Entry requirements

Degree of Bachelor or equivalent + The equivalent of English course 6 in Swedish secondary school, or: English level 2.

Main field

KSCFD Communication for Development

Progression level in relation to degree requirements

Compulsory course for the Master Degree in Communication for Development (HACFD)

Course contents

This course comprises two modules.

*Communication and Development Cooperation *(7.5hp) explores the strategic approaches to communication for development among significant organisations in the field, addressing institutional contexts and discourses.

The module *Culture and Media Analysis *(7.5hp) invites students to explore specific texts/media representations in development or humanitarian organisations, popular or memory culture as well as social movements.

Learning outcomes

After completing the course, students will be able to:

1. explain the relationship between development cooperation organisations and their communication for development initiatives and strategies.
2. plan, produce and disseminate communication products for development policy and practice.
3. engage in intercultural dialogue and co-operation and critically reflect on their own background and position of power as well as ethical issues in relation to their work.
4. apply key theories of communication, culture and media analysis, with a particular focus on representation.
5. analyse media and cultural artefacts and explain the relevance of media and culture for global development and 
   social change.

Learning activities

The course consists of lectures and seminars, student group work and individual work, including classroom presentations and participation in peer review activities.

Assessment

Introduction to contemporary challenges in the field of communication for development and social change (2.5hp): Individual readings presented at a seminar in the classroom (pairs/small groups) (LO 1) (G-U)

Policy brief assignment (5hp): Scenario-based exercise where students are responding to contemporary organisational challenges by writing a short document outlining the value and impact of communications work; students get together in small groups/teams and present their proposal to a simulated senior management board, external stakeholders and/or funders (LO 2, 3 (A-U)

Textual analysis (7.5hp): Students write a 3000-word essay on an in-depth reading and analysis of a selected media text (or a comparison of two texts) that engages with global development and social change issues. (LO 4, 5) (A-U)

To achieve an overall A grade in the course, assignment two and three need to be passed with A

Course literature and other study materials

Joint reading module 1 - Communication and Development Cooperation

• McAnany, Emile G. (2012) Saving the World: A Brief History of Communication for Development and Social Change. Champaign, IL: University of Illinois Press.
• Scott, Martin; Wright, Kate; Bunce, Mel (2022) Humanitarian Journalists: Covering Crises from a Boundary Zone. Oxon: Routledge.
• Suzina, Ana Cristina (Ed) (2021): The Evolution of Popular Communication in Latin America. Cham: Palgrave.

Joint reading module 2 - Culture and Media Analysis

• Barthes, Roland (1957) Mythologies. London: Penguin.
• Hall, Stuart, Evans, Jessica and Nixon, Sean (ed.) (2013) Representations. Cultural Representations and Signifying Practices, Second Edition. London: Sage.
• Rose, Gillian (2016) Visual Methodologies, 5th edition. London: Sage

An updated list of further recommended and additional readings for the course are listed on the Canvas course site.

Course evaluation

Malmö University provides students who participate in, or who have completed a course, with the opportunity to express their opinions and describe their experiences of the course by completing a course evaluation administered by the University. The University will compile and summarise the results of course evaluations. The University will also inform participants of the results and any decisions relating to measures taken in response to the course evaluations. The results will be made available to the students (HF 1:14).

Interim rules

If a course is no longer offered, or has undergone significant changes, the students must be offered two opportunities for re-examination based on the syllabus that applied at the time of registration, for a period of one year after the changes have been implemented. The syllabus is a translation of a Swedish source text.

Additional information

If a student has a Learning support decision, the examiner has the right to provide the student with an adapted test, or to allow the student to take the exam in a different format. The syllabus is a translation of a Swedish source text.