Global Advertising & Culture

 

 

Global Advertising & Culture

May 2000

Thomas Gould tgould@ksu.edu
310 McCain Office Hours: M/W 2-3
532-3449 or by appointment

What You Will Learn
Materials to Help You Learn
How You Will Demonstrate What You Have Learned
Class Participation and Attendance
Grades
Class Schedule

What you will learn


This course specifically examines the impact of advertising on culture, both within the U.S., but especially outside this country. The areas dealt with include

  • New Technologies
  • Global capitalism
  • The shift from industrial to service industries
  • The media mergers
  • New "democracies"
  • Transitional democracies
  • Anarchy and capitalism
  • And the impact of colonial capitalism on Africa, China, Russia and East Germany

Lectures will be supplemented by research conducted by the instructor into advertisingÕs impact on Russia (1989-1994), as well as dynamically involving students in using new technologies to explore this rapidly changing topic.

It has no prerequisites.

It also will be fun.

 

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Materials to help you learn

Jihad Vs. McWorld. Benjamin R. Barber. New York: Random House, 1996.

Contrary to popular belief -- at times subscribed to by me -- merely owning a book is not sufficient. Your text book will be an invaluable guide in this course only if you actually read it. This text has been used by classes before you and has been found very useful. Of some note, you will find that your ability to participate in class and fully appreciate the daily discussions will be greatly enhanced if you read the text before class and in an environment conducive to reflection and cognition (Lucky's would be a bad choice of environments for such study).

To this end, it is essential that you read the assigned material before class. It is important that you read everything in the assigned pages, including the examples provided and case studies. The course moves quickly, so let's all move together on this one, okay?

In addition to my wonderful lectures (worth the cost of admission themselves), we will chat, debate, and the sort. To maintain the restaurant quality of these discussion, reading the material will help. After all, I may at times ask you questions about the assigned material, and I will not always rely on volunteers who raise their hand to answer. I will call on you whether you volunteer to answer or not (hey, it's my job; it's what I do).

Second, you should bring your book to class every day because we will frequently discuss cases and other material from the chapters.

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How you will demonstrate what you learn

You will have different ways to demonstrate what you learn in this course.

One, I expect you to do the assigned reading in advance of the specified date. I expect students to take active participation in class discussions, and I will call on individual students to answer questions and discuss material from assigned readings. Make sure you can participate fully in such discussions and demonstrate what you have learned from the reading. I also urge you to come to class with questions and opinions.

Two, you will be able to demonstrate your ability to synthesize the information in the text by leading the class discussion of two of the chapter sections. These will be assigned the first day and you'll be expected to participate starting the second day (see schedule).

Three, you will conduct research, mainly online, of advertising and culture in a country, mostly of your choice, and will be prepared to report to the class during the second week.

Four, you will have a final exam over materials from class discussion and the textbook. The final will be comprehensive and will count also for 50% of your final grade. It will be a combination of multiple choice, short answer and essay. Please bring a blue book to class for this test.

 

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Class attendance and participation

I believe learning is enhanced by active involvement in class discussion and activities. That's why I will ask questions to elicit your opinions and knowledge of the reading material. It is impossible to participate in class without attending class (as proved by Einstein). I would add only that attendance and grades on exams have been found to be highly correlated.

I ask for your cooperation in being seated when class begins.

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Determinants of your course grade

Discussion participation: 20%

Class discussion, leader: 20%

Report on country: 30%

Final exam: 30%


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