Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Unit Convenor
Ian Collinson
Contact via ian.collinson@mq.edu.au
10HA 191G
By appointment--please email
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Credit points |
Credit points
3
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Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
12cp at 100 level or above
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Corequisites |
Corequisites
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Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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Unit description |
Unit description
This unit introduces students to some of the major theories and movements, including marxism, psychoanalysis, feminism, structuralism, deconstruction, post-colonialism, ecocriticism etc., that have framed and continue to frame the way we understand the production and consumption of media, its meaning and its affect.
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Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
Written work must be submitted via the Turnitin link that can be found in ilearn. You do not need to attach a cover sheet to your essays.
Unless a special consideration request has been submitted and approved, (a) a penalty for lateness will apply -- two (2) marks out of 100 will be deducted per day for assignments submitted after the due date -- and (b) no assignment will be accepted more than seven (7) days(including weekends) after the original submission deadline. No late submission will be accepted for timed assessments -- e.g. quizzes, online tests etc.
Work submitted for this unit will be graded according to the following standards.
HD 85-100 Pass -- Provides consistent evidence of deep and critical understanding in relation to the learning outcomes. There is substantial originality, insight or creativity in identifying, generating and communicating competing arguments, perspectives or problem solving approaches; critical evaluation of problems, their solutions and their implications; creativity in application as appropriate to the program.
D 75-84 Pass -- Provides evidence of integration and evaluation of critical ideas, principles and theories, distinctive insight and ability in applying relevant skills and concepts in relation to learning outcomes. There is demonstration of frequent originality or creativity in defining and analysing issues or problems and providing solutions; and the use of means of communication appropriate to the program and the audience.
CR 65-74 Pass -- Provides evidence of learning that goes beyond replication of content knowledge or skills relevant to the learning outcomes.There is demonstration of substantial understanding of fundamental concepts in the field of study and the ability to apply these concepts in a variety of contexts; convincing argumentation with appropriate coherent justification; communication of ideas fluently and clearly in terms of the conventions of the program.
P 50-64 Pass -- Provides sufficient evidence of the achievement of learning outcomes. There is demonstration of understanding and application of fundamental concepts of the program; routine argumentation with acceptable justification; communication of information and ideas adequately in terms of the conventions of the program. The learning attainment is considered satisfactory or adequate or competent or capable in relation to the specified outcomes.
F 0-49 Fail -- Does not provide evidence of attainment of learning outcomes.There is missing or partial or superficial or faulty understanding and application of the fundamental concepts in the field of study; missing, undeveloped, inappropriate or confusing argumentation; incomplete, confusing or lacking communication of ideas in ways that give little attention to the conventions of the program.
Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
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Theoretical Foundation Essay | 20% | No | 23:59 7th Sept (Wk 6) |
Tutorial Work | 20% | No | Continuous |
Major Research Essay | 40% | No | 23:59 27th Oct (Wk 11) |
Class Test | 20% | No | Week 13 Tutorial |
Due: 23:59 7th Sept (Wk 6)
Weighting: 20%
Students will analyse a set text through one of the following foundational media/cultural theories--Marxism, Psychoanalysis, Feminism. The set texts for each theory will be made available through Ilearn during the first weeks of semester.
In this assignment students will be assessed on their critical engagement with unit and individually researched reading material, their undertaking of the task, their knowledge of theory, their critical and relational thinking and their use of academic writing conventions like structure, academic english and referencing.
Minimum Research Requirement: At least two unit readings from the relevant week plus at least two other relevant and appropriate academic publications.
Due: Continuous
Weighting: 20%
Students are expected to read the material in the unit reader prior to tutorials, to take part in class discussion and group work. Participation will be graded twice (2 X 10%) during the semester (weeks 3-7 and 9-12).
Students will be assessed on their informed participation in the group work that features in each week's tutorial.
Due: 23:59 27th Oct (Wk 11)
Weighting: 40%
Students will analyse a pair of set texts through one of the following theories--Postcolonialism, Ecocriticism, Psychogeography. As with essay one, the set texts will be circulated via ilearn during the semester.
In this assignment students will be assessed on their critical engagement with unit and individually researched reading material, their undertaking of the task, their knowledge of theory, their critical and relational thinking and their use of academic writing conventions like structure, academic english and referencing.
Minimum Research Requirement: At least three unit readings from the relevant week plus at least three other relevant and appropriate academic publications.
Due: Week 13 Tutorial
Weighting: 20%
A closed-book multiple-choice class test. The questions will be based on lecture and tutorial material from Weeks 2,6,11 and 12. Questions will test students' knowledge of the key concepts of that week's particular theory.
The MAS215 unit reader will be available electronically.
Lectures will be held at 1pm on Monday afternoons (23 WW Price Theatre) and will be available through ECO360. Tutorials will be held at various times from Monday to Wednesday.
Tutorials begin in Week 2.
Essays must be submitted via the Turnitin link in ilearn. Students must ensure that they upload the correct file as Turnitin will only accept a single submission.
1 -- Doing Theory: How do we do theory? What does theory do to us?
2 -- Scientists of the text: Structuralism
Kate McGowan (2006) 'Structuralism and Semiotics', in Malpas, S. and Wake, P. (eds) The Routledge Companion to Critical Theory, London: Routledge
3 -- Media & Society: Marxism
Moyra Haslett (2000) from 'Culture and Society' and 'Culture and Ideology', Marxist Literary and Cultural Theories, Basingstoke: MacMillan
4 -- Reading the Repressed: Psychoanalysis
Sigmund Freud (1991) 'The Dream Work' in Introductory Lectures on Psychoanalysis [1916], Harmondsworth: Penguin
5 -- Media and the Other: Feminism
Toril Moi (1988) 'Helene Cixous: an Imaginary Utopia', in Sexual/Textual Politics, London and New York: Routledge
6 -- Distracting Distractions: Mass Culture Theory
Theodor Adorno & Max Horkheimer (1999) 'The Culture Industry Thesis: Enlightenment as Mass Deception' [1944], in During, S. (ed) The Cultural Studies Reader, London: Routledge
7 -- The Empire Writes Back: Postcolonialism
Edward Said (2000) 'Orientalism Reconsidered', in Reflections on Exile and Other Essays, Cambridge: Harvard Uni. Press
8 -- No classes due to public holiday
9 -- Tales from the Natural World: Ecocriticism
Scott Hess (2010) 'Imagining an Everyday Nature', Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and the Environment, 17:1, Winter, 85-112
10 -- Writing the City/the City as Writing: Psychogeography
Merlin Coverley (2010) from Psychogeography, Harpenden: Pocket Essentials
11 -- Ethical Reading: the ethical turn
Simon Stow (2006) 'Reading our Way to Democracy? Literature and Public Ethics', Philosophy and Literature, 30, 410-423
12 -- Theory After theory? Theory in the post-theoretical moment
Brian Boyd (2006) 'Theory is Dead--Like a Zombie', Philosophy & Literature, 30:1, 289-298
13 -- No lecture
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
Undergraduate students seeking more policy resources can visit the Student Policy Gateway (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/student-policy-gateway). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.
If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central).
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/getting-started/student-conduct
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.
MMCCS Session Re-mark Application http://www.mq.edu.au/pubstatic/public/download/?id=167914
Information is correct at the time of publication
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.
Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.
For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au
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.
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
In the 2018 iteration of MAS215 differs from last year only by the absence of a week devoted to Reader-response theory which was removed due to the intrusion of a public holiday.
There are minimum research requirements for both essay assignments:
Any essays that does not meet the minimum research requirement will receive a grade of no more than 60%.
When looking for relevant publications outside the unit reader don't place your trust in online sources of doubtful provenance. To help you in your research you'll find in ilearn a brief list of 'suggested reading', including some reliable online material: please use this list as a starting point for your independent research. The quality of your research will be reflected in the quality of your analysis.
For this unit the Harvard referencing style should be used. For a comprehensive referencing style guide please go to http://www.lib.monash.edu.au/tutorials/citing/harvard.html. Please note that footnote-style referencing is not acceptable for this unit.
All written assignments must be processed through the Turnitin anti-plagiarism software. Essays are to be uploaded via the Turnitin link in ilearn.