Program Overview

COM124 Communication in Context

This subject develops students' awareness of the complexity of the relationship between different forms of communication and the society, local, national, and global, in which they take place. It places communication in a wider social, historical, cultural, and political context, providing a foundation for specialist subjects in the degree programme.

Subject Outlines

Subject Outlines for recent sessions are available for current students. Please note that Subject Outlines and assessment tasks are updated each session.

Availability

The subject is available in:

• Session 2 (60)
• On Campus: Bathurst Campus
• Online: Bathurst Campus

Continuing students should consult the SAL for current offering details: COM124. Where differences exist between the Handbook and the SAL, the SAL should be taken as containing the correct subject offering details.

Subject Information

Grading System

The grading system for this subject is HD/FL.

Duration

The duration of this subject is one session.

School

The subject is offered by the School of Communication and Creative Industries.

Assumed Knowledge

The assumed knowledge for this subject is COM111.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this subject, students should:

• be able to describe the evolution of different forms of communication over time
• be able to examine the impact of technology on creating a global communication culture
• be able to consider the relationship between communication and society, including the role of public opinion and propaganda
• be able to identify a range of communication models and show how the concepts of communicators (mediated and non-mediated) and audiences have changed over time

Syllabus

This subject will cover the following topics:

• History of communication, from drums to Twitter, and beyond
• Sustainability and communication
• Communication and power: the role of public opinion and propaganda, past and present
• Communication models, from the Hypodermic model to reception theory
• Changing technologies, global communication, and culture
• Critical thinking about communication