Political Economy
Media and Culture
Film & Video Games
Environmental Media
Online Communities
100

Philosopher who wrote Das Kapital

Karl Marx

100

Semiotics

The study of sign processes and
meaning-making

100

A video game discussed in class that promotes online community

Animal Crossing, Pokemon Go

100

Environmental communication

The symbolic representation of most any topic about the natural world  

100

Example of an online fandom discussed in class

Star Wars, Star Trek, Twilight, Harry Potter, Marvel, Game of Thrones

200

Attributes of political economy

Question ownership and control

Understanding how power works

Class-based analysis

Importance of structural factors

200

Popular culture

Mass produced

Well-liked

Requires media

200

Gamergate

A misogynistic online harassment campaign and a right-wing backlash against feminism, diversity, and progressivism in video game culture

200

Groups that influence environmental ideology (at least 2)

Citizens

Public officials

Scientific community

Corporations

Environmentalist groups

Journalists

200

Characteristics of community (at least 2)

Sense of space

Shared practice

Shared resources and support

Shared identities

Interpersonal relationships

300

Political scientist who came up with the term 'manufactured consent'

Noam Chomsky

300

Popular feminism

A mainstream, corporate-friendly feminism that encourages women
to work in a system designed to devalue and underpay their labour

300

Film composition 

The precise arrangement of
objects and characters within a given
frame

300

Risk communication

The exchange of real-time information, advice and opinions between experts and people facing threats to their health, economic or social well-being

300

One of the first examples of participatory culture

Fan fiction/fan communities

400

Commodity fetishism 

Our regard for a material good, and not the resources—
in particular the labour—that went into producing it


400

Parts of the Bechdel Test (3)

Has to have at least 2 women in it

Women must speak to each other

Conversation must be about something other than a man

400

Symbolic annihilation

The absence of representation to maintain social inequality

400

Criticisms of how ecology, environmental justice, and climate change are portrayed in popular media

Oversimplification, sensationalism, greenwashing, and the marginalization of certain voices or perspectives

400

Characteristics of participatory cultures (at least 2)

Low barriers to engagement

Informal mentorship

Members feel their contributions matter

Members have a social connection

Strong support for creation

500

Neoliberal Capitalism

A strong belief in free markets, minimal government intervention in the economy, deregulation, privatization, and the promotion of individual responsibility

500

Why is popular culture considered a space for struggle and contestation

Shapes how different groups are perceived

Reinforces existing power imbalances

Platform to express opposing political views & social change

People interpret & resist what they consume 

500

How has globalization impacted the production, distribution, and consumption of films

Globalization has facilitated the cross-border flow of films, enabling cultural exchange, collaboration between filmmakers from different regions, and the spread of diverse cinematic styles, genres, and narratives

500

Common frames and narratives used in popular media to discuss ecology, environmental justice, and climate change

Popular media often frames ecology, environmental justice, and climate change in terms of crisis, urgency, solutions, and individual or collective responsibility, influencing how audiences perceive and respond to these challenges

500

Ethical challenges that arise in the management and moderation of online communities

Privacy concerns

Misinformation

Cyberbullying

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