History of Communication
Code: 104763 ECTS Credits: 6| Degree | Type | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Communication in Organisations | FB | 1 |
Contact
- Name:
- Francesc Xavier Camprubi Pla
- Email:
- xevi.camprubi@uab.cat
Teachers
- Maria Teresa Ferre Panisello
Teaching groups languages
You can view this information at the end of this document.
Prerequisites
No specific requirements.
Objectives and Contextualisation
- Understand the different dimensions of the field of Communication.
- To inscribe the impact of the novelties that occur in the field of Communication within a chronological sequence that allows us to discern what is really new and involves new challenges.
- To be able to deepen in the organizational character that is “constitutive” of all the established historical forms of Communication.
- To be able to develop all the communicative functions in the organizational professional field with full awareness of its mediating dimension.
- Take full consciousness of the systematic (ecosystematic) nature that all forms of social communication adopt.
Learning Outcomes
- CM01 (Competence) Introduce the most significant theories from the discipline and the historical and structural foundations of communication in any of the organisation's communication activities, while assessing the impact of stereotypes and gender roles.
- CM01 (Competence) Introduce the most significant theories from the discipline and the historical and structural foundations of communication in any of the organisation's communication activities, while assessing the impact of stereotypes and gender roles.
- KM01 (Knowledge) Identify the foundations of the theories, history and structure of communication systems both nationally and internationally.
- SM01 (Skill) Determine what is substantial and relevant in documents on the theory, structure, and history of communication for corporate professional projects and actions.
- SM03 (Skill) Communicate information and ideas appropriately and correctly in standard Catalan and Spanish, as well as when expressing and defending arguments related to the history, theories and structure of communication.
Content
- The origin of social communication. The invention of writing.
- Distance communication in the pre-industrial era. The mail system.
- Humanism and the universalization of reading.
- The mobile type press and the functional use of printed paper.
- The birth of the press. From gazettes to the first daily newspapers.
- Telecommunications at the beginning of the industrial age. The telegraph.
- The introduction of the steam engine to communication. The mass media.
- The image in communication. From engraving to photography.
- Audiovisual culture: radio, television and cinema.
- The digital era. The new communication technologies.
The course content will be sensitive to issues related to gender perspective and the use of inclusive language.
Activities and Methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| Lessons and seminars | 48 | 1.92 | |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Readings | 48 | 1.92 | |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Work | 52 | 2.08 |
Lectures. lessons, seminars, readings and the final work/paper.
The detailed calendar with the content of the different sessions will be exposed on the day of presentation of the subject. It will also be posted on the Virtual Campus where students can find the detailed description of the exercises and practices, the various teaching materials and any information necessary for the proper monitoring of the subject.
Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.
Assessment
Continous Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 20% | 0 | 0 | CM01, KM01, SM01, SM03 |
| Practical exam | 30% | 0 | 0 | SM01, SM03 |
| Theoretical Exam | 50% | 2 | 0.08 | CM01, KM01, SM01, SM03 |
Continued avaluation
The continuous assessment is fixed in the following activities and percentages:
50% Theoretical exam. The exam will be divided in two partial exams.
30% Practical exam. The exam will consist in several written tasks, to be executed at the end of each seminar.
20% Essay
Single assessment
Students will have the right to opt for the single assessment in the terms established by current regulations. The activities and percentages of this modality are set as follows:
50% Theoretical exam. It will consist in a single exam, to be executed in the assigned day.
30% Practical exam. It will consist in a single exam, to be executed in the same day of the theoretical exam.
20% Essay.
Students who opt for a single assessment can take both exams on the same day, as stipulated in the regulations.
The essay delivery date will be the same as that established for students who take continuous assessment.
Continued avaluation recovery
Students will have the right to retake the subject if they have been assessed for a set of activities whose weight is equivalent to a minimum of 2/3 of the subject’s total grade.
In order to be able to retake the subject, an average grade of 3 out of 10 must have been obtained.
The recovery will consist of a theoretical and practical exam. The percentage of each part will be the same as in the ordinary assessment. The course work is not recoverable, so the grade will be the same as the one obtained initially.
The maximum mark that can be obtained in the recovery test is 5 out of 10.
Single assessment recovery
To opt for the recovery of the single assessment, it will be compulsory to have taken the ordinary single assessment and obtained an average grade of 3 out of 10.
The recovery will consist of a theoretical andpractical exam. The percentage of each part will be the same as in the ordinary assessment. The coursework is not recoverable, so the grade will be the same as the one obtainedinitially.
The maximum mark that can be obtained in the recovery test is 5 out of 10.
General observations
The student who commits any irregularity (copying, plagiarism, impersonation, etc.) that could lead to a significant variation in the grade of an assessment act, will be graded with 0 for that assessment act. If more than one irregularity occurs, the final grade of the subject will be 0.
Throughout the evaluation process, criteria from a gender perspective and respect for cultural diversity will be taken into account.
In this course, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is permitted as an integral part of assignment development, provided that the final outcome demonstrates a significant contribution from the student in terms of analysis and personal reflection. Students must clearly identify any content generated using AI, specify the tools employed, and include a critical reflection on how these technologies have influenced both the process and the final result of the assignment. Failure to disclose the use of AI in this assessed activity will be considered a breach of academic integrity and may result in a partial or total penalty to the assignment grade, or more serious sanctions in severe cases.
Bibliography
Briggs, Asa (2002), De Gutenberg a Internet. Una historia social de los medios de comunicación, Madrid: Taurus.
Camprubí, Xevi (2020), La revolució de la impremta. La contribució de la tipografia al desenvolupament de la Catalunya moderna, Catarroja: Afers.
Crowley, David; Heyer, Paul (1997), La comunicación en la Historia. Tecnología, cultura, sociedad, Barcelona: Bosch.
Freund, Gisèle (1993), La fotografía como documento social, Barcelona: Gustavo Gili.
Gómez Mompart, Josep Lluís; Marín, Enric (1999), Historia del Periodismo Universal, Madrid: Síntesis.
Marín, Enric; Tresserras, Joan Manuel (1994), Cultura de masses i postmodernitat, València: 3i4.
McLuhan, Marshall (1993), La Galaxia Gutenberg. Génesis del Homo Typographicus, Barcelona: Círculo de lectores.
Moragas, Miquel de (2022), La comunicación y sus cambios. De los orígenes al móvil, Bellaterra: Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.
Vázquez Montalbán, Manuel (1985), Historia y comunicación social, Madrid: Alianza Editorial.
Williams, Raymond (1992), Historia de la Comunicación, Barcelona: Bosch.
Software
No knowledge of specific software is required beyond the usual office suites.
Groups and Languages
Please note that this information is provisional until 30 November 2025. You can check it through this link. To consult the language you will need to enter the CODE of the subject.
| Name | Group | Language | Semester | Turn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (SEM) Seminars | 71 | Catalan | first semester | afternoon |
| (SEM) Seminars | 72 | Catalan | first semester | afternoon |
| (TE) Theory | 7 | Catalan | first semester | afternoon |