Media and Culture Curriculum

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Media and Culture Major

Media and culture studies is a broad inter-disciplinary field of inquiry.

The program at Randolph College draws upon several critical traditions in the field: rhetoric, cultural studies, political economy, and film and media criticism.

Courses help students to develop their communication skills, become thoughtful critics and practitioners of media, and acquire an understanding of the domestic and global political economic and cultural context within which contemporary media operate.

Majors and minors in media and culture studies explore and learn to apply theoretical concepts, design and carry out independent research, and gain practical experience through internships.

A major in media and culture studies prepares students for graduate study and/or careers in a wide range of fields including, but not limited to, multimedia journalism, digital filmmaking, broadcasting, public relations, publishing, law, information science, and teaching.

Degree Requirements

Course Catalog

Film Studies Minor

Throughout the history of America, the movies have acted as a powerful social, political, and economic force. In the film studies minor, students have an opportunity to examine the cinema’s role in our culture and its development as both an art and a technology.

The film studies minor is housed in the media and culture department, but it is interdisciplinary, drawing upon film studies and filmmaking courses as well as courses from other departments.

In addition to regular courses in American Movies, World Cinema and Documentary History and Theory, other special topics courses are scheduled on a frequent basis. Outside of the media and culture department, courses are offered such as Faith and Film, Chinese Culture through Film, French Film, and Cinema and Masculinity.

All of these courses encourage students to become more informed viewers and consumers of visual culture through close textual analysis and critical thinking.

The film studies minor is firmly rooted in a liberal arts education, drawing upon multiple disciplines and helping students make connections between them. It augments any major at the college, as it encourages students to take an active role in understanding one of our society’s foremost means of communication.

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Course Offerings

Below is a list of available courses offered by the Media and Culture department. Consult the Registrar’s Office and the College Catalog for registration information.

Media and Culture Courses

MAC 1101 - Media, Culture, And Power

This course investigates the way that individuals and communities use various forms of media to negotiate identity. It explores representations of race, class, gender and sexuality, paying specific attention to the workings of power in the media industry. Students examine such media as film, television, music, advertisements, and public discourse and gain experience with different kinds of writing about media. Credit hours: 4 (CI,HE,WI)

MAC 1107 - Chinese Food Culture

What and how we choose to eat are shaped by our social and cultural environment. How do Chinese people eat differently compared with people from other cultures? How do food and eating relate to individual, health, and national identity? This course explores the history and modern representations of Chinese food, and helps students think critically about contemporary cultural productions. Credit hours: 4. (CI, HE)

MAC 1108 - Love And Romance In Chinese Pop Culture

Romantic love is an eternal theme that appears in almost every pop cultural product. This course explores the Chinese take on romantic love. An in-depth study of Chinese love stories in movies, animation, pop songs, and novels provides a basis to explore how the idea of love and passion has developed in history and how it constructs gender norms and cultural identity. Credit hours: 4.

MAC 1111 - Digital Photography

An introduction to the aesthetics and techniques of digital photography. This art course will teach photography as an expressive medium with reference to photography in art historically. Techniques include depth of field, lens choice, aperture settings, exposure, and use of software. Students will develop their creative vision, conceptualization skills, and technical proficiency. Identical with ARTS 1111. Credit hours: 4. (AE)

MAC 1173 - Mac One Time Only

Credit hours: 4. One time only.

MAC 1175 - Practical Reasoning

An introduction to the practice of reasoning and problem-solving. Emphasis on the analysis of arguments of the sort encountered in everyday discourse and in textbooks and lectures; on the clear and persuasive presentation of arguments, reports, and papers; and on the refinement of ordinary critical instinct. Identical with CPHL 1175. Credit hours: 4. (HE)

MAC 1183 - Classical Rhetoric And Persuasive Power

We have inherited from ancient orators an understanding of the power of words to persuade and ideas about what makes a good speech appeal to an audience. Students will analyze speeches, delve into ancient rhetorical thinking, and apply its arts to speeches of their own. Students will read and write in English. Identical with CLAS 1183. Credit hours: 4. (AE)

MAC 1185 - Mac One Time Only

Credit hours: 4. One time only.

MAC 1186 - Mac One Time Only

Credit hours: 4. One time only.

MAC 1187 - Mac One Time Only

Credit hours: 4. One time only.

MAC 2204 - Media Technologies And Culture

The study of the relationship between culture and communication technologies, including oral communication, visual symbols, print, film, radio, television, cassettes, and digital media. Examination of how media industries, governments, militaries, religious movements, audiences, and communities employ communication technologies in power struggles, ideological conflicts, and cultural clashes in various global contexts. Reflection upon philosophical conceptions of sensory perception and media consumption experiences. Credit hours: 4. Prerequisite: MAC 1101 and sophomore standing or permission of instructor. (CI, HE, SS, WI)

MAC 2205 - Media, Culture, And Sport

An introduction to the cultural history of the United States through the lens of sport. Topics will include immigration and assimilation; the creation and maintenance of ethnic, racial, and national identities; class and leisure; industrialization and incorporation; civil rights; and women’s rights. Identical with SOC 2205. Credit hours: 4. (CI, SS)

MAC 2211 - Digital Photography

MAC 2220 - Media And Masculinities

This course will examine the representation of men and masculinities in a variety of media from early print to magazines, radio, television, film and virtual media. Topics will include advertising, marginalized masculinities, sports, violence, and male sexualities. Credit hours: 4.

MAC 2231 - America At The Margins

An examination of the social construction of difference in late 20th and early 21st century America. This course focuses on social groups and communities that live on the physical and metaphorical borders of American culture such as addicts, queers, criminals, and illegal immigrants. Particular attention will be given to the ways in which their presence shapes contemporary ideological discourse. Credit hours: 4. Prerequisite: sophomore standing or permission of instructor. (CI)

MAC 2250 - New Media And Identity

This course examines new media and its intersection with identity, community and activism. Students will examine such issues as new media and democracy, new media and entertainment communities, the ramifications of algorithms for individual privacy, new media and health, and the concentration of the media industry. Credit hours: 4. Prerequisites: MAC 1101.

MAC 2277 - American Movies

An overview of the history and aesthetics of American films made both in Hollywood and independently. It examines the stylistic and narrative techniques utilized by filmmakers, the political economy of the film industry, and cinema’s role in the global market. Students will explore various types of writing about film and develop their critical analysis and writing skills. Identical with ARTH 2277. Credit hours: 4. Prerequisite: sophomore standing or permission of instructor. (AE, HE, WI)

MAC 2279 - Introduction To Digital Filmmaking

This course is a basic introduction to filmmaking in the digital format; no previous filmmaking experience is necessary. It will familiarize students with the components of the digital video camera, the process of creating a moving image from single digital images, and the basics of non-linear digital editing. Credit hours: 4. Prerequisite: ARTS/MAC 1181 or ARTH/MAC 2277 or permission of instructor. (AE)

MAC 2285 - Mac One Time Only

One time only.

MAC 2286 - One Time Only - Digital Communities

One time only. Spring 2025, Session 4: This course examines how communities function in the digital realm, how online communities impact our sense of community and how such changes affect our social, political and economic lives. The course will engage with topics that are relevant to online communities today, including race, gender, health, activism, bias, misinformation, and ethics. Students will explore questions relating to digital technology, social change and the social and cultural aspects of digital media. Credit hours: 4. (SS)

MAC 3310 - Contemporary Issues In Media And Culture I

Students gain practice with several methods of researching media, both qualitative and quantitative, with attention to texts, audiences and industry. Case studies from contemporary media will be analyzed using the various research methods. Students have the opportunity to develop skills in written, oral and visual communication. Credit hours: 4. Prerequisite: MAC 1101 or permission of instructor.

MAC 3311 - Contemporary Issues In Media And Culture Ii

The study of key theories in media and cultural studies, including rhetorical theory, ideology, genre, semiotics, feminism, post-colonialism and queer theory. We will apply these theories as a way to understand contemporary issues in media and students’ media use. Students have the opportunity to develop skills in written, oral and visual communication. Credit hours: 4. Prerequisite: MAC 1101 or permission of instructor.

MAC 3330 - Feminist Rhetorical Theories

This course provides an introduction to feminist theories of rhetoric. We will explore the work of scholars from diverse backgrounds, including Indigenous, Latinx, and Black women scholars, also highlighting the intersections of gender with race, class, sexuality and nationhood. We will examine theories of social change from a communication perspective, focusing on the nature and function of symbols used in the change process. Credit hours: 4. Prerequisite: MAC 1101 and 2204, or permission of instructor.

MAC 3342 - Assuming Whiteness

An examination of the creation, representation, and maintenance of “whiteness” as a racial category. It explores the process by which certain groups have moved from racial “other” to “white,” the visual representation of “whiteness,” and the social, cultural, and political ramifications of being white (and non-white) in America. Credit hours: 4. Prerequisite: junior standing or permission of instructor. (CI)

MAC 3344 - Race And Hollywood

This course will provide a history of the representation of racial and ethnic minorities in popular film and its sociocultural implications; an application of sociological perspectives toward understanding popular film; and an examination of minorities as audiences and filmmakers. Identical SOC 3344. Credit hours: 4. (AE, HE)

MAC 3351 - Transmedia Storytelling

This course introduces students to the process of creating and publishing stories across multiple media platforms. Students will gain experience producing short films as well as creating content for social media. Issues such as audience participation, the democratization of media, and how to create and sustain an online identity as a content producer will be put into interactive practice. Credit hours: 4. Prerequisite: MAC 1101 and sophomore standing or permission of instructor. (AE)

MAC 3376 - Advanced Digital Filmmaking

This advanced course in the art of digital filmmaking teaches students how to create and tell visual multimedia stories in the digital age by using video, still images, time- lapse photography, and audio. Students will study new visual storytelling practices and film art using mobile devices and apps to produce narratives for the web, iPads, and smartphones. Identical with ARTS 3376. Taught concurrently with MAC 2279. Credit hours: 4. Prerequisite: ARTS/MAC 2279 or permission of instructor.

MAC 3380 - Global Media And Society

This course explores media texts and movements around the world. Topics include cultural imperialism, global cultural pluralism, localization, hybridity, modernity, and cultural identity. Examination of the cultural politics of media representations and asymmetrical circulation from Western nations (Global North) to non-Western nations (Global South) as well as contra-flows and diasporic media. Identical with ARTH 3380. Credit hours: 4. Prerequisite: MAC 1101 or permission of instructor. (HE, CI)

MAC 3382 - Studies In Film

The topic of this course will vary from year to year. Students may examine specific genres, directors, national cinemas, or film theories. Identical with ARTH 3382. Credit hours: 4. Prerequisite: MAC/ARTH 2277 or permission of instructor. May be repeated for credit when topic differs. (AE)

MAC 3382 - Film Noir

This course will give students a sense of the distinctive development of crime fiction and film in the US and trace that development from its classic period in the 1930s and 40s to the present. Students will also learn how popular crime fiction and film has provided a means for articulating anxieties about mainstream ideology in American culture. Credit hours: 4.

MAC 3384 - Documentary History And Theory

This course is an introduction to the history, theory, and aesthetics of documentary film. It traces several major historical movements in the development of documentary from Russia and Great Britain to Canada and the United States. Students will explore questions of ethics in documentary production, the development of various formal techniques, and a number of theoretical approaches to analyzing documentaries. Identical with ARTH 3384. Credit hours: 4. Prerequisite: MAC/ARTH 2277 or permission of instructor. (AE, CI, HE)

MAC 3386 - One Time Only: Visual Sociology

One time only. Spring 2025, Session 4: Students will use Visual Sociology as a method to study Social Movements. Visual sociology studies the visual images produced as part of culture and how those reflect the norms of any given culture or social world. Students will choose a social movement and analyze the visual cultural artifacts used by that movement to communicate their messages. This includes photos, videos, paintings, and any other form of media or art. Credit hours: 4.

MAC 3387 - Mac One Time Only

Credit hours: 4. One time only.

MAC 4493 - Senior Seminar

A critical study of significant works in media and cultural studies and a review of research methods and theory. Students will lay the groundwork for their senior research by formulating a research question and exploring related secondary sources. They will also determine a research method and theoretical framework. The course culminates in a formal research proposal. Credit hours: 4. Prerequisite: MAC 3310 and MAC 3311 or permission of instructor

MAC 4494 - Senior Project

Students work independently with a faculty mentor to complete a project. Students electing the research option will write an original research paper and deliver a public oral presentation. Students who select the creative media project will produce a short film, a website, a multimedia project, or an investigative journalism project and give a public screening/presentation. Credit hours: 4. Prerequisite: MAC 3310 and MAC 3311 or permission of instructor.

Film and Video Courses

FAV 2222 - Video Production I

An introduction to basic video/film/audio production. Students will learn the basics of operating a video camera, how to capture video and audio, and how to edit video and audio to tell a story. The course will also introduce students to the process of storyboarding and production planning. Credit hours: 4.

FAV 2252 - Documentary Research

This course introduces students to the processes of research, planning, interviewing, writing, and gathering of visual elements to tell a compelling story with integrity and responsibility toward the subject. Students will explore issues related to documentary “truth” and the ethics of representation. Pre-requisite: FAV 2222. Credit hours: 4.

FAV 2279 - Writing Plays

In this course, students learn how to structure a scene, how to structure a play, how to create, hold, and release the tension of a dramatic moment through taut and convincing dialogue, how to create characters that an audience will identify with and care about. Through the reading of modern and contemporary plays, both short and full length, students will study the ways that highly accomplished playwrights solve the problems presented by a variety of dramatic situations, and will begin to implement into their own scenes and plays the elements of the craft that they discover. Identical with ENGL 2279. Credit hours: 4.

FAV 3307 - Internship / Practicum

Offers students the opportunity to put their film and video production skills to use in a professional setting. With assistance from the Career Development Center, students may obtain an internship or practicum with a business or non-profit organization such as local television stations or performance academies. Pre-requisites: FAV 2222, and sophomore standing. Pre-requisite or co-requisite: FAV 3322. Credit hours: 1-4.

FAV 3322 - Video Production Ii

This course builds upon the knowledge and skills gained in Video Production I. Pre-requisite: FAV 2222. Credit hours: 4.

FAV 3324 - Cinematography

Introduces students to the art and technique of camera and lighting in the making of a film. It involves technical concerns such as camera, lens, format, and lighting instruments, as well as various methods related to composition and subject modelling in order to tell the story. Pre-requisites: FAV 2222. Pre-requisite or co-requisite: FAV 3322. Credit hours: 4.

FAV 3333 - Editing

This course is intended to introduce and/or strengthen the student’s knowledge in the aesthetics and technical skills of editing for film and video. Students will gain practical skills using Adobe Premiere to craft their own projects of varying lengths and genres. Pre-requisites: FAV 2222. Pre-requisite or co-requisite: FAV 3322. Credit hours: 4.

FAV 3342 - Directing For The Camera

This course investigates the directorial process of translating the written script to the screen. Students analyze, rehearse, shoot, and edit narrative scenes from existing or original screenplays. Students work in crews rotating between the roles of director, camera, and sound. Pre-requisite: FAV 2222. Pre-requisite or co-requisite: FAV 3322. Credit hours: 4.

FAV 4495 - Senior Seminar

In this course, majors will prepare for the production of their senior project, which could include research for a documentary or a development of a screenplay, creation of a production schedule, and any other pre-production work that needs to be accomplished. Credit hours: 4

FAV 4496 - Senior Project

A film or video in the genre of the student’s choice. This is the culminating project of the Film and Video major. Credit hours: 4.

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