2023/24 Taught Postgraduate Module Catalogue
COMM5730M The Cultural History of Promotional Communication
30 creditsClass Size: 48
Module manager: Allison Cavanagh
Email: A.E.Cavanagh@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable
Year running 2023/24
This module is not approved as an Elective
Objectives
Students will be enabled to develop1. A knowledge of how advertising and promotions came to be central to modern communications systems
2. An understanding of the ways in which scholars have approached the core issues raised by the dominance of corporate PR
3. A deepened understanding of the relationship between communications histories and political histories
4. An understanding of UK and US cultural history in the 19th and 20th Centuries
5. A critical understanding of the history of advertising and brand culture
6. An ability to connect historical texts and their cultural and professional contexts of production
7. An understanding of core theoretical perspectives on advertising history
Learning outcomes
On completion of this module students should be able to:
1. Demonstrate knowledge of key themes in relation to the history and development of commercial and promotional culture
2. Demonstrate an understanding of theories of the promotional society
3. Apply theoretical models in order to inform critical readings of advertising texts
4. Communicate effectively in a range of written forms
Syllabus
The module covers:
British and US political and cultural history in the latter years of the nineteenth century
The growth of consumer culture in the nineteenth century
The rise of modern advertising and modern techniques of product communication
The development of the mass society and techniques of persuasion in the early years of the twentieth century
The development of broadcast advertisements
An overview of the relationship between commercial advertising and state propaganda with respect to World War II
The role of promotional communications in the restructuring of UK and US society post war
The early development of modern advertising industries and cultures between 1960 and the 1980s.
The political and cultural history of the US and the UK postwar.
Teaching methods
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
| Workshop | 10 | 2.00 | 20.00 |
| Private study hours | 280.00 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 20.00 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 300.00 | ||
Private study
Directed study of published materials in preparation for seminar discussions.Preparation, writing and research for seminar presentations and essays.
Opportunities for Formative Feedback
Student progress will be monitored via attendance, workshop contributions and via marking of mid-semester assessment.Methods of assessment
Coursework
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
| Literature Review | 1 x 2,000-2,500 annotated bibliography | 30.00 |
| Essay | 1 x 4,500-5,000 word essay | 70.00 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100.00 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
Reading list
The reading list is available from the Library websiteLast updated: 21/12/2023
Browse Other Catalogues
- Undergraduate module catalogue
- Taught Postgraduate module catalogue
- Undergraduate programme catalogue
- Taught Postgraduate programme catalogue
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