1997 Swinburne Higher Education Handbook

EM200 Popular Culture
3 hours per week Lilydule Prerequistite: LSMlOO
Assessment: Research Essay 3000 words, individual tutorial
presentation, group exercise, class participation
A stage 2 subject in the Bachelor of Social Science which
also may be taken in the Bachelor of Business and the
Bachelor of Applied Science.
0 b jectives
To introduce students to issues and debates in an
analysis of popular culture in Australia;
to investigate the images, ideologies, meanings and
practices which comprise popular culture;
to familiarise students with the main theoretical
understandings of the Frankfurt and Birmingham
Schools, Feminism, Post Structuralism and
Postmodernism;
to encourage students towards in a critical engagement
of their culture.
Content
The debates surrounding high culture versus poppular
culture;
an introduction to Marxist and postmodern
perspectives;
the Frankfurt School: shopping, fashion industries and
wearing jeans;
-,
traditional v.s postmodern feminists: debates around
'Sexist Advertising'; -
pornography and censorship;
postmodern perspectives;
the dysfunctional family on television. Birmingham
School - perspectives; -
seminar: guest lecturer - 'Junk Culture';
sites of ppular culture: The rise and rise of computer
and video games, gambling, and popular culture, the
rock music industry and sport: the true 20th century
Australian religion.
Recommended reading
Fiske, J. Understanding Popular Culture. Unwin Hyman, Boston
1989
Milner, A. Contemporary Cultural Theory. An Introduction. Allen
and Unwin Sydney, 1991
V)
c Docker, J. Postmodaism and Popular Culture. Cambridge
-. University Press, Sydney, 1994
8. Craven, I. (Ed). Australian Popular Culture. Cambridge
3 University Press, Sydney, 1994
2 EM201 Writing for the Media
3 hours per week Lilydule Prerequistite: LSMlOO
Assessment: Class Nms Writing Exercises Newsletter/ Feature
Television/ Radio News
A stage 2 subject in the Bachelor of Social Science which
also may be taken in the Bachelor of Business and the
Bachelor of Applied Science.
Objectives
To offer a theoretical and practical introduction to media
writing skills. While the major focus is on writing for the
print media - in particular newspapers and magazines - it
also includes news writing for radio and television.
Content
Editing skills - grammar and punctuation;
news writing -- hard news, human interest news;
news features - writing leads, news story structure,
attributions;
news research skills;
interviews;
human interest stories;
investigative reporting;
magazine - features;
writing, - radio news;
writing television news.
Recommended reading
Harris, G. Practical Newspaper Reporting. Focal Press, Oxford,
1993
Granato, L. Newspaper Feature Writing. Deakin University Press,
Geelong, 1990
Hogan, T. Radio News Writing. AFTRS, Sydney, 1985
Bell, P. and Van Leeuwen, T. The Media Interviews. UNSW Press,
Sydney, 1994
EM202 New Media: The Telecommunications
Revolution
3 hours per week Lilydale Prerequistite: LSMIOO
Assessment: Publication in p nt of creative essay, Internet,
publication, reflective review of a piece of one's own m'ting
A stage 2 subject in the Bachelor of Social Science which
also may be taken in the Bachelor of Business and the
Bachelor of Applied Science.
Obiectives and Content
This subject examines the convergence of broadcasting and
telecommunications in the context of political, economic
and social change associated with new media. It is widely
asserted that we are now living through an information
revoluion and that media are undergoing profound change.
This subject will examine the issues of who is driving these
changes and who might benefit. New communications
technologies, such as cable and pay television, interactive
television applications, and Internet are discussed in terms of
thier challenges to established systems. Special attention is
given to changes in the telecommunications industry, with
the shift towards privitisation, managed competition and a
new service culture. Notions such as technological
determinism, globalisation, media plurality, information
superhighways, information access and equity, are related to
an alleged new information revolution. The effects of new
communications technologies on content, diversity and
social needs in Australia are canvassed. As well, the cultural
implications of new choices of media, made possible by
technological change, are examined for special groups.
-
Recommended readina
Barr, T., Challenges and Change, Melbourne, Oxford University
Press, 1987
~arr,~. The Electronic Estate. Ringwood, Penguin, 1985
Mosco, V., The Pay-per-Society - Computers and Communications