CMM1113D: MEDIA & SOCIAL CONTEXT
DESCRIPTION
This unit introduces students to key theories and methodologies for understanding and analysing a range of communications media in their social and cultural contexts. The unit considers theories and issues of representation in relation to how media discourses construct ways of understanding the world and our place in it, within modern, postmodern and globalised contexts.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
On completion of this unit, students should be able to:
- Discuss a range of theories informing contemporary media studies
- Explore the interactions between media and their social and cultural contexts
- Explain the concepts of the individual, ideology and the social subject
- Analyse the role of the media in postmodern and globalised contexts
UNIT CONTENT
- Theories of representation in consumer culture
- Ideology as a textual process
- The social power of the media
- Identity politics
- Postmodern and globalised contexts structuring media discourses
- Research and essay writing skills
LECTURER
TEACHING AND LEARNING PROCESSES
Students attend one session per week with a two-hour lecture/seminar, one-hour tutorial and one-hour workshop. Lectures are used to introduce main concepts and to guide students through important points. Tutorials/workshops are used to assist students in the application of concepts presented in lectures through problem solving exercises and class discussions. Assignments provide students with the opportunity to develop selected theses of the unit through individual research and critique.
You are required to attend all lectures and workshops, and complete in-class work and assessments in order to pass the unit.
The key learning materials (lecture PowerPoint slides and readings) will be made available for download from the CMM1113D Moodle site.
Please do not arrive late to our weekly sessions. Apart from missing valuable information, lateness is disrespectful to the lecturer and disruptive to your student peers.
Your lecturer will record the following types of attendance: full (lecture, tutorial and workshop), half (over 15 minutes late to or early departure from class), or absent for the whole session.
Assignment Submission Policy
Assignmentsin this course are submitted electronically through Moodle. You may NOT at any stage email me your assignment. If you, for any reason, experience difficulty uploading your assignment, you may bring a hard-copy to class the day the assignment is due to hand in. This means you must test your uploading ability before the due date. There will be no exceptions.
In line with the PIBT Moderation Policy, the PIBT Unit Coordinator may scale student marks up or down. Marks awarded are therefore provisional, and the student’s final grade will be subject to approval by the Board of Examiners. See: Moderation Policy and the Assessment Policy at www.pibt.wa.edu.au/policies
CMM1113D – WEEKLY SCHEDULE
| WK | TOPIC | MEDIA SOURCE | CORE READING | ASSESSMENTS |
| 1 12/10 | Introduction | Overview of Media and Sources | Sardar & Van Loon (1999, pp. 1-12) | |
| 2 19/10 | Ideology | Blogs | Croteau & Hoynes (2003, pp. 159-168) | |
| 3 26/10 | Modernity, Discourse & Power | Large Institutions | Danaher, Schirato & Webb (2000, pp. 30-45) | |
| 4 2/11 | Images, Power and Politics | News outlets | Allmark, (2012) | Short Essay Due (via Moodle) |
| 5 9/11 | Nationalism | Television shows | Avraham & First (2006, pp. 71-86) | |
| 6 16/11 | Race and Otherness | Film | Akito (2006, pp. 1-22) | |
| 7 23/11 | Post (studies) | Art | Lucy (2010, pp. 57-67) | Media Journal Due Part A (printed in class) |
| 8 30/11 | Globalisation | Websites | Ritzer (2012, pp. 85-100) | |
| 9 7/12 | Environment & Consumption | Public Reports | Dauvergne (2007, pp. 3-17; 19-31) | |
| 10 14/12 | Gender, Youth & Desire | Music Videos | Orelebar (2011, pp. 63-77) | |
| Mid–Semester Break | ||||
| 11 4/1 | Fashion and Identity | Advertising | Kaiser (2012, pp. 148-171) | Media Journal Due Part B (via Moodle) |
| 12 11/1 | Media Activism | Public Awareness Campaigns | Cammeats (2007, pp. 67-86) | Major Essay Due (via Moodle) |
| Exam Week – No Exam for this unit |
ASSESSMENT SUMMARY
| Assessment | Week due | Weighting |
| 1. Short Essay | 4 | 20% |
| 2. Media Journal | 7 & 11 | 30% |
| 3. Major Essay | 12 | 40% |
| 4. Participation | All | 10% |
Assignment 1: Short Essay
| Length | 500 words |
| Weighting | 20% |
| Submit | Online via Turnitin / Moodle |
| Time / Date/ Week | 11.55pm - 4 November - Week 4 |
Write a short essay on the following question:
According to Sturken and Cartwright (2004), dominant ideologies are presented as ‘common sense’. Furthermore, dominant ideologies can be viewed as being in tension with other forces and are constantly in a state of flux.
Consider your own personal upbringing. What ideologies which you have previously thought of as common sense are now being challenged? Provide examples where possible.
Evaluative Criteria:
• Accurate use of the core terms
• Clear and coherent argument
• Clear expression and structure
• Effective and accurate use of writing and referencing