ADVERTISING & SOCIAL
RESPONSIBILITY
ADV 465 Section 001 - Spring 2001
Instructor: Dr.
La Ferle
Phone: 353-6378
Office: CAS 541 email: laferlec@msu.edu
Office
Hours: M/W 8:00 - 10:00 a.m. &
by appointment (email or call to set up)
Required
Texts:
Rotzell, K. B., J. E. Haefner, and S. R.
Hall (1996), Advertising in Contemporary
Society:
Perspectives Toward Understanding,
Chicago: The University of Illinois
Press. (R)
Fueroghne, Dean
K (2000), Law and Advertising,
Chicago: The Copy Workshop.
(F)
Course Pack:
Available at Ned’s Bookstore at 135 E. Grand River Ave - 332-4200. (CP)
Handouts (HO)
Overview:
Many of the
courses offered in advertising focus on methods for developing persuasive
communication. Effective communication often entails understanding the
psychological aspects of consumer behavior, developing creative methods for
communicating messages, placing messages in the right media, and efficiently
allocating resources. However, this course examines the role and impact of
advertising in society. In this class we will consider the economic, legal
& regulatory, ethical, and social issues that surround advertising.
Course
Objectives:
· to become aware of and understand the
conflicting arguments (economic, legal, ethical, psychological and social) surrounding the roles and
effects of advertising in society (and to do this by moving beyond broad
generalizations and unsupported assumptions that many critics and defenders of
advertising often turn to for support)
·
to view
advertising as a powerful institution in our economic system
·
to provide
an understanding of the legal and regulatory environment
·
to enhance
the sensitivity of prospective advertising practitioners to the social
influences of their work and develop a sense of professional ethics
The
requirements of the course have been designed to provide students with concepts
and experiences needed to meet the above-stated objectives and to measure the
amount of success toward reaching these objectives. Exams ensure students learn
the core material presented in the readings and class discussions, while
assignments help students practically apply material.
determine the final grade:
Total 100% 65%-69% 1.5
Assignments
& Participation:
During the
semester you will be given several assignments to complete, either individually
or in groups and either during class time or on your own time. Students should
be prepared to share and discuss their assignments/ideas with the class,
therefore attendance is important. In class assignments cannot be made up. Assignments to be completed outside of
class are due at the beginning of class on the day they are due. Except
in the case of a documented emergency or serious illness, late assignments
will not be accepted and will receive a grade of ZERO. If you miss a class or know you will be
away please feel free to contact me by phone, email, or visit my office to find
out the material covered. If you know you will be away on the day an assignment
is due, hand the assignment in to me early.
Part of the
learning process is sharing ideas and different points of view. Therefore, you
are all encouraged and expected to participate on a regular basis. This means
it is important to attend class regularly and complete the assigned readings
and/or assignments required. Assigned readings should be read carefully and
critically prior to class. As a starting point for weekly discussions, you
should think about each reading in terms of: 1) What are the main issues
raised, and 2) How do the readings contribute to our understanding of the
effects of advertising in society?
Exams
& Quizzes:
· Written assignments are graded on organization, clarity of
issues/arguments, originality and content, as well as on grammar, spelling,
and punctuation. Please type and double space all work using a 12 point
font size with at least one inch margins. All work involving secondary sources
must include a reference page (Journal of Advertising format) that clearly indicates where
information was obtained.
· Late work will not be accepted and will receive
the grade of ZERO
unless an unforeseen emergency arises for which valid proof of absence is
required. Please contact me by phone or email in the event of an emergency or
stop by my office as soon as possible.
· No make-up exams or quizzes will be given. The only possible
exception is a documented personal illness or injury, or a documented death in
the family. In such a case, students must contact me before test time. Any
make-up exam or quiz may differ from the original (to maintain the security of
the test); therefore, any makeup exam or quiz may be more difficult than the
original and/or it may use a different format.
· Students have one week after exam, quiz,
and assignment grades have been posted to review their work and dispute any questions regarding their
grade.
· Extra-credit opportunities may be announced in class. They may be
conducted in class, or may be scheduled for another time outside of class.
Extra-credit opportunities are subject to restrictions imposed by the
instructor and cannot be made-up.
· Students are expected to arrive in
class on time and to
stay for the entire class. Random arrivals and exits only serve to distract the
class.
· Everyone in this class has the right
to his/her own opinion
and to disagree with others in the class, but respect for the views of others
is mandatory. No one in the class should be made to feel uncomfortable about
stating his or her opinion. Only through open dialogue can we come to
understand the complex issues facing our world and grow together as people of a
diverse society.
·
Scholastic
Dishonesty: Unless
otherwise stated, all work in this course is to be completed on an individual
basis and should be the original work of the student. Students who violate University rules
on scholastic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary penalties, including the
possibility of failure in the course and dismissal from the University. Since
dishonesty harms the individual, all students, and the integrity of the
University, policies on scholastic dishonesty will be strictly enforced.
Scholastic dishonesty includes plagiarism, which according to Webster is: “to take (ideas,
writings, etc.) from (another) and pass them off as one’s own.”
Therefore, handing in a paper written by someone else is a clear example of
plagiarism. However, even the act of writing one sentence in your paper word-for-word of what someone else has written
without giving claim to the original author by using quotation marks, is also a
form of plagiarism. Information taken from the Internet is no
exception to this rule.
In general, always try to paraphrase (write in your own words) the
ideas of other people and be sure to cite their names within the body of your work. Be careful and if you are unsure, please
come in and see me.
WEEK 1M - Jan. 8 |
Introduction
to Course Student
Information Forms (HO) Preface (pp.
ix-xii) and Introduction
(pp.1-11)- “Tools to ‘Clear the Deadwood’” (R) |
|
W - Jan. 10 |
Perspectives
on the Economic Framework of Advertising Chpt. 1
(pp.15-32)-“Idea Systems-Institutions: Advertising and Classical
Liberalism” (R) |
|
WEEK 2 M - Jan. 15 |
No Class -
Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday |
|
W - Jan. 17 |
Expanding
Perspectives on the Economic Framework of Advertising
|
|
WEEK 3 M - Jan. 22 |
The
Relationship of Advertising to Culture and Society
Chapter 3 (pp.
57-89)- “Helpful Perspectives on Advertising as an
Institution”(R) Handout - Article and Advertisement Assignments |
|
W - Jan. 24 |
Library
- Article and Ad Analysis
|
|
WEEK 4 M - Jan. 29 |
How
Does Advertising Affect American Society & Culture - Pros & Cons
“Advertising:
Looking Glass or Molder of the Masses?” - (CP - pp. 104-115) |
|
W - Jan. 31 |
How Does
Advertising Affect American Society & Culture - Pros & Cons
Cont.…
“Advertising:
Looking Glass or Molder of the Masses?” - (CP - pp. 115-127) Group Project Discussion - topic
ideas |
WEEK
5
M -
Feb. 5
|
|
W -
Feb. 7
|
Advertising
and Consumer Information
Chapter 5 (pp.
113-144) - “Advertising and Its Audience” (R) |
WEEK
6
M -
Feb. 12
|
How
Does Advertising Affect the Availability & Quality of Media?
Chapter 6 (pp.
145-161)- “Advertising and the Media” (R) |
W -
Feb. 14
|
Advertising
as Information
Calfee, John
E. (1998, pp.13-18), “How Advertising Informs to Our Benefit”
(CP) Review for Exam |
WEEK
7
M -
Feb. 19
|
EXAM
#1
|
W -
Feb. 21
|
Introduction
to the First Amendment & Commercial Speech
“Free
Speech” (1999, pp.1-9) (CP) Chapter 12 -
“Special Advertising Concerns” (F - pp. 523-550) “Commercial Speech and the First Amendment: The
Constitutional Stepchild” pp. 202-219 (CP)
|
WEEK
8
M -
Feb. 26
|
Commercial
Speech Regulation and Promotional Decisions
|
W -
Feb. 28
|
Quiz
|
WEEK 9M - March 5 |
No Class -
Spring Break |
|
W - March 7 |
No Class -
Spring Break |
*The schedule indicates approximate dates when selected topics will be discussed. Students are responsible for schedule changes announced in class and/or extra readings that may be assigned.