Overview

This unit examines the social, political and ethical dimensions associated with changes to popular culture driven by technological advancements. Students will engage with contemporary academic debates and analyse existing theoretical paradigms through practical case studies centred on pop culture.

Throughout this unit we address three fundamental questions:

  1. How does pop culture shape society?
  2. How is pop culture shaped by technology in turn?
  3. What are the new ethical issues or concerns emerging from the convergence of pop culture and technology?
Teaching periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date
Pathways Teaching 3
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
20-October-2025
30-January-2026
Last self-enrolment date
02-November-2025
Census date
14-November-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
12-December-2025
Results released date
10-February-2026
Pathways Teaching 1
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
23-February-2026
29-May-2026
Last self-enrolment date
08-March-2026
Census date
24-March-2026
Last withdraw without fail date
14-April-2026
Results released date
09-June-2026
Pathways Teaching 2
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
22-June-2026
25-September-2026
Last self-enrolment date
05-July-2026
Census date
21-July-2026
Last withdraw without fail date
11-August-2026
Results released date
06-October-2026
Pathways Teaching 3
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
19-October-2026
29-January-2027
Last self-enrolment date
01-November-2026
Census date
17-November-2026
Last withdraw without fail date
15-December-2026
Results released date
09-February-2027

Unit learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

  1. Apply academic concepts to practical, contemporary case studies of popular culture
  2. Critically reflect on scholarly sources examining popular culture and social change
  3. Accurately communicate academic ideas about popular culture and social change in written and spoken form
  4. Evaluate the changing reciprocal relationship between technology and popular culture

Teaching methods

All applicable locations

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
Live Online
(Lecture)		 2 12 weeks  24
On-campus
(Tutorial 1)		 2 12 weeks  24
On-campus
(Tutorial 2)		 2 12 weeks  24
Unspecified Activities
(Readings, Independent Study, Assignment Preparation, Revision)		 6.5 12 weeks  78
TOTAL     150

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULOs
Presentation and Report
 Individual  30%  1,2,3,4
Major Essay Individual  40% 1,2,3,4
Blog Individual  30%  1,2,3,4 

Content

  • The social, political and ethical implications of media representation and discourses across popular culture.
  • The role of new media in facilitating identity formation, social movements and consumer culture in late modernity.
  • How digital media is reshaping everyday interactions, intimacies and sociality through processes of disembedding.
  • How popular culture can be used as a tool for social change.

Study resources

Reading materials

A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.