Courses

In this course, I strived to learn numerous aspects of political communication. I examined the social, political, and economic ties between the public, political organizations, media entities, and people. As always, media is not media without its connection to people, and in this case, my personal life. There are numerous instances wherein the class concepts are integral to understand our personal interactions and experiences in media. 

In this course, I was immersed in integral political discourse, exposed to theoretical and empirical works, and equipped with the skills necessary to analyze politics from a range of viewpoints. I attained a deeper understanding of the following five major themes: economic development, democracy and authoritarianism, social revolutions, ethnic conflict, and institutional design/emergence of civil society. I recognized that political systems have been achieved in a plethora of circumstances, and it is difficult to categorize countries in a one-size-fits-all approach.

In Media Law and Ethics, we delve deeper into the laws that govern media. As with many entities of the world, structures and processes govern what is appropriate with regards to professional practice, personal liability/ accountability, and safety. The class delves deeper into digital and print media that enunciate various stances, but especially topics that bring discomfort such as hate speech, defamation, invasion of privacy, provocation of violence, and other issues. The course’s relevance to my day-to-day life as an avid media user deemed it insightful and intriguing. As a follower of multiple regional news organizations, it truly was eye opening to understand the ways in which journalism manifests itself in the region. 

Similar to the other comparative politics class I have taken, this time, I grasped an understanding of comparative politics in the context of electoral systems. It provided a theoretical and methodological framework to come to conclusions about electoral systems, processes, and party systems in the Middle East. Moreover, using this knowledge, I can understand the implications on the political events that took place in the region.Changes in regime, establishment of new practices, and international organizations cannot guarantee a political structure to take place, and I am reminded that there is truly no one-size-fits-all political theory.

In this course, I attempted to learn about the organizations and businesses in the real world contributing to the dissemination of information, audience entertainment, and advertising, thereby shaping global culture. It is important to realize that historical, technological, economic, and cultural conditions continuously influence global media, which thereby link it to local media. International mass communication has brought substantial change in thoughts, structures, and processes globally, and has introduced a new wave of culture relevant in the digital age. It is engaging to fathom this amidst significant hegemony and implicit biases.

In this course, comparative politics is understood with relevance to the Middle East. Firstly, the course gave me a firm understanding of the how Middle Eastern history has shaped the political landscape. Moreover, in addition to the political landscape, I gained an understanding of the emotions that dictate the region, contrary to other any other region in the world. Furthermore, while emotion is an important aspect of painting the political landscape, I was able to make objective arguments devoid of personal emotion and biases.The course helped me attain a deeper understanding of the political landscape that takes over the Middle East, and why it is such a unique political phenomenon.