This module aims to provide the learner with a broad vision of the role Digital Media plays in Irish and international culture and society, how Digital Media dialogue and artefacts are reflected by the culture and society producing them and how they in turn impact on that culture and society, in particular in a dynamic, diverse and changing society such as ours. The module further intends to indicate how legal, in particular copyright and privacy issues interact with the creation and use of digital media.
Digital Media and Society
Semiotics and decoding media content. Exploring and appreciating cultural Differences, communication and language in a diverse society. Cultural assumption in media content, the perpetuation of stereotype in reporting, both textual and visual. Reporting of crime, civil unrest and conflict. The need for balance and fairness. The issues of loaded words and ‘othering’. The concept of the meme. Gender stereotyping, text and video content perpetuating or undermining traditional roles. Examples of media objects from other cultures, indicating alternative assumptions. Examples of media objects in this role. Irish media content in and Anglophone world; similarities and differences. The new media and the old; transmission of new cultural ideas via on-line communities and fora. Blogs, technology advancements, social media and other forms of online discourse, and their effect on language and society. Blogs and other on-line journalism in competition with the traditional forms. Inclusion and exclusion and the ‘digital divide’. The role of digital media in the democratic process.
The Fundamentals of Irish Law
The nature and classification of law, principal and secondary sources of law. The structure of the Irish Courts and the legal profession. Essential elements of a contract, the Forms, Terms and Validity of a contract, the discharge of a contract and remedies for breach.
The Law and Digital Media
Data Protection principles and the scope of Data Protection law. The rights and remedies of the Individual and obligations under Data Protection legislation. The key elements of the patent system, and its application to software. The ownership of media items, the copyrighting of digital content, its nature and extent. The concept of Non-literal copying. Ethics issues such as “Fair Use”, “Public Domain”. The World Intellectual Property Organisation, the Universal Copyright Convention, EU Directives on copyright and intellectual property and the Copyright and Related Rights Act 2000. The law and the content of digital media, in particular the internet.
Diversity in Irish Society
The concept of Diversity and changing views on Diversity in Ireland.Irish population and workplace Migration, Trends and Statistics. The economic impact, opportunities and challenges of Diversity. Sources of Ethnicity, Nationalism and racism and their interaction in Irish Society. Defining Stereotyping and the prevalence of Stereotypes in Society, and resulting prejudice and discrimination. Tools for Self-Awareness for the individual.
| Module Content & Assessment | |
|---|---|
| Assessment Breakdown | % |
| Other Assessment(s) | 100 |