St. Michael's College, U of TView all USMC Undergraduate, Graduate and Continuing Education programs.
View Book and Media Studies Complete Course Listings
Please note that not all courses are offered every year; consult with the program coordinator if you wish to take courses that are not listed below. In the event of a discrepancy between information provided in the printed material and on the website, please consult with the Program Assistant.
In the event of a discrepancy between information provided in the printed material and on the website, please consult with the Program Assistant.
SMC 219Y1S MASS MEDIA IN CULTURE AND SOCIETY
Instructor: Francesco Guardiani Class: MW3-5
Designed to acquaint students with the essential notions of media studies, and to promote a conscious utilization of contemporary media. Starting with the preliminary definitions of “media”, “mass”, and “communications”, the student is invited to consider critically the cultural constructs created by modern media, from print to photography, filming, television, computer and internet.
Note: This course is being offered this year as a “Y1S” course, i.e. a full credit in second term only.
Note: Please note the course formerly known as SMC 228Y1 has been split into SMC 228H1 and 229H1 as follows. (SMC 228H1 + SMC 229H1 is exactly equivalent to the former SMC 228Y1 as regards program requirements).
SMC 228H1F ELEMENTS OF MATERIAL BIBLIOGRAPHY AND PRINT CULTURE
Instructor: Yannick Portebois Class: T2-5
An historical introduction to the evolution of printing processes since Gutenberg. Attention is given to topics such as the mechanization of printing, the industrialization of the book chain since the nineteenth century, typography and publishing. Visits to rare book collections are an integral part of the course.
Note: This course is not intended as a guide to self-publishing nor as a workshop on book making.
Exclusion: SMC 228Y1
SMC 229H1S READERS AND READERSHIPS
Instructor: TBA Class: T2-5
An introduction to the history of reading in western culture, from ancient Greece to the twenty-first century. Attention is given to topics such as the causes and effects of different modes of reading - silent or vocalized, intensive or extensive, educational or escapist -, book clubs, censorship, and the ways in which readers have influenced cultural production.
Exclusion: SMC 228Y1
SMC 314H1S MEDIA REVOLUTIONS
Topic: Image and Text: Technologies of Printing
Instructor: Marie Korey Class: T10-12
This course will examine the methods of production for images and text from the period of the hand printing press to the present. We will consider various discoveries and inventions, and will explore the impact of these technological changes on the production of illustrated books.
Recommended preparation: SMC 219Y1/228H1/229H1
SMC 315H1F THE NEWSPAPER IN CANADIAN SOCIETY
Instructor: John Fraser Class: M3-5
Through lectures, tutorials and field trips, this course examines the origins and development of the English-language newspaper in Canada since the eighteenth century. Research projects focus on the historical newspaper collections of the University of Toronto libraries, the Toronto Reference Library, and the Archives of Ontario.
Recommended preparation: SMC 219Y1/228H1/229H1
SMC 358H1S THE MEDIAEVAL BOOK
Instructor: Alexander Andrée Class: R2-4
This course examines the most salient aspects of mediaeval manuscript culture. We will study how the parchment for books was folded, pricked, ruled and bound, as well as what scripts were employed in the different codices. We will also examine the various types of books made in the Middle Ages, the development of manuscript library collections and how modern technology is changing the study of the mediaeval book.
Recommended preparation: LAT 100Y1; SMC 210Y1 or a course in mediaeval history
SMC 398H1F/398H1S/399Y1YINDEPENDENT STUDY COURSES
An independent research project to be proposed by the student and supervised by a full-time faculty member affiliated with the Book and Media Studies Program.
Prerequisite: SMC 219Y1; SMC 228H1; SMC 229H1; enrolment in the Major program; approval of Program Director
SMC 430H1S ADVANCED TOPICS IN BOOK AND MEDIA STUDIES I
Topic: Books and Media
Instructor: Debby de Groot Class: S9-1.30 (see note below)
Using Canadian case studies, this course will explore the relationship between the media (TV, radio, print and on-line), and various actors of the book trade (authors, publishers, publicists, retailers and readers). How are the media being used to disseminate information about books? In other words, how are books sold in the 21st century? And who buys them?
Recommended preparation: SMC 219Y1; SMC 228H1; SMC 229H1 | Download further instructions on how to register for this course
NOTE: This course will take place on the first SIX Saturdays of the semester only. Priority for enrolment will be given to students in the Book and Media Program, and to those in their third and fourth year of study.
NOTE: The following four courses from the list of Approved Courses are being offered in 2008 2009. For availability of all other Approved Courses, you should check the Faculty of Arts and Science 2008 2009 Timetable to see what is being offered.
SMC 210Y1Y THE MEDIAEVAL TRADITION
Instructor: Joseph Goering Class: T2-5
This course provides an introduction to the thought and culture of the European Middle Ages. Students are introduced to the important monuments of mediaeval History, Thought, Literature, and Art, and follow some of the common threads that run through all these disciplines. The course explores some of the classical antecedents and chief expressions of mediaeval life and thought: Augustine’s City of God, Boethius’ Consolation of Philosophy, several mediaeval histories and romances, selections from the writings of Thomas Aquinas, Dante, and Chaucer, the art of the Catacombs, the Lindisfarne Gospels, and the Gothic cathedral. Lectures, discussion, and written assignments are based on readings from these and other primary sources.
SMC 217H1S LITERATURE AND THE CHRISTIAN CHILD
Instructor: Megan O’Connor Class: T12; R11-1
An exploration of connections between a child’s moral development and literature in Christian traditions. We examine literary, historical and philosophical developments, appropriate to the child’s imagination. The course will include the study of poems, novels and other texts written for children.
SMC 305H1S CHRISTIANITY AND POPULAR CULTURE
Instructor: Jennifer Harris Class: T9-12
An examination of both overt and covert representation of Christian ideas in contemporary popular media. We examine the ways in which Christian themes have been appropriated and subverted in mass media, while also examining the innovative ways these themes, such as redemption, sacrifice, vocation, and hope, are presented anew.
Recommended preparation: SMC 200Y1
SMC 361H1S MEDIAEVAL LAW
Instructor: Giulio Silano Class: R4-6
Mediaeval jurisprudence combines the high technical quality of Roman law with the requirements of Christianity. The seminar provides an overview of the development of mediaeval learned jurisprudence; select texts from Roman and canon law, with their glosses, are read in order to explore more specifically the methods and concerns of mediaeval jurists.
Recommended preparation: HIS 220Y1/SMC 210Y1
Exclusion: SMC 405H1