Classes You Didn't Know You Could Take: JMS 450 – Media and Culture with Damariyé Smith

In this series, we’ve asked instructors to talk about their new, unusual, or little-known PSFA classes that you can take in Fall 2021.

Dr. Damariyé Smith

JMS 450 – Media and Culture

Units: 3

Are there any Prerequisite(s)?:

JMS 489 or JMS 560 with a grade of C (2.0) or better. Admission to a major in the School of Journalism and Media Studies.

Online or Face to Face: Face-to-Face

How I would describe this class to someone I met in line at the coffee cart: 

“I’m taking a class where I get to study and discuss my favorite films and television shows and get credit for it.”

Who should definitely take this class?

Anyone who has ever watched a television show or a movie and said, “damn…I wish I could pontificate about this one particular scene with someone.”

Who should not take this class? 

Anyone not interested in understanding media from a cultural perspective.

Why I’m enthusiastic about teaching this class:

Because I believe that media dictates a lot of how society functions and tells us what and who is important to us.

Why I love this subject:

Because it allows me to help students become more educated consumers of media which may ultimately help them live more abundantly.

How I’m preparing for this class:

Watching as much television and films throughout the summer so I can bring them into class to dissect.

Three things you’ll learn/do in this class:

How media influences our culture, why it can be a tool to advance or undermine our culture, and how media literacy plays a vital role in helping consumers make better decisions about their consumption and its impact on their personal life.

The top reason why you should study with me:

Becomes I am real and get what today’s students want out of a college experience.

The content within this article has been edited by Lizbeth Persons.