Overview of Course

Have you ever wondered about popular culture and the trends that shape your daily life and the experiences of those around you? In this class, we’ll use both media studies approaches and an understanding of human communication to explore the ways that messages can influence and shape our culture. We’ll unpack and discuss the proliferation of new media, the impact of films and television, and the role of important relationships like families, friendships, romantic partners, and the classmates that you interact with during your time in Semester at Sea. This course will provide you with a foundation in both media studies and human communication, one which will help you to better understand the sending and receiving of messages that occurs in your home context, shipboard while at sea, and in each of the richly diverse international settings that you’ll encounter over the next months, years, and decades of your life. With a focus on engaged learning and discussions that facilitate your understanding of the diversity that each person brings to the classroom, we’ll together unpack a rich understanding of the things that help shape who you are and ultimately contribute to your understanding of who you might want to become.