Students
MHIS3065 – From the Beats to the Bachelorette: A History of Popular Culture since 1945
2021 – Session 1, Weekday attendance, North Ryde
Notice
As part of Phase 3 of our return to campus plan, most units will now run tutorials, seminars and other small group activities on campus, and most will keep an online version available to those students unable to return or those who choose to continue their studies online.
To check the availability of face-to-face and online activities for your unit, please go to timetable viewer. To check detailed information on unit assessments visit your unit's iLearn space or consult your unit convenor.
General Information
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| Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Michelle Arrow
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|---|---|
| Credit points |
Credit points
10
|
| Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
130cp at 1000 level or above OR (20cp in HIST or MHIS or POL or POIR or MHIX or POIX units at 2000 level)
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| Corequisites |
Corequisites
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| Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
|
| Unit description |
Unit description
What can we learn about the past when we examine it through the lens of popular culture? This unit traces a history of popular culture in the United States of America and Australia from the 1950s to the present, exploring the ways that popular culture can magnify and reflect changing ideas about race, class, gender, and ideology. We will examine the impact of new technologies, moral panics over popular culture, and whether popular culture constituted a form of cultural citizenship. Film, television, music and other media are used in this unit to evoke seminal moments in the history of popular culture and students are encouraged to explore these non-discursive forms as primary sources. Students are also encouraged to consider the reception of popular culture by audiences and to think about their own experience of popular culture historically. This unit will be of particular interest to students in media, education, and cultural studies, as well as history. |
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:
- ULO1: Locate, read, and analyse different kinds of historical evidence (primary sources), including visual and textual sources
- ULO2: Devise and answer research questions drawing on primary and secondary evidence
- ULO3: Identify key arguments in secondary source materials and apply them in your own historical arguments
- ULO4: Communicate thoughtfully in classroom discussions, and in a range of written forms
- ULO5: Be able to identify and analyse key developments in the history of popular culture since 1945
- ULO6: Analyse selected examples of popular culture produced since 1945 in their historical contexts, and describe the ways these examples, relate to, and reflect, broader, social, cultural, and political trends
Assessment Tasks
| Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly Quiz | 30% | No | Weeks 4, 8, 12 |
| Research Project Proposal | 20% | No | Week 6 - Friday 2 April (midnight) |
| Research Essay | 50% | No | Week 13 - Friday 31 May (midnight) |
Weekly Quiz
Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 12 hours
Due: Weeks 4, 8, 12
Weighting: 30%
A set of two short answer quiz questions that will be embedded in the online lecture and should be completed before the weekly tutorial/online discussions.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Locate, read, and analyse different kinds of historical evidence (primary sources), including visual and textual sources
- Devise and answer research questions drawing on primary and secondary evidence
- Identify key arguments in secondary source materials and apply them in your own historical arguments
- Communicate thoughtfully in classroom discussions, and in a range of written forms
Research Project Proposal
Assessment Type 1: Plan
Indicative Time on Task 2: 15 hours
Due: Week 6 - Friday 2 April (midnight)
Weighting: 20%
This task will assess student’s ability to develop a research question and approach, as well as your ability to locate and analyse primary and secondary sources. Students will respond to a series of questions to prepare the proposal.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Locate, read, and analyse different kinds of historical evidence (primary sources), including visual and textual sources
- Devise and answer research questions drawing on primary and secondary evidence
- Identify key arguments in secondary source materials and apply them in your own historical arguments
- Communicate thoughtfully in classroom discussions, and in a range of written forms
- Be able to identify and analyse key developments in the history of popular culture since 1945
Research Essay
Assessment Type 1: Essay
Indicative Time on Task 2: 45 hours
Due: Week 13 - Friday 31 May (midnight)
Weighting: 50%
This assessment task evaluates student’s ability to construct an argument in response to a self-devised research question, based on primary and secondary sources. This task is the culmination of the assessment tasks in this unit; previous assessments provide scaffolding for this final task.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Locate, read, and analyse different kinds of historical evidence (primary sources), including visual and textual sources
- Devise and answer research questions drawing on primary and secondary evidence
- Identify key arguments in secondary source materials and apply them in your own historical arguments
- Communicate thoughtfully in classroom discussions, and in a range of written forms
- Be able to identify and analyse key developments in the history of popular culture since 1945
- Analyse selected examples of popular culture produced since 1945 in their historical contexts, and describe the ways these examples, relate to, and reflect, broader, social, cultural, and political trends
1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:
- the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
- the Writing Centre for academic skills support.
2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation
Delivery and Resources
Delivery:
this unit is taught through a combination of online lectures and supplementary materials (including film clips and music videos) and face to face seminar discussions - the lectures will be available online, and you must listen to the lectures and complete the weekly readings before you before you come to the seminars.
Unit webpage and technology used and required:
Online units can be accessed at: http://ilearn.mq.edu.au
PC and Internet access are required. Basic computer skills (eg internet browsing) and skills in word processing are also a requirement.
Required reading:
Students will need to have access to the following required text: Michelle Arrow, Friday on Our Minds: Popular Culture since 1945 (Sydney: UNSW Press, 2009). You do not have to purchase the book, though you might find it is easier to prepare each week if you do so. The book is available to purchase through Booktopia, and it is also available from the university library to borrow or to access as an ebook.
The iLearn site for this unit lists the required weekly readings alongside Friday on Our Minds. These readings are available on Leganto, via the Macquarie University library.
Classes and timetables:
Students are required to prepare for class by listening to the weekly lectures, which are available on iLearn, and reading the required readings each week. Students will attend a seminar seminar per week - the seminar will run between 1.5 and 2 hours each week, depending on the content to be covered. See www.timetables.mq.edu.au for the most up-to-date information about class times and locations.
Learning and Teaching Strategy:
This unit has been 'flipped' - that is, we have moved to pre-recorded lectures in order to make more space in the timetable for discussion in seminars. Each week, you will need to prepare for class discussion through active listening of the lectures (taking notes is a valuable skill that you should practice whilst at University (see this article from The Conversation on the best ways to take notes: https://theconversation.com/whats-the-best-most-effective-way-to-take-notes-41961).
You also need to prepare for class (remember, quizzes on this material consist of 30% of your grade) by reading the required readings. This doesn't mean skimming them - you should be printing out your readings, annotating them and highlighting the parts you think are most meaningful, and noting the parts you don't understand.
Seminars are important for students because they represent a space for students to discuss the readings and issues raised by the lectures, to ask questions, and solve problems together. Students learn in seminars through a combination of small and whole group discussions, working closely through the set readings, and analysing primary sources, both in small and large groups.
Policies and Procedures
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
- Academic Appeals Policy
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Academic Progression Policy
- Assessment Policy
- Fitness to Practice Procedure
- Grade Appeal Policy
- Complaint Management Procedure for Students and Members of the Public
- Special Consideration Policy
Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.
To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.
Student Code of Conduct
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct
Results
Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) 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 or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au
Student Support
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Learning Skills
Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to help you improve your marks and take control of your study.
The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources.
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
If you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au
IT Help
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