Media in the modern era had once existed as various distinct mediums, but due to the mixing of contemporary digital media society, we are said to live in a “post-medium” age. However, such media conditions are peculiar to the present era, and in the past each medium played its own role in visual culture. This class explores the relationship between the images represented by media technology and people in the visual media culture from the 19th century to the 21st century.
This course aims to provide students with an understanding of specific historical contexts of various media that surround us, and acquire an attitude of thinking from historical perspectives about contemporary visual media culture.
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
1) Understand the history of media and explain it to others.
2) Historically grasp the relationship between the technology of media and human beings.
3) Comprehend the contemporary visual culture from a meta-point of view.
Medium, Visual culture, Photograph. Film, Television, Star, Idol, Animation, Personal computer
✔ Specialist skills | Intercultural skills | ✔ Communication skills | Critical thinking skills | ✔ Practical and/or problem-solving skills |
Lectures, presentations (specified range from the textbook), and discussions are combined in each class.
Course schedule | Required learning | |
---|---|---|
Class 1 | Overview of this course and introduction | Understand modern media culture |
Class 2 | Photograph as a technology | Historically understand photography as a medium |
Class 3 | Film as a technology | Historically understand film as a medium |
Class 4 | Televisiom as a technology | Historically understand television as a medium |
Class 5 | Auduo-visual media culture of movie star | Explore the relationship between movie stars and audiences |
Class 6 | Auduo-visual media culture of idol | Explore the relationship between idols and audiences |
Class 7 | Auduo-visual media culture of animation | Understand the mechanism of animation and its culture |
Class 8 | Personal computer as a technology | Consider SNS communication |
Hase, Masato ed. Sociology of Visual-Imagery Media. Tokyo: Yuhikaku. ISBN: 978-4641174245. (Japanese)
Hase, Masato . Cinema and Technological Experience. Tokyo: Seikyusya. ISBN: 978-4787272942. (Japanese)
Kitamura, Kyohhei. Cultural Sociology of Female Stars: Desiring the Madonna and Vamp in Postwar Japan. Tokyo: Sakuhinsya. ISBN: 978-4861826511 (Japanese)
Nishi, Kenji. Idol Culture through the Prism of Media Theory. Tokyo: University of Tokyo Press. ISBN: 978-4130530248 (Japanese)
Doi, Nobuaki. The Book Understanding Animations of the 21st Century. Tokyo: Filmartsha. ISBN: 978-4845916443(Japanese)
Student's course scores are based on participation (20%) , class assignments (40%) and final report (40%).
No prerequisites.
kitamura.k.af[at]m.titech.ac.jp
No classes will be given on April 10 (Wed) because of the orientation sessions for incoming first-year students. Second year and above graduate students do not need to attend these orientation sessions.
Date of the first class is April 17 (Wed).