Course Description
In this course, students will interrogate issues and concepts related to community engagement in the context of Media Studies. We will explore theories of ‘community’ and of ‘engagement’; examine the so-called ‘town-gown divide’; and consider the shifting role(s) of the public intellectual. Students will read a range of literature that critiques experiential learning alongside work that advances the potential benefits of this form of ‘hands-on’ pedagogy (which includes internships, co-ops, and community engaged learning). We will focus attention on community engaged learning, including how it can/should differ from ‘service learning’ and volunteerism with non-profit, non-governmental, and community-based organizations. The course is theoretically oriented, supplemented with case studies and guest speakers from the London community.