COMM2279 · Communication

Free Speech and Social Change

Morrissey College of Arts & Sciences

This course satisfies one of four elective courses required within the Communication major. This course will critically examine conflicts and controversies about freedom of speech in the United States, and will center on interrelated questions such as: what limits (if any) should be put on citizens' right to express their thoughts in the public sphere? Where should we draw the line that distinguishes an intelligible political position from an incendiary incitement to violence? Should certain cultural arenas--such as art, religion, or comedy--be exempt from commonly held norms concerning free speech? Do restrictions on free speech help or hinder activist movements that seek to redistribute power and resources in society? We will survey the philosophical foundations of free speech in Western society, review the history of the free speech debate, and engage a series of contemporary case studies concerning free speech on campuses, in media, and in politics.