General Information
| Course Code | S_ME |
|---|---|
| Credits | 6 EC |
| Period | P2 |
| Course Level | 300 |
| Language of Tuition | Dutch / English |
| Faculty | Fac. of Social Sciences and Humanities |
| Course Coordinator | dr. K.E. Balint |
| Examiner | dr. K.E. Balint |
| Teaching Staff |
S.G.E. van den Berg J.K. Kat dr. D.A. Parry dr. G. Ranzini dr. K.E. Balint |
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Part of programme(s)
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Practical Information
You need to register for this course yourself. The (de)registration deadlines can be found on VU.nl
| Teaching Methods | Study Group*, Lecture |
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*You cannot select a group yourself for this teaching method, you will be placed in a group.
Target audiences
This course is also available as:
Course Objective
Upon completion of this course, the student can:
- explain theories regarding media use and effects in the context of media entertainment;
- explain how knowledge is theoretically and methodologically generated within research on media entertainment;
- make scientifically appropriate judgments about long-standing media entertainment issues;
- critique the results of significant empirical studies published in the media entertainment domain;
- apply entertainment media theories to analyse contemporary media examples;
- communicate opinions on media entertainment clearly to diverse audiences.
Course Content
This class will provide an overview of the most important theoretical models and empirical findings in the field of media entertainment research and more recent theorizing on media use from an entertainment perspective. The class will focus on the psychological underpinnings of media entertainment. We will discuss classic topics such as Escapism, Identification, Mood Management, Parasocial Interactions, Fandom, Horror, Humor, Suspense, Eudaimonia, Intrinsic Needs, and Social Media, among others.
Furthermore, we will tap into related and more recently studied questions such as: Why do people seek enjoyment from sad and “negative” media? How do we select media entertainment? Are there any individual differences? What makes a funny sitcom? Who is fascinated by video games and why? How do women and men differ in their preferences for entertaining media content? Is there entertainment value in the news or social media?
Each week, students will read obligatory key articles about several of these topics. The course will consist of lectures that contextualise these articles and provide additional information about each topic. In a parallel, students will work in teams to integrate the theory discussed in class within a creative project, in collaboration with a stakeholder.
Additional Information Teaching Methods
Lectures and workgroups.Method of Assessment
The final grade will consist of an individual digital examination with multiple choice and short answer questions, plus group presentations and other group assignments.
Students must pass the exam, in addition to completing the assignments.
Literature
The obligatory literature will include published journal articles and chapters (to be announced on the Canvas page of the course). These will be available via online databases.
Additional Information Target Audience
2nd year bachelor communication science, minor communication science, and exchange students.
Additional Information
- Foreign exchange students are very welcome.
- The language of instruction for this course is “bilingual”, which means that the lectures are held in English but the working groups are offered separately in English or Dutch.
Custom Course Registration
In this course, you cannot enroll for one of the study groups yourself, but you will be assigned by the course coordinator. The allocation will be announced via Canvas. Please note: You do have to register for the course and the other course components on VU.nl.