Students

CUL 120 – Living Culture

2015 – S1 Day

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit Convenor
Ian Collinson
Contact via ian.collinson@mq.edu.au
Y3A 191G
Credit points Credit points
3
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
From the printed page to the internet, from figurative painting to digital photography, from radio to the iPod, from film to the webcam, the last hundred years have seen a radical transformation in the way ideas and values are communicated, and how we're entertained. These changes aren't just a revolution in technology, however. They have been accompanied by an even more radical transformation in how people understand their place in the world. From modem authority to post-modern multiplicity, from national identity to global fluidity, from passive consumption to interactivity, our understandings of who we are, how we relate to one another and how we identify ourselves have also been transformed. The aim of this unit, and cultural studies in general, is to introduce you to how these changes are related to one another, and how they affect the way we live, play and work.

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:

  • Demonstrate knowledge of the practice of Cultural Studies, in particular, the concepts and thinkers that are central to the field.
  • Engage critically with cultural texts and practices from everyday life.
  • Demonstrate a critical awareness of the material effects of ways of knowing, and a capacity to intervene in those processes.
  • Demonstrate commitment to the problematisation of inequality.
  • Engage with the ideas of others, present ideas in a coherent manner, and offer evidence to support their arguments.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Due
In-class quiz 30% Variable
Plan & Annotated Bibliography 20% 5pm 23/4/15 (Week 7)
Major Essay 40% 5pm 11/6/15 (Week 13)
Tutorial Participation 10% Continuous from Week 2

In-class quiz

Due: Variable
Weighting: 30%

We will have three ‘surprise’ in-class quizzes during the semester between weeks 3 and 12.

In each you will be asked to display your knowledge of particular key terms and concepts introduced in the lectures and readings. Each quiz is worth 10%. If you are absent you must produce a medical certificate if you wish to sit a supplementary quiz.

Please note: you will complete one of these in-class quizzes in one of the tutorials before week 5 (in either week 3, 4 or 5). This first quiz is an early assessment as required by the University's learning and teaching policy. 

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate knowledge of the practice of Cultural Studies, in particular, the concepts and thinkers that are central to the field.
  • Engage critically with cultural texts and practices from everyday life.
  • Engage with the ideas of others, present ideas in a coherent manner, and offer evidence to support their arguments.

Plan & Annotated Bibliography

Due: 5pm 23/4/15 (Week 7)
Weighting: 20%

Length: Plan (500 words) Annotated Bibliography (500 words)

Assignment must be submitted through Turnitin. Instructions will be available on the unit webpage.

Essay questions will be posted on the iLearn site in week 2.

Detailed instructions for this task will also be posted in iLearn.

This assignment will be assessed according to its: argument, outline/structure, use of theories/concepts, appropriate and innovative examples, and its research resources, their relevance and usefulness in the analysis, and written expression.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate knowledge of the practice of Cultural Studies, in particular, the concepts and thinkers that are central to the field.
  • Engage critically with cultural texts and practices from everyday life.
  • Demonstrate a critical awareness of the material effects of ways of knowing, and a capacity to intervene in those processes.
  • Demonstrate commitment to the problematisation of inequality.
  • Engage with the ideas of others, present ideas in a coherent manner, and offer evidence to support their arguments.

Major Essay

Due: 5pm 11/6/15 (Week 13)
Weighting: 40%

Length: 2,000 words

Essay must be submitted through Turnitin

A selection of essay questions will be posted on iLearn in week 2.

The essay will be assessed according to its: relevance to the question, critical thinking, argument and analysis, identification and use of appropriate cultural theory, research, structure, written expression and referencing.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate knowledge of the practice of Cultural Studies, in particular, the concepts and thinkers that are central to the field.
  • Engage critically with cultural texts and practices from everyday life.
  • Demonstrate a critical awareness of the material effects of ways of knowing, and a capacity to intervene in those processes.
  • Demonstrate commitment to the problematisation of inequality.
  • Engage with the ideas of others, present ideas in a coherent manner, and offer evidence to support their arguments.

Tutorial Participation

Due: Continuous from Week 2
Weighting: 10%

Students will be assessed on their active participation in tutorial activities in week 3-12.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate knowledge of the practice of Cultural Studies, in particular, the concepts and thinkers that are central to the field.
  • Engage critically with cultural texts and practices from everyday life.
  • Demonstrate a critical awareness of the material effects of ways of knowing, and a capacity to intervene in those processes.
  • Engage with the ideas of others, present ideas in a coherent manner, and offer evidence to support their arguments.

Delivery and Resources

 

For lecture times and classrooms please consult the MQ Timetable website: http://www.timetables.mq.edu.au. This website will display up-to-date information on your classes and classroom locations.

Lectures will be held on Mondays, 3p-4pm, in the W5A P.G. Price Theatre

Lectures will be recorded and made available via Echo360 which you may access through ilearn.

There is a reader for this unit which can be purchased at the Co-op Bookshop on campus. There is no text book for CUL120.

Please make sure that you are enrolled in a tutorial. Tutorials for this unit begin in week 2.

 

 

 

Unit Schedule

1. What is culture? What is cultural studies?

Week 1 (week beginning Monday 23rd Feb): Introduction: What is Cultural Studies? 

Week 2 (week beginning Monday 2nd March): From Humanism to Poststructuralism

Sullivan, N. (2012) ‘Humanism and Poststructuralism’ – notes for CUL120

 

2. Thinking about culture: key concepts for cultural analysis

Week 3 (week beginning Monday 9th March): Subjectivity & Otherness

Mansfield, N.  (2000) "Foucault: the Subject, and Power," Subjectivity: Theories of Self from Freud to Haraway, Sydney: Allen & Unwin, 51-65.

Week 4 (week beginning Monday 16th March): Bodies  

Lewis, J. (2002) "The Body", Cultural Studies: The Basics, London: Sage.

Week 5 (week beginning Monday 23rd March): Performance/Performativity

Carlson, M. (2004) Performance: A Critical Introduction, 2nd ed., New York & London: Routledge pp.11-18, 31-37, 61-63 & 76-79

Week 6 (week beginning Monday 30th March): Habitus 

Swartz, D.L. (2002) "The Sociology of Habit: The Perspective of Pierre Bourdieu" The Occupational Therapy Journal of Research, v22, Winter, pp.61s-69s

Week 7: (week beginning Monday 20th April): Place/Space

Thrift, N. (2009) "Space: The Fundamental Stuff of Geography", in G. Valentine, S. Holloway & S. Price (eds.) Key Concepts in Geography, London:  Sage.

 

3. Living Cultures

Week 8: (week beginning Monday 27th April): Gender

Alsop, R., A. Fitzsimons and K. Lennon (2002) "Natural Women and Men" Theorizing Gender, Cambridge: Polity Press.

Week 9: (week beginning Monday 4th May): Sexuality

Weeks, J. (1986) “The Invention of Sexuality”, Sexuality, London: Routledge.

Week 10: (week beginning Monday 11th May): Race

Hall, S. (1997) "The Spectacle of the Other", Representation: Cultural Representations and Signifying Practices, Milton Keynes: Open University Press.

Week 11:(week beginning Monday 18th May): Nature/Culture

Sundberg, J. and Dempsey, J. (2009) “Culture/Natures”, in K.Kitchen, and N. Thrift (eds) International Encyclopedia of Human Geography, Rotterdam:  Elsvier.

Plumwood, V. (2002) Environmental Culture: The Ecological Crisis of Reason, London: Routledge.

Week 12: (week beginning Monday 25th May): Ethics

Zylinska, J. (2006) "Cultural Studies and Ethics", in G. Hall and C. Birchall (eds) New Cultural Studies: Adventures in Theory, Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

Week 13: No Lecture

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central. Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Academic Honesty Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html

Assessment Policy  http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy.html

Grading Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grading/policy.html

Grade Appeal Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html

Grievance Management Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grievance_management/policy.html

Disruption to Studies Policy http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html The Disruption to Studies Policy is effective from March 3 2014 and replaces the Special Consideration Policy.

In addition, a number of other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of Policy Central.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/

Results

Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au.

Additional Information

The Department of Media, Music, Communication & Cultural Studies has an assignment remark policy. Please find the relevant information/application form here: http://www.mq.edu.au/pubstatic/public/download/?id=167914

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://informatics.mq.edu.au/help/

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Graduate Capabilities

Creative and Innovative

Our graduates will also be capable of creative thinking and of creating knowledge. They will be imaginative and open to experience and capable of innovation at work and in the community. We want them to be engaged in applying their critical, creative thinking.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Engage critically with cultural texts and practices from everyday life.
  • Demonstrate a critical awareness of the material effects of ways of knowing, and a capacity to intervene in those processes.
  • Demonstrate commitment to the problematisation of inequality.

Assessment task

  • Major Essay

Discipline Specific Knowledge and Skills

Our graduates will take with them the intellectual development, depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content in their chosen fields to make them competent and confident in their subject or profession. They will be able to demonstrate, where relevant, professional technical competence and meet professional standards. They will be able to articulate the structure of knowledge of their discipline, be able to adapt discipline-specific knowledge to novel situations, and be able to contribute from their discipline to inter-disciplinary solutions to problems.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Demonstrate knowledge of the practice of Cultural Studies, in particular, the concepts and thinkers that are central to the field.
  • Engage critically with cultural texts and practices from everyday life.
  • Demonstrate a critical awareness of the material effects of ways of knowing, and a capacity to intervene in those processes.
  • Demonstrate commitment to the problematisation of inequality.

Assessment tasks

  • In-class quiz
  • Plan & Annotated Bibliography
  • Major Essay
  • Tutorial Participation

Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking

We want our graduates to be capable of reasoning, questioning and analysing, and to integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments; to be able to critique constraints, assumptions and limitations; to be able to think independently and systemically in relation to scholarly activity, in the workplace, and in the world. We want them to have a level of scientific and information technology literacy.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Demonstrate knowledge of the practice of Cultural Studies, in particular, the concepts and thinkers that are central to the field.
  • Engage critically with cultural texts and practices from everyday life.
  • Demonstrate commitment to the problematisation of inequality.
  • Engage with the ideas of others, present ideas in a coherent manner, and offer evidence to support their arguments.

Assessment tasks

  • In-class quiz
  • Plan & Annotated Bibliography
  • Major Essay
  • Tutorial Participation

Problem Solving and Research Capability

Our graduates should be capable of researching; of analysing, and interpreting and assessing data and information in various forms; of drawing connections across fields of knowledge; and they should be able to relate their knowledge to complex situations at work or in the world, in order to diagnose and solve problems. We want them to have the confidence to take the initiative in doing so, within an awareness of their own limitations.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Engage critically with cultural texts and practices from everyday life.
  • Demonstrate commitment to the problematisation of inequality.

Assessment tasks

  • Plan & Annotated Bibliography
  • Major Essay

Effective Communication

We want to develop in our students the ability to communicate and convey their views in forms effective with different audiences. We want our graduates to take with them the capability to read, listen, question, gather and evaluate information resources in a variety of formats, assess, write clearly, speak effectively, and to use visual communication and communication technologies as appropriate.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Demonstrate a critical awareness of the material effects of ways of knowing, and a capacity to intervene in those processes.
  • Demonstrate commitment to the problematisation of inequality.
  • Engage with the ideas of others, present ideas in a coherent manner, and offer evidence to support their arguments.

Assessment tasks

  • In-class quiz
  • Plan & Annotated Bibliography
  • Major Essay
  • Tutorial Participation

Engaged and Ethical Local and Global citizens

As local citizens our graduates will be aware of indigenous perspectives and of the nation's historical context. They will be engaged with the challenges of contemporary society and with knowledge and ideas. We want our graduates to have respect for diversity, to be open-minded, sensitive to others and inclusive, and to be open to other cultures and perspectives: they should have a level of cultural literacy. Our graduates should be aware of disadvantage and social justice, and be willing to participate to help create a wiser and better society.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Demonstrate a critical awareness of the material effects of ways of knowing, and a capacity to intervene in those processes.
  • Demonstrate commitment to the problematisation of inequality.

Assessment task

  • Major Essay

Socially and Environmentally Active and Responsible

We want our graduates to be aware of and have respect for self and others; to be able to work with others as a leader and a team player; to have a sense of connectedness with others and country; and to have a sense of mutual obligation. Our graduates should be informed and active participants in moving society towards sustainability.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Demonstrate a critical awareness of the material effects of ways of knowing, and a capacity to intervene in those processes.
  • Demonstrate commitment to the problematisation of inequality.

Assessment task

  • Major Essay

Changes from Previous Offering

Since the 2014 offering of this unit the assessment structure and order of lectures have both changed.

Assignment Submission

Assignment Submission

Written work must be submitted to the box provided on Level 1, W6A. Students must print and attach a completed bar-coded coversheet to all submitted work. A personalised coversheet is generated from the student section of the Faculty of Arts website at:

http://www.arts.mq.edu.au/current_students/undergraduates/admin_central/coversheet

Please generate you student details and click the GET MY ASSIGNMENT COVERSHEET button. No other coversheets will be provided by the Faculty.

Marked work will be returned in tutorials. Residuals will be available for collection from the Arts Student Centre (W6A Foyer) after Week 13.

In addition to the hard-copy all assignments must be submitted through Turnitin. Instructions will be available on the unit webpage.

 

Late Penalties

Essays that are submitted late will be penalised 5% per day late unless the student has organised an extension of time beforehand. Students will be expected to provide a medical certificate or other written evidence of serious misadventure. Please note that weekends count towards the late period.