Talk is natural and routine; probably just as routine is texting your best friend, updating your Facebook profile, and watching your favorite primetime program. These are all instances of human communication. However, like fish in water, we often overlook the ways in which communication contributes to and shapes our lives.
The study of human communication emphasizes that our talk, the names we give to people and things, our use of the Internet and television—while routine, are anything but unimportant. In short, communication has consequences. Whatever your chosen path, whatever your career or next adventure, knowing more about communication will help you understand the complexities of your social world. Hamilton graduates who study communication pursue careers in a wide array of corporate, educational, broadcasting and publishing fields. For example, there are Hamilton alum at ABC, NBC, Newsweek, Time Magazine, and in graduate programs such as Columbia University’s School of Journalism, Syracuse University, and Boston University.
Courses in communication examine the ways people use various media—technologies ranging from language to computers—to create messages, build relationships, organize culture, and understand their place in the world. You can do very different things speaking person to person, or using a video camera, or spelling out your ideas in print. We study how these technologies record, transmit, and shape what we do and know, and how human symbol systems contribute to the social networks that constitute self and other. Students in communication gain a broad knowledge of interpersonal, visual, and digital communication, and the challenges embedded in this rapidly changing communication environment.
Several courses in the department provide first-year students the opportunity to gain familiarity with basic principles, perspectives, and strategies of communication. Introduction to Communication (COMM 101) surveys the fundamental issues of the discipline, which range from the origins of human language to the implications of Twitter. You might also select either Rhetorical Act (COMM 210) or History of Communication (COMM 203). Rhetorical Act focuses on the principles, forms, and ethics of presenting your ideas to an audience, while History of Communication explores the evolution of human communication and how this history sheds light on our communicative practices in the digital age. Concentrators in communication go on to develop a critical understanding of theoretical frameworks and methods of research pertaining to a variety of communication environments and media.
101F,S Introduction to Communication.
An introduction to the fundamental questions of the discipline. Investigates the role of symbolic communication, the essential features of interpersonal communication and group process, and the consequences of mediated communication. Theoretical examples draw on diverse communication practices that shape one's view of self and other. Casey (fall), Phelan (spring).
203F History of Communication.
This course examines the symbolic forms and technological extensions of communication, from the evolution of human language to the emergence of digital technologies. Students evaluate the relationship between dominant modes of communication and the cultures that shape and are shaped by those dominant forms. Course examines the varied ways in which communication technologies have shaped political, social, and economic structures, in addition to shifting perspectives on temporal and spatial orders, as exemplified by revolutions in communication technologies. Casey.
210F Rhetorical Act.
Study and application of rhetorical principles and concepts that guide the creation and delivery of effective speech. Students deliver and critique speeches demonstrating their understanding of structural and aesthetic components of oral discourse, presentation strategies for diverse purposes and audiences, verbal and nonverbal immediacy.
(Oral Presentations.)
Maximum enrollment, 18.
Del Buono.
215S Argumentation.
This course explores the basic principles of argumentative discourse including concepts such as spheres of influence, presumption, burden of proof, rhetorical forms of reasoning, and evidence. Emphasis is on construction and deconstruction of arguments, the role of argumentation in society, incorporation of research into argumentative structures, and argumentative and persuasive speaking. In particular, students will craft arguments tailored to a variety of outlets including print and presentation.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Oral Presentations.)
Prerequisite, 101 or 210.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Stassen-Ferrara.
222S Interpersonal Communication.
Covers dynamics of relationship development, negotiation and construction of shared meaning, self concept and conflict management. Students study theory and engage in discussion and exercises designed to enhance their effectiveness in interpersonal communication and their understanding of its theoretical underpinnings.
(Oral Presentations.)
Prerequisite, 101. Casey.
230F Small-Group Communication.
From an individualistic perspective the study of small group processes presents three challenges for the student. First, it is crucial to understand the significant role of groups in American society. Second, one must move beyond the interpersonal dimension to recognize the multi-faceted focus of the group. Third, the study of group process must address the complexity of cultural, political and social influences. This course conftronts these challenges through the study of cross-cultural perspectives, theoretical analysis, and detailed hypothetical applications.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Oral Presentations.)
Prerequisite, 101 or 222.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
Stassen-Ferrara.
[280]
Conflict Mediation.
Examines the nature of conflict in American life and offers alternatives to adversarial practices. Emphasizes individualistic and collectivistic perspectives, drawing on cross-cultural examples of mediation. Exploration of crucial role of conflict in communication. Hypothetical scenarios require students to mediate conflicting needs of diverse participants. Prerequisite, 101, 222, or consent of instructor.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
302S Communication Theory.
Examines theoretical perspectives and conceptual frameworks underpinning the study of communication and its disciplinary interests. Current theories and scholarly literatures are reviewed and applied to group presentations, weekly papers and a research paper.
(Oral Presentations.)
Prerequisite, open to concentrators, minors or consent of instructor. Casey.
[305]
Communication, Language and Culture.
Examines language as the primary symbolic medium through which humans record, represent and understand experience. Assigned readings require students to consider culture as a complex system of symbolic interactions, and to identify relationships among language acts, identity, social contexts and cultural meanings. Students will examine how language is a cultural medium that shapes perception, understanding and social interaction, in order to understand the ways in which language influences their own thinking and behavior.
(Writing-intensive.)
(Oral Presentations.)
Prerequisite, 101, or one course in sociology or anthropology.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
310S Media Form and Theory.
Investigates the impact of mass media on American society in order to more clearly understand the problems of living in a world dominated by media technology. Examines relationships between various components of the media process, focusing on how media alters our understanding of politics, persons and communities. Prerequisite, one course in communication, government or sociology. Phelan.
325S Media Theory and Visual Culture.
We are bombarded with images, in myriad forms, on a daily basis. How do we interpret and analyze them? What is the relationship between an online advertisement for a movie and the movie itself, between a television program and a video game? This seminar will provide an overview of contemporary media theory as it relates to visual culture in the twenty-first century. Readings will include seminal works in psychoanalytic theory, cultural studies, semiotics, postmodern theory, new media studies, and visual studies.
(Same as American Studies 325 and and Cinema and New Media Studies 325.)
Maximum enrollment, 12.
Anable.
[341]
Organizational Communication.
This course investigates the symbolic processes at work within a dramatically-changing organizational landscape, especially as communication technologies call for greater coordination, speed up the pace of work, distribute work processes, and demand cross-cultural cooperation. Students apply leading theoretical perspectives to analyze and evaluate the networks of communication within and with organizations, strategies of decision-making and problem solving, organizational missions and ethics, and conflict mediation. Prerequisite, 101 or 222 or 280.
[360]
Communication Ethics.
Examines the intersection of ethics and communication. Focuses on the roles of rhetoric and argumentation in the practice of case ethics. Students analyze and critically evaluate speeches from ethical positions and produce discourses developed by the application of principles of casuistry. Prerequisite, 101 or consent of instructor.
365F Persuasion.
Study of the ways people co-create meanings and influence each other through the strategic use and misuse of symbols. Includes the study of message- and audience-centered theories of persuasion, propaganda, persuasion’s place in democratic societies, and the roles of reason and emotion in the persuasion process. Students critique and produce persuasive discourses including public service announcements, political speeches, advertisements and news reports.
(Oral Presentations.)
Prerequisite, 101, 210, or consent of instructor. Stassen-Ferrara.
[380]
Social History of Advertising.
An historical overview of advertising media and design in American society. Students will investigate the emergence of consumer culture and advertising innovations which developed as consumerism permeated American society. Addresses the creation and manipulation of markets, the social, economic and political contexts that contributed to marketing theories, and the impact of advertising strategies from late 19th century to the present. Prerequisite, Communication 203 or consent of instructor.
Maximum enrollment, 20.
[450]
First Amendment: Freedom of Speech.
Detailed investigation of the first amendment. Study of case law which has contributed to the creation of a unique American perspective on the role of speech in a free society. Exploration of historical origins of the first amendment, political consequence and technological constraints. Legal distinctions regarding print, broadcast and electronic media focus on implications for the 21st century. Open to juniors and seniors.
[451]
Seminar: Communication, Technology and Society.
Theoretical analysis of how communication technology alters social construction of time, space, community and identity. Readings detail historical precedents in order to address future implications of emerging technologies. Open to juniors and seniors.
455F Methods of Communication Research.
Overview of qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods of communication research. A detailed rationale for each approach is offered and different approaches to communication research are compared. Students analyze and compare current communication research and finish the course with a preliminary research proposal for their senior thesis. Prerequisite, open to concentrators, minors or consent of instructor. Not open to students who have taken 355. Stassen-Ferrara.
500S Senior Project.
A semester long research project, based on research proposals completed in the communication methods course.Required of all concentrators in the department and open to senior concentrators only.
(Oral Presentations.)
Prerequisite, 302, 355. Casey.
