Overview

Intro to Studying Mass Culture focuses on media developments paying attention to traditional media forms such as film, TV, radio and print media and on to digital media forms. The essence of this module is to consider the impact of media on society and the ways in which they have altered or affected society. This requires us to consider: how media affect the way we live, how we as people interact and communicate, what we make, how we experience places, and more broadly how changes in media positively and negatively make a difference in the world.

More formally, this module addresses: affordances of a range of media forms, interrelationships between technology and society, political economy, identity and community, production, dissemination and ownership, communication and interaction, privacy, and the ideological implications of networked mediated culture in a co-creative media age.

Assessment Strategy

-threshold -D- to D+ (40-49%) - Knowledge of key areas/principles only - Weaknesses in understanding of main areas - Limited evidence of background study - Answer only poorly focused on question and with some irrelevant material and poor structure - Arguments presented but lack coherence - Several factual/computational errors - No original interpretation - Only major links between topics are described - Limited problem solving - Many weaknesses in presentation and accuracy - Exceeds expectations for some primary criteria - Moderate factual knowledge with several weaknesses in understanding - A few ideas/arguments are presented but with weaknesses

-good -B- to B+ (60-69%)- Strong knowledge - Understands most but not all - Evidence of background study - Focused answer with good structure - Arguments presented coherently - Mostly free of factual/computational errors - Some limited original interpretation - Well known links between topics are described - Problems addressed by existing methods/approaches - Good presentation with accurate communication

-excellent -A- to A* (70%+)- Comprehensive knowledge - Detailed understanding - Extensive background study - Highly focused answer and well structured - Logically presented and defended arguments - No factual/computational errors - Original interpretation - New links between topics are developed - New approach to a problem - Excellent presentation with very accurate communication

-another level-C- to C+ (50-59%) - Knowledge of key areas/principles - Understands main areas - Limited evidence of background study - Answer focused on question but also with some irrelevant material and weaknesses in structure - Arguments presented but lack coherence - Has several factual/computational errors - No original interpretation - Only major links between topics are described - Limited problem solving - Some weaknesses in presentation and accuracy

Learning Outcomes

• Appraise a variety of theoretical and critical approaches contained within media and communication studies.

• Critique key terms and concepts relating to the study of mass culture.

• Examine how economic forces and cultural norms have influenced consumer and prosumer behaviour.

• Explore how technologies and media culture developed from the inception of mass media until today.