Societal transformation, digital upheaval, digital revolution – terms we frequently encounter in communication science today. They all point to one fundamental idea: media are constantly evolving and society evolves with them. But what exactly does this transformation mean for how we live, communicate, and understand the world? This seminar explores the dynamic interplay between media change and societal transformation. We investigate how shifts in media technologies impact culture, social structures, everyday life, and vice versa. While current debates often focus on contemporary developments, we broaden the perspective to include both past and present examples: Because understanding today's challenges in communication science also requires a deeper view of how we got here. 

How did the arrvial of the TV redefine the boundary between private and public life? In what ways did the Walkman help shape youth identity in the 80s? And why did some media technologies, like the Sony Betamax or Apple's Newton, fail to gain traction despite early promises? To tackle these questions, we'll mainly draw on the mediatization approach as theoretical framework and explore a variety of empirical studies. Throughout the seminar, students will engage with concrete case studies spanning the last 100 years, from the rise of the radio to the dematerialisation of music with Spotify. Our focus is not only on understanding media change in theory, but also on applying insights to real-world examples and phenomena. 

The seminar emphasizes actice engagement, critical discussion, and application-based leaarning. Students will contribute through in-depth discussions and a presentation (e.g. guided text analysis or case review). Final assessment will be based on a written term paper (Hausarbeit).

Please note: The seminar will be conducted in English. 

Kurs im HIS-LSF