John (2000) Critical Ideas in Television Studies OUP
Corner, John (ed.) (1991) Popular Television in Britain: studies in cultural history BFI
Corner, John (1998) Studying Media: problems of theory and metho Edinburgh University Press
Creeber, Glen (ed) (2001) The Television Genre Book BFI
Crisell, Andrew (2002) An Introductory History of British Broadcasting 2nd edition Routledge
Curran, James and Jean Seaton (2003) Power Without Responsibility: the press and broadcasting in Britain (6th edition) Routledge
Ellis, John (2000) Seeing Things: Television in the Ageof Uncertainty I.B. Taurus
Fiske, John (1987) Television Culture Methuen
Geraghty, Christine and David Lusted (eds) (1998) The Television Studies Book Arnold
Goodwin, Peter (1998) Television Under the Tories: broadcasting policy 1979-1997 BFI
Hutchinson, D. (1999) Media Policy: an introduction Blackwells
O'Malley, Tom (1996) Closedown? The BBC and government broadcasting policy since 1945. 2nd edition Blackwell
Tracey, Michael (1998) The Decline and Fall of Public Service Boradcasting OUP
Wayne, Mike (Ed) (1998) Dissident Voices: the politics of television and cultural change Pluto
Williams, Kevin (1998) Get me a murder a day! A history of mass communications in Britain Arnold
Williams, Raymond (1990) Television: technology and cultural form. 2nd edition Routledge

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 5