Students

MMCS261 – Photo Media

2017 – S2 Day

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit Convenor
Dennis Bruining
Contact via dennis.bruining@mq.edu.au
by appointment
Credit points Credit points
3
Prerequisites Prerequisites
12cp at 100 level or above
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
This unit examines the practice of photography across diverse cultural contexts and media platforms. It will introduce critical debates about the practice of photography and a number of key themes in the history of photography. The unit will consider a range of genres, texts and practices including snapshots and online photo sharing, family albums, fashion photography, photography as art and photojournalism. The unit will include the following topics: street photography and ethics; the photograph as evidence and instrument of organisation; domestic photography and amateurism; photography and otherness; and the place of photography in contemporary digital media cultures.

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:

  • Identify key themes, ideas and concepts in theories of photography.
  • Distinguish between and critically evaluate theoretical positions on photographic practices and texts.
  • Analyse and critically evaluate photographs according to themes, genres, and forms.
  • Research independently in the discipline, including identifying and using appropriate articles in academic journals.
  • Communicate ideas in a range of genres including short reviews, online forums, class discussions and research essays.
  • Communicate ideas verbally, and facilitate and participate in group discussion.
  • Evidence engagement with and reflection on contemporary photographic media.

General Assessment Information

Late Submissions 

Tasks 10% or less. No extensions will be granted. Students who have not submitted the task prior to the deadline will be awarded a mark of 0 for the task, except for cases in which an application for Disruption to Studies is made and approved.

 

Tasks above 10%. Students who submit late work without an extension will receive a penalty of 10% per day. This penalty does not apply for cases in which an application for Disruption to Studies is made and approved.

Please see the link below for the MQ Disruption to Studies Policy.

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.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Engagement 20% No Ongoing, Week 2-13
Lead the discussion 20% No Weeks 3-12
Online Quiz 20% No 11:59 pm, Monday 4 Sept
Final Essay 40% No 11:59pm, Sunday 12 Nov

Engagement

Due: Ongoing, Week 2-13
Weighting: 20%

You are expected to actively engage, contribute and discuss ideas in all tutorials as well as the online exhibition review forum. During the semester all students are required to actively engage with photo media and photographic theory by:

- listening to the weekly lecture and completing the weekly readings before each tutorial

- bringing relevant examples of photos to tutorials

- participating in class discussion and activities

- engaging with your classmates during their 'lead the discussion' assessment during tutorials

- visiting a photographic exhibition during the semester

- posting a short review of the exhibition online and engaging with your classmates' reviews by providing feedback to each other online.

A list of current local photographic exhibitions will be posted on ilearn. Each student will be asked to post a short response to the exhibition they have seen on the iLearn Forum. You must submit this post to iLearn before Monday 16th October and you are asked to read and give feedback on reviews written by your peers via the iLearn Forum. 5% of your overall engagement mark will be based on this forum activity. 

You must notify your tutor as soon as possible if you believe you may be absent from tutorials at any stage and you should provide your tutor with evidence of a medical or personal emergency.

Marking Criteria

  • Preparation for class and active engagement across the semester (by contributing to large and small group discussions and participating in class activities, including the online exhibition review forum)
  • Ability to engage with key concepts and themes covered in readings and lectures across the semester (your engagement grade is not about simply attending class - you need to demonstrate your understanding of the weekly lecture and readings). You receive no marks for attendance, only for engagement and participation.

A rubric for grading your engagement is posted on iLearn and will be discussed in class during the first tutorial in Week 2.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify key themes, ideas and concepts in theories of photography.
  • Distinguish between and critically evaluate theoretical positions on photographic practices and texts.
  • Analyse and critically evaluate photographs according to themes, genres, and forms.
  • Communicate ideas in a range of genres including short reviews, online forums, class discussions and research essays.
  • Communicate ideas verbally, and facilitate and participate in group discussion.
  • Evidence engagement with and reflection on contemporary photographic media.

Lead the discussion

Due: Weeks 3-12
Weighting: 20%

You will lead the tutorial for ten minutes. Your tutor will allocate topics/weeks and dates in the first tutorial and the student led discussions will begin the following week.

Requirements:

You will bring to class a relevant photograph that relates to the week's readings and topic. You should provide a short (2min) explanation of how your photograph relates to one or two key ideas from the readings. You will then use the photograph as a basis for class discussion. The photograph may be one you have taken yourself, or it may be a photograph by a well-known photographer or a photograph found online, but it must have a connection to the week's topic. Please note, this is not a 10min oral presentation, the bulk of the 10 minutes should consist of group discussion.Your role is to guide the discussion. In order to successfully do this you need to have thoughtfully planned out relevant discussion questions and class activities that engage the class in the topic. You will be assessed in class and you don't need to submit any written materials.

Marking Criteria

  • Research and preparation
  • Demonstrated knowledge of the relevant topic
  • Ability to analyse photographs using key concepts from the unit
  • Organisation of the learning activities
  • Communication and providing opportunities for student engagement

On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify key themes, ideas and concepts in theories of photography.
  • Distinguish between and critically evaluate theoretical positions on photographic practices and texts.
  • Analyse and critically evaluate photographs according to themes, genres, and forms.
  • Research independently in the discipline, including identifying and using appropriate articles in academic journals.
  • Communicate ideas in a range of genres including short reviews, online forums, class discussions and research essays.
  • Communicate ideas verbally, and facilitate and participate in group discussion.
  • Evidence engagement with and reflection on contemporary photographic media.

Online Quiz

Due: 11:59 pm, Monday 4 Sept
Weighting: 20%

This is an open book multiple choice test that will be accessed via iLearn. The test will require students to answer a series of multiple choice questions relating to the key readings from Weeks 1- 5. The test will open on Friday 1st September at 5pm and close on Monday 4th September at 11:59pm. The correct answers to the test will be made available after the test has closed.

This test is designed to provide early feedback for students. Key concepts covered in the Week 1-5 readings will inform subsequent topics in the unit. Therefore the test will give students the opportunity to consider which concepts and ideas they have understood, as well as identify areas for improvement in understanding. 

Marking criteria

  • understanding of key concepts in photographic theory as covered in Week 1-5
  • evidence of reading set texts from  Week 1-5

On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify key themes, ideas and concepts in theories of photography.
  • Distinguish between and critically evaluate theoretical positions on photographic practices and texts.

Final Essay

Due: 11:59pm, Sunday 12 Nov
Weighting: 40%

2000 word research essay. Essay topic, marking rubrics and detailed instructions will be distributed in class and posted on iLearn. This essay is due on Sunday the 12th of November at 11:59pm.

Marking Criteria

  • Understanding and critical engagement with key readings in the unit
  • Comparison and analysis of key concepts in the unit
  • Critical analysis of relevant photographs
  • Independent research within the discipline
  • Use of research and reading to support the argument
  • Organisation of argument including clear addressing of the question
  • Clarity of communication
  • Accurate and appropriate referencing

On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify key themes, ideas and concepts in theories of photography.
  • Distinguish between and critically evaluate theoretical positions on photographic practices and texts.
  • Analyse and critically evaluate photographs according to themes, genres, and forms.
  • Research independently in the discipline, including identifying and using appropriate articles in academic journals.
  • Communicate ideas in a range of genres including short reviews, online forums, class discussions and research essays.
  • Evidence engagement with and reflection on contemporary photographic media.

Delivery and Resources

CLASSES

Please consult the MQ timetable website for up to date timetabling of lectures and tutorials:

https://timetables.mq.edu.au/2017/

Tutorials:

Please note, you must attend the tutorial you are enrolled in. If you wish to change your tutorial time you can do so via e-student. Your tutor/lecturer will not be able to change your tutorial enrolment.

Tutorials begin in Week Two.

ATTENDANCE

This unit has a one hour lecture and a one hour tutorial every week. Lectures are recorded and available through iLearn, however students are strongly encouraged to attend lectures. Lectures are often interactive and some material shown in lectures can't be recorded through Echo360. Tutorial attendance is compulsory. Students are required to prepare for tutorials by having attended or listened to the lecture and having done the week’s readings and prepared questions and notes. It is expected that students dedicate some of their study time to attending photographic exhibitions, looking at photographic collections in libraries, archives and online galleries. If you miss tutorials without medical certification or other evidence of disruption this will impact on your 'Engagement' mark for the unit.

Outside of class attendance students should expect to spend approximately seven hours each week reading, preparing for tutorials and researching and planning for assignments. 

REQUIRED READING

Required readings are available online through the MQ Library website. To access readings you need to click on the "Unit Readings" tab on the library's home page. 

RECOMMENDED READING

There is a list of further recommended reading for each topic - please refer to iLearn.

TECHNOLOGIES USED AND REQUIRED

Lectures will be recorded and available on iLearn. Details on readings, assessments and links to relevant material will be available on ilearn. Students are expected to regularly check iLearn and their MQ email addresses for announcements.

FEEDBACK

During the semester you will receive feedback in many forms. Sometimes this feedback will be verbal and informal and will come from your tutor such as during tutorials or lectures when you offer up ideas or questions. At times your tutor and lecturer will also offer more general feedback about the group's progress during tutorials. At other times feedback will be more formal, in the case of written feedback on your final essay or the posted correct responses to the questions in the online quiz.

You will also receive valuable feedback from your peers through the semester. This will take the form of written comments on the exhibition review forum on ilearn and through responses to the 'lead the discussion' assessment during tutorials.

 

Unit Schedule

Please see iLearn for detailed information about topics, readings, relevant exhibitions and further reading suggestions. The readings listed below are all required readings and are available through e-Reserve.

 

Week One: Photographs, practices, contexts: Introducing Photographic Cultures

Allen, Graham. 2003. “Camera Lucida: The Impossible Text.” In Roland Barthes. Routledge Critical Thinkers. London ; New York: Routledge: 125- 132.

Becker, Karin. 2015. “Photography as a Medium.” In International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences, 81–86. Elsevier.

 

Week Two: Photographic Seeing

Kember, Sarah. 1996. “‘The Shadow of the Object’: Photography and Realism.” Textual Practice 10 (1): 145–63. doi:10.1080/09502369608582242.

Sontag, Susan (1977) “The Heroism of Vision.” In On photography. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (1977): 85-112.

 

Week Three: Photo-journalism & documentary photography

Kennedy, Liam. 2015. “Photojournalism and Warfare in a Postphotographic Age.” Photography and Culture 8 (2): 159–71. doi:10.1080/17514517.2015.1076242.

Susie. Linfield. 2010. “Photojournalism and human rights: the calamity of the Kodak.” In The Cruel Radiance: Photography and Political Violence. Chicago: University of Chicago Press: 33-62.

 

Week Four: Street photography & documentary ethics

Miles, Melissa. 2015. “Photography, Privacy and the Public.” Law, Culture and the Humanities 11 (2): 270–293.

Hawker, Rosemary. 2013. “Repopulating the Street: Contemporary Photography and Urban Experience.” History of Photography 37 (3): 341–52. doi:10.1080/03087298.2013.798521.

 

Week Five: Photography, identity & the self portrait

Meagher, M. 2007. “Improvisation within a Scene of Constraint: Cindy Sherman’s Serial Self-Portraiture.” Body & Society 13 (4): 1–19. doi:10.1177/1357034X07085536.

Rettberg, Jill Walker. 2014. “Serial Selfies” in Seeing Ourselves Through Technology. London: Palgrave Macmillan UK: 33-44. http://link.springer.com/10.1057/9781137476661.

 

Week Six: Family photography & amateurism

Sandbye, Mette. 2014. “Looking at the Family Photo Album: A Resumed Theoretical Discussion of Why and How.” Journal of AESTHETICS & CULTURE 6 (0). doi:10.3402/jac.v6.25419.

Rose, Gillian. 2014. “How Digital Technologies Do Family Snaps, Only Better.” In Digital Snaps: The New Face of Photography, edited by Mette Sandbye and Jonas Larsen, 67–86. London: I.B.Tauris.

 

Week Seven: Australian Photography: Sadness

Yang, William, and Jacqueline Lo. 2008. “Image and Performance.” About Performance, no. 8: 125–39.

Smaill, Belinda. 2002. “Disorientations: Sadness, Mourning and the Unhomely.” Journal of Australian Studies 26 (73): 161–69.

 

SEMESTER BREAK

Week Eight: Photography as Art

Bate, David. 2009. “Art Photography” In Photography: The Key Concepts. Bloomsbury Publishing: 129-145.

 

Week Nine: Reviewing exhibitions

No lecture or tutorial this week, instead you are required to visit a photographic exhibition and post your review on ilearn (See iLearn for further details).

Wells, Liz, “Words and Pictures: On reviewing photography,” in Liz Wells (ed.) The Photography Reader. London: Routledge (2003): 428-434.         

 

Week Ten: Evidence, race, crime

Tagg, John, “Evidence, Truth and Order: Photographic records and the growth of the state,” in Liz Wells (ed.) The Photography Reader. London: Routledge (2003): 257-260.

Green, David. 1984. “Veins of Resemblance: Photography and Eugenics.” Oxford Art Journal, 3–16.

 

Week Eleven:  Photography, landscape, place

Wells, Liz. 2011. ‘Introduction’ in Land Matters: Landscape Photography, Culture and Identity. I.B.Tauris. 1-16.

Rod Giblett, “Shooting the Sunburnt Country, the Land of Sweeping Plains, the Rugged Mountain Ranges: Australian Landscape and Wilderness Photography,” Continuum: Journal of Media & Cultural Studies, 21:3 (2007): 335-346.

 

Week Twelve: Photography, children & moral panics

Lumby, Catharine. 2010. “Ambiguity, Children, Representation, and Sexuality.” CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture 12 (4): 5.

Hinkson, Melinda. 2009. “Australia’s Bill Henson Scandal: Notes on the New Cultural Attitude to Images.” Visual Studies 24 (3): 202–13.

 

Week Thirteeen: Final Essay consultations - no lecture or tutorial.

 

 

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_2016.html

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

Complaint Management Procedure for Students and Members of the Public http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/complaint_management/procedure.html​

Disruption to Studies Policy (in effect until Dec 4th, 2017): http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html

Special Consideration Policy (in effect from Dec 4th, 2017): https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policies/special-consideration

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

MMCCS website https://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/faculties_and_departments/faculty_of_arts/department_of_media_music_communication_and_cultural_studies/

MMCCS Session Re-mark Application http://www.mq.edu.au/pubstatic/public/download/?id=167914

Information is correct at the time of publication

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://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources 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

  • Distinguish between and critically evaluate theoretical positions on photographic practices and texts.
  • Analyse and critically evaluate photographs according to themes, genres, and forms.
  • Evidence engagement with and reflection on contemporary photographic media.

Assessment tasks

  • Engagement
  • Final Essay

Capable of Professional and Personal Judgement and Initiative

We want our graduates to have emotional intelligence and sound interpersonal skills and to demonstrate discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgement. They will exercise initiative as needed. They will be capable of risk assessment, and be able to handle ambiguity and complexity, enabling them to be adaptable in diverse and changing environments.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Identify key themes, ideas and concepts in theories of photography.
  • Distinguish between and critically evaluate theoretical positions on photographic practices and texts.
  • Analyse and critically evaluate photographs according to themes, genres, and forms.
  • Communicate ideas in a range of genres including short reviews, online forums, class discussions and research essays.
  • Communicate ideas verbally, and facilitate and participate in group discussion.

Assessment tasks

  • Engagement
  • Lead the discussion
  • Final Essay

Commitment to Continuous Learning

Our graduates will have enquiring minds and a literate curiosity which will lead them to pursue knowledge for its own sake. They will continue to pursue learning in their careers and as they participate in the world. They will be capable of reflecting on their experiences and relationships with others and the environment, learning from them, and growing - personally, professionally and socially.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

  • Evidence engagement with and reflection on contemporary photographic media.

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

  • Identify key themes, ideas and concepts in theories of photography.
  • Distinguish between and critically evaluate theoretical positions on photographic practices and texts.
  • Analyse and critically evaluate photographs according to themes, genres, and forms.
  • Research independently in the discipline, including identifying and using appropriate articles in academic journals.
  • Communicate ideas in a range of genres including short reviews, online forums, class discussions and research essays.

Assessment tasks

  • Engagement
  • Lead the discussion
  • Online Quiz
  • Final Essay

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

  • Identify key themes, ideas and concepts in theories of photography.
  • Distinguish between and critically evaluate theoretical positions on photographic practices and texts.
  • Analyse and critically evaluate photographs according to themes, genres, and forms.
  • Research independently in the discipline, including identifying and using appropriate articles in academic journals.
  • Communicate ideas in a range of genres including short reviews, online forums, class discussions and research essays.

Assessment tasks

  • Engagement
  • Lead the discussion
  • Online Quiz
  • Final Essay

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

  • Distinguish between and critically evaluate theoretical positions on photographic practices and texts.
  • Analyse and critically evaluate photographs according to themes, genres, and forms.
  • Research independently in the discipline, including identifying and using appropriate articles in academic journals.
  • Communicate ideas in a range of genres including short reviews, online forums, class discussions and research essays.

Assessment tasks

  • Engagement
  • Final 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

  • Distinguish between and critically evaluate theoretical positions on photographic practices and texts.
  • Analyse and critically evaluate photographs according to themes, genres, and forms.
  • Communicate ideas in a range of genres including short reviews, online forums, class discussions and research essays.
  • Communicate ideas verbally, and facilitate and participate in group discussion.

Assessment tasks

  • Engagement
  • Lead the discussion
  • Final Essay

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 outcome

  • Evidence engagement with and reflection on contemporary photographic media.

Changes from Previous Offering

The unit readings and schedule have been updated to include recent research in the field. The assessment structure has changed to include an online test which will allow students to gain early feedback on their understandings of key concepts from the first five weeks of the unit.