The #1 Resource for the Communication Field
Critical and cultural studies offer invaluable insight as to how communication affects media and vice-versa. While there are currently hundreds of studies taking place that attempt to establish basic premises about new media, nationwide advertising campaigns and interpersonal communicative development, critical analysis is needed to develop raw data into usable information. In the blogs in this category, we will discuss new studies from leading media and communication experts and offer our own take on the latest research and critical theory. We will explore the findings of some of the top researchers in media/communication fields and try to develop a better understanding of the ways that we interact and how our Internet, television and print media can affect our interactions.
The role of gender in childhood development has been a widely debated topic for decades. Many argue that from the moment children are born we shower them in stereotypes. Blue blankets for boys, pink for girls. Nerf guns for boys, dollhouses for girls. Proponents against these stereotypes say the choices we make in which toys [...] Read more »
Do you think male politicians have bigger heads than female politicians? If you answered yes, you’d be correct. But not if you were referring to ego. A new study published in the Psychology of Women Quarterly found that male politicians literally have bigger heads when portrayed in photographs. More specifically, the study found “face-ism” bias [...] Read more »
One of the most powerful weapons a politician has is their words. By controlling language they can shape perceptions. Just think of the effect a phrase like “estate tax” has when turned to “death tax.” Far more powerful, right? In this TED Talk, Etymologist Mark Forsyth walks us through some historical examples of how politicians [...] Read more »
Is Albert Einstein turning in his grave because of the way we interact today? According to this image, the answer is yes. This viral meme has been getting passed around the Internet faster than you can say E=mc². The graphic contains a series of images which depict the way we now communicate with each other [...] Read more »
Jeff Hancock thinks you’re a liar. But not in some awful you’re-a-terrible-person sort of way. The cognitive science and communication professor from Cornell simply thinks we use lies to manage our relationships respectfully during a time when we’re constantly connected. In this digital age, people have access to us 24/7 via our phones, social media, [...] Read more »
I came into this Movember excited about the possibilities the month held for my facial hair — because it seems all other months of the year I can never find an excuse great enough to overcome the humiliation of a blonde mustache. I had never participated in Movember, but I decided this year would be [...] Read more »
The 2012 presidential election was especially tough, but a new video compares 60 years of presidential advertisements to show that the latest attack ads and stump speeches are part of a greater American political legacy. The video, created by Australian video editor Hugh Atkin, builds dozens of campaign advertisements from Presidents, candidates, VPs and first [...] Read more »
The stereotypical male is a common figure in television and Internet-based advertisements. Men grunt, watch sports, party and seem to have a testosterone-fueled take on life, especially in ads that focus on primarily male-oriented products like beer and aftershave. The overriding sentiment in modern marketing is that men want products that affirm a sort of [...] Read more »
In his latest documentary, About Face: The Supermodels, Then and Now, photographer and filmmaker Timothy Greenfield-Sanders takes a look at the often bizarre world of the fashion model from the perspective of the aging models who once ruled the runways. Viewers are invited to take a peek inside the world of fashion modeling through interviews [...] Read more »
There was a time when a school uniform on a student was proof of private school attendance. More and more, however, public schools have instituted dress codes that require uniforms. In many cases, these policies are based on the belief that uniforms are a quick and easy fix for school violence, bullying, inattention and a [...] Read more »