Students
MECO702 – Critical Enquiry and Creative Practice 1
2014 – S1 Day
General Information
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| Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Unit Convenor
John Potts
Contact via john.potts@mq.edu.au
Y3A 165J
Monday 3-4
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| Credit points |
Credit points
4
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| Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
Admission to MRes
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| Corequisites |
Corequisites
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| Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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| Unit description |
Unit description
Learn how to produce, improve and demonstrate your creative imagination, reasoning and skills through an appreciation of texts (literary, music/sound, film, performative, theoretical) using critical reflection and analytic tools. This unit will provide opportunities for critical reflection and/or creative production relevant to specific disciplinary areas.
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Important Academic Dates
Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- Gain advanced knowledge of the literature in their field as it applies to their research topic.
- Evaluate, synthesise and analyse various texts (music, media, literary, theoretical) and scholarly literature appropriate t their research topic.
- Demonstrate critical thinking and evaluation of the arguments of others and a development of their own ideas and arguments in relation to the scholarly literature in their field of knowledge.
- Communicate (performative or oral and written) to present a clear and coherent exposition of the theoretical and analytical knowledge and methods utilised in their field of research.
- Apply knowledge and ideas to new contexts and multiple mediums.
- Attain advanced skills in the production (written, sound, filmic, performative, theoretical) of creative work relevant to their discipline.
Assessment Tasks
| Name | Weighting | Due |
|---|---|---|
| Creative Practice Task | 40% | 28 April |
| Presentation | 20% | 26 May |
| Critical Enquiry Essay | 40% | 2 June |
Creative Practice Task
Due: 28 April
Weighting: 40%
The first assignment is a minor research paper, of 2000 words, written on a topic of your choice related to celebrity, fame or charisma.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Communicate (performative or oral and written) to present a clear and coherent exposition of the theoretical and analytical knowledge and methods utilised in their field of research.
- Apply knowledge and ideas to new contexts and multiple mediums.
- Attain advanced skills in the production (written, sound, filmic, performative, theoretical) of creative work relevant to their discipline.
Presentation
Due: 26 May
Weighting: 20%
A presentation delivered in the seminar of approxiamtely 15 minutes duration.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Gain advanced knowledge of the literature in their field as it applies to their research topic.
- Evaluate, synthesise and analyse various texts (music, media, literary, theoretical) and scholarly literature appropriate t their research topic.
- Demonstrate critical thinking and evaluation of the arguments of others and a development of their own ideas and arguments in relation to the scholarly literature in their field of knowledge.
- Communicate (performative or oral and written) to present a clear and coherent exposition of the theoretical and analytical knowledge and methods utilised in their field of research.
Critical Enquiry Essay
Due: 2 June
Weighting: 40%
This essay is the major research paper on a topic of your choice within the domain of clebrity studies, including the study of fame and charisma. This essay must be on a different topic to the minor research paper. It should demonstrate wide reading, excellent research skills and in-depth critical analysis.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Gain advanced knowledge of the literature in their field as it applies to their research topic.
- Evaluate, synthesise and analyse various texts (music, media, literary, theoretical) and scholarly literature appropriate t their research topic.
- Demonstrate critical thinking and evaluation of the arguments of others and a development of their own ideas and arguments in relation to the scholarly literature in their field of knowledge.
- Communicate (performative or oral and written) to present a clear and coherent exposition of the theoretical and analytical knowledge and methods utilised in their field of research.
- Apply knowledge and ideas to new contexts and multiple mediums.
Delivery and Resources
There is a set text for this unit:
Potts, John, A History of Charisma Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan 2009.
This book is available in the Co-Op Bookshop for $29.95.
It is also available in the Library as an e-book.
Other readings as listed in the Schedule will be provided by the convenor.
There are three books held in the Library Reserve pertaining to this unit:
Braudy, Leo, The Frenzy of Renown: Fame and its History New York: Oxford University Press 1986
Holmes, S. and Redmond, S. (eds), Framing Celebrity: New Directions in Celebrity Culture New York: Routledge 2006
Marshall, P. David (ed), The Celebrity Culture Reader New York: Routledge 2006
An e-book is available in the Library through MyiLibrary:
Burns, Kell S., Celeb 2.0: How Social Media Foster Our Fascination with Popular Culture Santa Barbara: ABC-Clio 2009
Issues of the journal Celebrity Studies are also available online through the Library catalogue. Recent themed issues have included sex and celebrity, the celebrity of David Bowie, and celebrity and female ageing.
Articles from a special issue on Charisma Medieval and Modern of Religions journal, 2014, are available online through Open Access at
www.mdpi.com/journal/religions/special_issues/charisma_medieval
The bibliography lists other relevant books held in the library. Additional readings from these books are suggested in the weekly schedule. Various press, magazine, film, TV and web sources will be provided throughout the semester.
There is no web page for this unit.
Unit Schedule
Seminar Schedule
WEEK 1: INTRODUCTION TO THE UNIT
3 March
WEEK 2: DEFINING CELEBRITY, FAME AND CHARISMA
10 March John Potts, A History of Charisma, pp. 1-6, 23, 106-108, 159-160
Screenings: A Star is Born, William Wellman, 1937; A Star is Born, George Cukor, 1954; The King of Comedy, Martin Scorsese, 1983 (excerpts)
WEEK 3: THE HISTORY OF FAME
17 March A History of Charisma, Chapter 8 pp. 160-165
Leo Braudy, ‘Introduction’ in The Frenzy of Renown
Daniel Mendelsohn, ‘But Enough About Me’, The New Yorker, 25 January 2010
Additional Reading: Simon Morgan, ‘Celebrity: Academic “Pseudo-Event” or a Useful Concept for Historians?’ in Cultural and Social History 8:1 2011, pp. 95-114
WEEK 4: CHARISMA, PAST AND PRESENT
24 March A History of Charisma, Chapter 6 and Chapter 9
Additional Readings: Len Oakes, ‘The Rise of the Charismatic Leader’ from The Charismatic Personality (2010)
Max Weber, excerpts on charisma from Economy and Society
WEEK 5: THE HOLLYWOOD STAR STSTEM
31 March A History of Charisma, 165-172
Richard deCordova, ‘The Emergence of the Star System in America’
Additional Readings: Joshua Gamson, ‘The Assembly Line of Greatness: Celebrity in Twentieth-Century America’ in Redmond & Holmes 2007
Samantha Barbas, excerpt from Movie Crazy: Fans, Stars and the Cult of Celebrity in Redmond & Holmes 2007
Screening: ‘The Star’, American Cinema
WEEK 6: THE ADVENT OF CELEBRITY
7 April The History of Charisma, pp. 172-178
Daniel Boorstin, ‘From Hero to Celebrity: the Human Pseudo-Event’ in Marshall (ed) 2006
Edgar Morin, excerpts from The Stars
Additonal Reading: Richard Dyer, Stars
Screening: It Should Happen To You! George Cukor, 1953
MID-SEMESTER BREAK
WEEK 7: MODERN CELEBRITY
28 April Presentation by Jennifer Corkin: Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton: The Dawn of Modern Celebrity
Kashner, Sam & Schoenberger, Nancy, 'Very Important People' in Furious Love : Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and the Marriage of the Century, London: JR Books, 2010.
Additional Reading: Mann, William, J How to Be a Movie Star : Elizabeth Taylor in Hollywood, Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009.
WEEK 8: CONTEMPORARY CELEBRITY, CHARISMA AND CELEBRITY STUDIES
5 May The History of Charisma, chapter 10
Celebrity Studies journal issues available online, Library catalogue
Sean Redmond, ‘Intimate Fame Everywhere’ in Holmes & Redmond (eds) 2006
Additional Readings: Graeme Turner, Frances Bonner & P. David Marshall, ‘Producing Celebrity’ in Marshall (ed) 2006
Richard Johnson, ‘Exemplary Differences: Mourning (and Not Mourning) a Princess’ in Marshall (ed) 2006
Deborah Jermyn, ‘Bringing Out the Star in You’ in Holmes & Redmond (eds) 2006
WEEK 9 CONTEMPORARY CELEBRITY: REALITY TV AND SOCIAL MEDIA
12 May The History of Charisma, pp. 178-181
Burns, Kell S., Celeb 2.0: How Social Media Foster Our Fascination with Popular Culture – available online as e-book, Library catalogue
P. David Marshall, ‘New Media – New Self: The Changing Power of Celebrity’ in Marshall (ed) 2006
Additional Readings: Theresa M. Senft, ‘Keeping it Real on the Web: Authenticity, Celebrity, Branding’ in Camgirls
Ellis Cashmore, ‘Televising/Reality’ in Celebrity/Culture
Jay Rosen, ‘The People Formerly Known as the Audience’ in Michael Mandiberg (ed) The Social Media Reader, 2012
Alison Hearn, ‘”John, a 20-Year Old Boston Native…”’ in Marshall (ed) 2006
WEEK 10 - 11: STUDENT SEMINAR PRESENTATIONS
19 - 26 May
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