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  2. Popular Music and Culture [CMM3125]

Faculty of Education and Arts

School: Communications and Arts

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

  • Unit Title

    Popular Music and Culture

  • Unit Code

    CMM3125

  • Year

    2015

  • Enrolment Period

    1

  • Version

    2

  • Credit Points

    15

  • Full Year Unit

     N

  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus
    Online

Description

This unit introduces students to a number of approaches and attitudes to Popular Music from a Cultural Studies perspective. The starting point is the high-culture critique of mass culture (and Popular Music) originating in the Frankfurt School. From there culturalist perspectives (including sub-cultural analysis) and the cultural capital of Popular Music will be addressed. Other areas of investigation will be: Subjectivity and Identity; the semiotics of the texts; Gender and Sexuality; Performance and Authenticity; and World Music.

Equivalent Rule

Unit was previously coded CMM2125, CMM4125

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Collaborate and contribute to team discussions on ways in which Popular Music creates and conveys meaning across cultures, including Indigenous sounds.
  2. Critically appraise and evaluate the political and social meanings of Popular Music especially in relation to identity, gender and sexuality.
  3. Develop skills in a range of research activities such as case studies, content analysis, annotated bibliographies and report writing.
  4. Develop the ability to communicate issues and generate ideas concerning Popular Music and Culture.
  5. Discuss the debates surrounding World Music.
  6. Discuss the nature of the audience for Popular Music, the social effects and how music is used within different subcultures.
  7. Understand issues of equity, diversity and interconnectedness in relation to Popular Music.

Unit Content

  1. Collaboration and evaluation of statistical data.
  2. Guest lectures by Industry representatives.
  3. Political and social meanings of Popular Music.
  4. Popular Music and Identity.
  5. Study of local workplaces in the community, e.g. radio stations, recording studios.
  6. The audience and subcultures.
  7. The production of Culture and the Culture of production in relation to Popular Music.
  8. World Music and Indigenous culture.

Additional Learning Experience Information

Lecture and Tutorial/Workshop.

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant Board of Examiners.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
AssignmentAssessment 160%
AssignmentAssessment 240%

Text References

  • ^ Shuker, R. (2004). Understanding popular music. (2nd ed.). London & New York: Routledge.
  • Hesmondhalgh, D., & Negus, K. (Eds.). (2002). Popular music studies. London: Arnold.
  • du Gay, P. (Ed.). (2003). Production of culture: Cultures of production. London: Thousand Oaks./ New Delhi: Sage.
  • Campbell, M., & Brody, J. (1999). Rock and roll: An introduction. Schirmer Thompson Learning.
  • Wall, T. (2003). Studying popular music culture. London: Arnold.
  • Hall, S., & du Gay, P. (Eds.). (2003). Questions of cultural identity. London: Thousand Oaks./ New Delhi Sage.

^ Mandatory reference

Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Academic Misconduct

Edith Cowan University has firm rules governing academic misconduct and there are substantial penalties that can be applied to students who are found in breach of these rules. Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • plagiarism;
  • unauthorised collaboration;
  • cheating in examinations;
  • theft of other students' work;

Additionally, any material submitted for assessment purposes must be work that has not been submitted previously, by any person, for any other unit at ECU or elsewhere.

The ECU rules and policies governing all academic activities, including misconduct, can be accessed through the ECU website.

CMM3125|2|1

Faculty of Education and Arts

School: Communications and Arts

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

  • Unit Title

    Popular Music and Culture

  • Unit Code

    CMM3125

  • Year

    2015

  • Enrolment Period

    2

  • Version

    2

  • Credit Points

    15

  • Full Year Unit

     N

  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus
    Online

Description

This unit introduces students to a number of approaches and attitudes to Popular Music from a Cultural Studies perspective. The starting point is the high-culture critique of mass culture (and Popular Music) originating in the Frankfurt School. From there culturalist perspectives (including sub-cultural analysis) and the cultural capital of Popular Music will be addressed. Other areas of investigation will be: Subjectivity and Identity; the semiotics of the texts; Gender and Sexuality; Performance and Authenticity; and World Music.

Equivalent Rule

Unit was previously coded CMM2125, CMM4125

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Collaborate and contribute to team discussions on ways in which Popular Music creates and conveys meaning across cultures, including Indigenous sounds.
  2. Critically appraise and evaluate the political and social meanings of Popular Music especially in relation to identity, gender and sexuality.
  3. Develop skills in a range of research activities such as case studies, content analysis, annotated bibliographies and report writing.
  4. Develop the ability to communicate issues and generate ideas concerning Popular Music and Culture.
  5. Discuss the debates surrounding World Music.
  6. Discuss the nature of the audience for Popular Music, the social effects and how music is used within different subcultures.
  7. Understand issues of equity, diversity and interconnectedness in relation to Popular Music.

Unit Content

  1. Collaboration and evaluation of statistical data.
  2. Guest lectures by Industry representatives.
  3. Political and social meanings of Popular Music.
  4. Popular Music and Identity.
  5. Study of local workplaces in the community, e.g. radio stations, recording studios.
  6. The audience and subcultures.
  7. The production of Culture and the Culture of production in relation to Popular Music.
  8. World Music and Indigenous culture.

Additional Learning Experience Information

Lecture and Tutorial/Workshop.

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant Board of Examiners.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
AssignmentAssessment 160%
AssignmentAssessment 240%

Text References

  • ^ Shuker, R. (2004). Understanding popular music. (2nd ed.). London & New York: Routledge.
  • Hesmondhalgh, D., & Negus, K. (Eds.). (2002). Popular music studies. London: Arnold.
  • du Gay, P. (Ed.). (2003). Production of culture: Cultures of production. London: Thousand Oaks./ New Delhi: Sage.
  • Campbell, M., & Brody, J. (1999). Rock and roll: An introduction. Schirmer Thompson Learning.
  • Wall, T. (2003). Studying popular music culture. London: Arnold.
  • Hall, S., & du Gay, P. (Eds.). (2003). Questions of cultural identity. London: Thousand Oaks./ New Delhi Sage.

^ Mandatory reference

Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Academic Misconduct

Edith Cowan University has firm rules governing academic misconduct and there are substantial penalties that can be applied to students who are found in breach of these rules. Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • plagiarism;
  • unauthorised collaboration;
  • cheating in examinations;
  • theft of other students' work;

Additionally, any material submitted for assessment purposes must be work that has not been submitted previously, by any person, for any other unit at ECU or elsewhere.

The ECU rules and policies governing all academic activities, including misconduct, can be accessed through the ECU website.

CMM3125|2|2