1. University and Society: Course Focus: Learning theories and arguments on: Contradictions between academic ideals and learning on the one hand & media representation and popular culture on the other.

2. Assignments: Write two quizzes, Essay on a topic (term 1Part 1:; term 2 part II) (see the list of topics) Evaluation Term 1Choose a Topic: Part I: Peer reviewed literature 20% In-class multiple choice test 10% Class participation15% sub-total45%

3. Term 2: Part II: Final essay (see guidelines)25% (includes 5% for conceptual framework) Essay presentation10% In-class multiple choice test10% Class participation10% sub-total 55% Grand Total 100%

4. Essay: Choose your topic from the list Should address the following question: Why and how are there contradictions between popular cultural representations (on gender, race, intelligence, jobs, etc.,) and the academic ideals, values & views learned/ taught in the university?

5. Readings, lectures, visual materials, concepts and theories 1. Will be on the tests 2. Are to be integrated into your essay

6. One Course kit (for term 1 & 2) is available in York Book Store.

7. *October 1: library session arranged specially for you: 11:30-12:30, in Room 531 Scott Library- attendance required. Select your topic in the first two weeks of classes and get my approval on its feasibility *Write a brief paragraph (max150 words) explaining your focus and e-mail it to me by Oct 8. Watch for weekly postings of materials on course web www.yorku.ca/rajagopawww.yorku.ca/rajagopa

8. Weekly class readings are posted on our course webpage. In class discussions and the essay, the main focus will be: 1.Applying Foucault’s arguments to the university as a social institution: what is Foucault’s view of society? 2.Examining how the university is portrayed in the popular cultural (movies, media, etc.) vis-à-vis critical culture (e.g., cartoons, lyrics, etc). 3.How do powerful social forces, e.g. media, society, workplace, etc., shape the university’s administration, faculty and students.

9. What is higher education doing with a corporate business paradigm of profit? Sample essay topics on this issue: Commodification of knowledge Commodification of knowledge Students’ views on education and work Students’ views on education and work University and corporate interests University and corporate interests American cultural hegemony American cultural hegemony Who controls Knowledge: the State or Corporations?Who controls Knowledge: the State or Corporations? Role of technology in commodificationRole of technology in commodification

10. Commodification: Is Higher education: a market "product“ to be "consumed“ ?

11. How has commodification influenced the values of education? Educational content has been profoundly changed delivering consumer satisfaction Commodity Branded. Sponsored research Distance education “Click” universities generate no peer effects.

12. How does commodification influence the values of education? Popular media examples- Hollywood movies: The Class (1985); Doctors (1988); Harvard students; Stealing Harvard; Legally Blonde; Gilmore Girls; The Firm; The Paper Chase; Good Will Hunting; With Honors; How High; Soul Man; and Harvard Man. http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080613013914AAM9A3p http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmJD7_ueDLchttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmJD7_ueDLc stealing harvard http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/284797/Homeless-to-Harvard-The-Liz-Murray-Story/overview Harvard man http://www.metacritic.com/movie/harvard-man/trailers/1083121http://www.metacritic.com/movie/harvard-man/trailers/1083121 Harvard beats Yale http://www.metacafe.com/watch/2571100/harvard_beats_yale_29_29_movie_trailer/http://www.metacafe.com/watch/2571100/harvard_beats_yale_29_29_movie_trailer/ http://www.starpulse.com/Movies/Harvard_Man/Great_Film_Moments/ Social network http://www.slashfilm.com/movie-trailer-the-social-network/http://www.slashfilm.com/movie-trailer-the-social-network/

13. Critical media examples: 1.Cartoons 2. Other reality sources: Reliable statistics

14. http://www.cartoonstock.com/_

17. http://www.cartoonstock.com/directory/

19. Part 1: Theories & arguments from litt. (from peer reviewed articles) on issues related to higher ed. P 1 & 2: Values taught in the university vs. popular cultural views e.g.: Is Information society being turned into a ‘house of certainty’?

20. Is Information society being turned into a ‘house of certainty’? P1: Values taught in universites: privacy, freedom and security of self P2: How are these compromised/expanded by ICT and the Web?

21. Is Information society being turned into a ‘house of certainty’? P 1: Peer reviewed articles found e-resources in the library (scholar’s portal) argument: Do Social Media lead to control over its users P2: Does IT maintain or compromise ethics, identity, private and personal information? Privacy, Prurience And Internet Technologies: Globalization Of Voyeurism Downloadable Kindle book on Amazon.com

22. http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2010/02/16/google-s-orwell-moment.html