ATS3801 Understanding media violence

In this unit you will examine conceptual and methodological tools to make sense of media violence. You will explore how and why violence became a driving force in media industries and economies, and why, as a result, media violence is a valuable topic we can use to assess media influence. You will learn this by considering the following questions: Why does it feel like media violence is always a problem? How can we understand the social turmoil apparently caused by social violence? What is the problem of media violence? Do media cause real world aggression? How have social media changed the nature of real-world violence? How has violence become a form of political communication? How can media play a positive role in encouraging creativity and inclusion?