Honours B.A.with major in Social Communication

Introduction to theoretical approaches in the Humanities and to the methods that are applied to interpret the multiple expressions of human experience, particularly those expressed in important works of art and literature.

Social and ecological challenges facing humanity today, and related issues of social justice. These questions will be examined from a perspective of community building and efforts towards ecological and social transformations for a hopeful future.

Development of abilities to critically read and understand academic works. Focus on formal writing skills: techniques of clear expression and construction of texts, argument development and organization. This course also includes a library laboratory component with focus on research skills, citations, and academic integrity.

Indigenous and non-Indigenous perspectives on the First Peoples of Canada, cultural diversity, traditional practices and beliefs, relationship with the environment, changing roles and structures influenced by colonization. Contemporary issues faced by First Nations, Métis and Inuit, including cultural genocide and trauma.

Initiation to the techniques of communication and to the study of media. Trough basic exercises initiation to the laws of image from the perspective of the communication studies, to design and to photography. Audiovisual editing (image and sound), computer software and new technologies of communication.

Basics of methodology in communication. Distinction between argumentation and empirical research. Distinction between qualitative and quantitative research. Key principles of qualitative and quantitative work.

Definition of an organization. Usual approaches to communication within the organizations: functionalist, strategic, critical, and cultural. The change management issue. Impact of technology.

Constitutive elements of ethical behavior. Basic ethical criteria in media communication. Rights in communication situations. Deontology codes in use in several institutions. Case analysis in media praxis: persuasion communication and fiction.

Initiation to the language of communication. Main concepts. Most usual models in communication studies. Functions of communication. Communication scales from the personal interactions to mediated communication.

Initiation to news gathering. Verification procedures. Initiation to writing for electronic media. Initiation to news presentation. Initiation to radio and TV interview.

Rules in information writing. The course will clarify the links between the apprenticeship of press writing and press reading. The course will also present the press writing rules in a broader theoretical context. Basic techniques concerning news gathering, story processing and diffusion of information in written press. News, reportage and editorial. Lectures and praxis.

Definition of campaign, objectives, target audience, channel, public environment, etc. Planning of strategic communications. Development of a communication plan; evaluation processes. Project management.

Main theories and techniques of analysis in the process of interpersonal communication. Conditions for successful interpersonal communication. Experiential learning in professional contexts as in other situations. Non-verbal communication.

Great traditions in social thought. In particular: the functionalist tradition; the conflictual tradition; the interactionist tradition; the economical conceptions of social reality.

Initiation to the use of basic tools required for successful strategic communications. Research and analysis tools. Writing messages and integrating them to images, photographs and video. Press and media relations. Exhibits and promotional items. Use of social media.

Theories on the nature and the psychological, social and cultural influence of mediated communication. Introduction to the understanding of “magic ball” theories, of selective influence, of social differentiation, of indirect influence, of social organization, of the social construction of reality, etc.

Marketing in general, social marketing and advertising and related communication tools. Basic concepts; application of the marketing and advertising approaches to the promotion of social ideas, values and causes: product and audience analysis, identification of marketing and communications objectives, campaign evaluation.

This is a course on key social debates concerning media and new media. In particular: information and the public sphere; status of minorities; great culture VS popular culture; great fears (sexuality, rumors, violence, consumption, death and religion).

Professional Ethics in Communication Overview of approaches to professional ethics covering different subject areas of social communications including: news journalism, public relations, advertising and marketing. Ethical codes and regulation. Case studies.

Main theories and concepts in social psychology useful for the understanding of following phenomena: communication, progression of the information and their effects. Classical concepts: attitudes, attribution, persuasion, cognitive dissonance. Mains concepts of contemporary social cognition theories: bias, heuristics.

Television, radio and cross media genres. Stages of production: from the original project, to creating the show, to scriptwriting, to the multiplatform strategy.

Introduction to the language of images within the study of communications. Expressive value of the image and communication. Cultural iconic codes. Semiology of the image. Image as a language in relation to discourse and the weight it carries in a media context.

Different theories and techniques to analyze content. Critical study of different types of messages: information, entertainment, advertising, etc.

Practical application of acquired knowledge. Activities monitored by a supervisor in a professional communication setting. Writing of practicum report. Graded S/NS.

In depth presentation of several theories. Particularly on the following: technologies and their impacts; networks and systems; culture and symbolism; conflicts and ideologies; critical theories; contributions from neurosciences.

Evolution and future of great media. Commercial logic and business models. Understanding media issues in specific social contexts. National media reality and globalization.

History and basic models of public relations. Main approaches, tools, audiences, work environment. Management, marketing, advertising, public affairs. Case studies.

Journalism in the Internet age. Traditional journalism and new intermediaries of information. Integration of new means of collecting, processing, selecting, prioritizing and broadcasting information.
Prerequisite: ISC2326

Elements of the theory of argumentation. Concept of arguments in communication. Writing and public intervention exercises.

Notion of social communication. Evolution of the Web and advent of social media. Types of social media and main uses. Social media and current communication practices.

Historical clashes between the media and religious traditions. Culture, religious traditions and the media. Possible divergences and convergences. Religious traditions and new technologies.

Evolution of the concept of sustainable development and its different definitions. Role and responsibility of social communications in sustainable development. Communication strategies for implementation.

Skill development in the analysis of social and socio-political situations. Several key concepts: situations, actors, problem framing, stakes, constraints. Identifying social and communication issues. Case analysis.

Notions of culture and socialization. Myths and rituals. Imagination and rationality. Social construction of meaning. Types of human being in media culture, types changed through modern experience of social communication. Institutionalized communication.

Practical application of acquired knowledge. Activities monitored by a supervisor in a professional communication setting. Writing of practicum report. Graded S/NS.

Individual or small group study on a topic corresponding to the needs or particular interests of students. Record of accomplishments. Possibility of recognizing a relevant professional activity in the communication or information sectors.