Face-to-face , first term, 30 hours of theory.

First term
Friday from 13:30 to 15:30 at 119 Marais 1100

The speaking language for the lectures and the seminar sessions is French. The mandatory texts are in French as well. For the written work, it might be that the students have to use texts in English, depending on their research question and the references available on the subject matter.

1) To familiarize the students with the main theoretical and conceptual frameworks of user studies and reception studies, in the French-speaking research tradition as well as in the anglophone research tradition, including recent developments around digital media and technologies.
2) To consolidate the students' competences in reading and comprehending scientific texts on media and communication.
3) To train the students in problematizing an object of research according to the standards and methods of social sciences.

None

For the Bachelor in Information and Communication :

For the Bachelor in Political Sciences: General :

For the Bachelor in Sociology and Anthropology :

The teaching unit goes in depth into a series of theoretical and conceptual frameworks of user studies and reception studies, including around digital media and technologies. The questions and approaches addressed in this teaching unit relate to the following issues:
- technological determinism and impact studies
- the main approaches to ‘the user'
- the active audience: media reception as resistance, the genre as a text-reader contract, critical reading…
- fan communities and fan studies
- media reception and social/cultural positions
- the social uses of media (in the domestic sphere, in everyday sociability)
- media use and identity performance (including, for instance, in relation to gender)
- the political aspects of media reception (with inputs from sociology and political science on issues such as citizenship, participation, public opinion and the construction of public problems)
- users' modes of engagement in socio-technical innovations
- digital media and online sociability (virtual communities, online social networks…)

This teaching unit is composed of lectures and seminar sessions.

During the lectures, the professor elaborates on the course content using visual presentations. Several discussion or application activities are organized as well. Some of the texts on which the lectures draw upon are examined in depth during the seminar sessions.

For the seminar, the students work in sub-groups of 3 or 4 members (to be confirmed). The seminar is dedicated to:
- reading in depth a selection of scientific texts. Guiding questions are provided and the texts are discussed in class (at a distance if it is required by the sanitary situation). At least one exam question relates to the texts.
- elaborating a problematization of an issue or a question related to media/ICT use or reception (to be determined according to the guidelines provided by the teaching assistant). The work in progress is presented orally to the class group and followed by a discussion time (at a distance if it is required by the sanitary situation).

As course material, the students have at their disposal course notes provided by the professor, the visual presentations used for the lectures and a copy of the mandatory texts that are the focus of the seminar. The teaching unit is also present on Moodle.

The assessment method includes an individual exam, which weights for 60% of the final grade, and a sub-group paper consisting in a problematization of a research question, which weights for 40% of the final grade. The weighting remains the same no matter whether the teaching unit I organized face-to-face or at a distance.

The exam covers the content of the lectures and the texts discussed in the seminar sessions.

In a face-to-face situation, the exam is written. It includes closed and open-ended questions (theoretical and “practical”). Certain questions may ask the student to elaborate on the links between the texts, or between the texts and the lectures. During the exam, the students can have with them a copy of the texts and their personal notes on these. Any other material is prohibited.

In distant mode, the exam is oral and only includes open-ended questions (theoretical and “practical”). Certain questions may ask the student to elaborate on the links between the texts, or between the texts and the lectures. During the oral exam, the students will be allowed to use all their course material (course notes provided by the professor, personal notes, resources available on Moodle). They can also have with them a copy of the texts and their personal notes on these. Any other material is prohibited.

The group assignment consists in problematizing a research question. 3/4 of the grade is dedicated to the written work and 1/4 of the grade to the oral presentation. This weighting remains the same no matter whether the course is organized face-to-face or at a distance.

The student who has failed in January must redo the failed evaluation(s) in September.

Class attendance is checked for the seminar sessions (even at a distance). The student who is absent for a non-justified or “non-legitimate” reason more than twice will get a 0/20 as a final grade for the entire teaching unit in January. Seminar attendance is not taken into account in the September session.

- Akrich, M. (2006), « Les utilisateurs, acteurs de l'innovation », in Akrich, M., Callon, M. et Latour, B., Sociologie de la traduction. Textes fondateurs, Paris, École des Mines de Paris, pp.253-265.
- Blanc, G. (2015), « Les pratiques de réception télévisuelle dans les foyers à l'épreuve de l'audiovisuel numérique », Études de communication, n°44, 2015, pp.63-78.
- Combes, C. (2011), « La consommation de séries à l'épreuve d'internet. Entre pratique individuelle et activité collective », Réseaux, n°165, pp.137-163.
- Pasquier, D. (1999), La culture des sentiments. L'expérience télévisuelle des adolescents, Paris, Maison des sciences de l'homme (chapter « Public et communautés sociales »).

Recommended bibliography:

- Bilandzic, H., Patriarche, G. et Traudt, P. J. (dir.) (2012), The Social Use of Media: Cultural and Social Scientific Perspectives on Audience Research, Bristol, Intellect.
- Carpentier, N., Schrøder, K.C., et Hallett, L. (dir.) (2014), Audience Transformations. Shifting Audience Positions in Late Modernity, New York, Routledge.
- Certeau, M. de (1990), L'invention du quotidien. 1. Arts de faire, Paris, Gallimard.
- Cervulle, M. et Quemener, N. (2018), Cultural Studies. Théories et méthodes, 2ème éd., Paris, Armand Colin.
- Dayan, D. (1992), « Les mystères de la réception », Le Débat, n°71, pp.146-162.
- Dayan, D. (dossier coord. par) (1993), « A la recherche du public. Réception, télévision, médias », Hermès, n°11/12.
- Esquenazi, J.-P. (2003), Sociologie des publics, Paris, La Découverte.
- Flichy, P. (1995), L'innovation technique. Récents développements en sciences sociales. Vers une nouvelle théorie de l'innovation, Paris, La Découverte.
- Glevarec, H., Macé, E. et Maigret, E. (dir.) (2008), Cultural Studies. Anthologie, Paris, Armand Colin/INA.
- Jauréguiberry, F., et Proux, S. (2011), Usages et enjeux des technologies de communication, Toulouse, Toulouse, Érès.
- Jenkins, H. (1992), Textual Poachers. Television Fans & Participatory Culture, New York & Londres, Routledge.
- Livingstone, S. et Lunt, P. (1993), Talk on television. Audience participation and public debate, Londres, Routledge.
- Lohisse, J., avec la collab. de Patriarche, G., et Klein, A. (2009), La communication. De la transmission à la relation, 4ème éd., Bruxelles, De Boeck.
- Lull, J. (1980), « The social uses of television », Human Communication Research, 1980, vol. 6, n°3, p.197-209.
- Morley D. (1992), Television, Audiences and Cultural Studies, Londres, Routledge.
- Pasquier, D. (1999), La culture des sentiments. L'expérience télévisuelle des adolescents, Paris, Maison des sciences de l'homme.
- Picone, I. (2017), « Conceptualizing media users across media: The case for ‘media user/use' as analytical concepts », Convergence. The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, vol.23, n°4, pp.1-13.
- Schrøder, K. C. (1994), « Audience semiotics, interpretive communities and ‘the ethnographic turn' in media research », Media, Culture & Society, vol.16, pp.337-347.
- Zoonen, L. van (2005), Entertaining the citizen. When politics and popular culture converge, Lanham, Rowman & Littlefield.