Popular Culture, Social Change and Technology
Duration
- One Semester or equivalent
Contact hours
- 36 hours Face to Face + Blended
On-campus unit delivery combines face-to-face and digital learning.
Prerequisites
EquivalentSOC10004 Sociological Foundations
Aims and objectives
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?
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 form4. Evaluate the changing reciprocal relationship between technology and popular culture
Courses with unit
New unit from 2022Unit information in detail
- Teaching methods, assessment and content.
Teaching methods
| Type (On-campus) | Hours per week | Number of Weeks | Total |
| Face to Face Contact Lecture Tutorial |
1 2 |
12 12 |
12 24 |
| Specified Learning Activities Readings |
5 |
12 |
60 |
| Unspecified Learning Activities Independent study | 4.5 | 12 | 54 |
| TOTAL | 150 hours |
Assessment
| Types | Individual or Group task | Weighting | Assesses attainment of these ULOs |
| Critical Analysis/Provocation | Individual | 25% | 1, 2, 3, 4 |
| Presentation | Individual | 25% | 1, 2, 3, 4 |
| Major Essay | Individual | 50% | 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.
Reading materials
A list of reading materials will be made available in the Unit Outline.