Cool Classes: Media, Space and Place
October 23, 2017
What class? Media, Space and Place
Who teaches it? ProfessorVanessa Massaro, geography
"Media, Space and Place is about understanding our relationship to media, as viewed through the lens of geography. In geography, we understand that social relationships shape the spaces we occupy. We also know that the places we occupy influence our relationships. In this course, we apply those assumptions to media, examining how media influences the world we live in and the ways it connects and divides a global society.
"Most notably, this course looks at the effects of new forms of media. We are more interconnected than ever before, thanks to the internet and other communication technologies that 'compress' space. At the same time, these technologies have an isolating effect. We spend less time in lived public spaces and more time in virtual spaces. These new emergent geographies of media are, in my view, creating some of the central questions of our time and this course grapples with the impacts of these shifts.
"Media, Space and Place is designed to be reflective and really about the students. The best way to understand these shifts and the way media is shaping our world is to look at how media shapes us. We track our personal media usage and think about how it changes our relationships to space. We also consider the types of media we consume. These personal inquiries help us understand the course material, but they also tell us a lot about ourselves. Students can expect to be surprised.
"I developed this course because the role of media is such a relevant, widely discussed topic right now. I wanted to offer a course that would help students develop a more critical understanding of media and the role it plays in our global society. I also think it is important for students, as consumers of media in the internet age, to have strong digital literacy skills. This course contributes to that."
See what else Bucknell offers in the Department of Geography.
Are we missing out on a cool class? Send suggestions to coolclasses@bucknell.edu.
