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  2. Popular Music and Culture [CMM2225]

School: Arts and Humanities

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.

Please note that given the circumstances of COVID-19, there may be some modifications to the assessment schedule promoted in Handbook for Semester 1 2020 Units. Students will be notified of all approved modifications by Unit Coordinators via email and Unit Blackboard sites. Where changes have been made, these are designed to ensure that you still meet the unit learning outcomes in the context of our adjusted teaching and learning arrangements.

  • Unit Title

    Popular Music and Culture

  • Unit Code

    CMM2225

  • Year

    2020

  • Enrolment Period

    1

  • Version

    1

  • Credit Points

    15

  • Full Year Unit

     N

  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus

  • Unit Coordinator

    Mr James Leslie HALL

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

Previously coded CMM3125

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Identify the equity, diversity and interconnectedness issues in relation to popular music.
  2. Explain the debates surrounding world music as well as popular music and generate ideas concerning culture.
  3. Critically appraise and evaluate the political and social meanings of popular music, especially in relation to identity, gender and sexuality.
  4. Describe the audience for popular music, the social effects and how music is used within different subcultures.

Unit Content

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

Learning Experience

Students will attend on campus classes as well as engage in learning activities through ECU Blackboard.

JoondalupMount LawleySouth West (Bunbury)
Semester 1Not Offered13 x 1 hour lectureNot Offered
Semester 1Not Offered13 x 2 hour tutorialNot Offered

For more information see the Semester Timetable

Additional Learning Experience Information

Lectures are used to introduce the central concepts that are relevant in understanding the number of approaches and attitudes to popular music from a Cultural Studies perspective. The lectures involve a blend of experiences including interactive presentations, videos and small group discussions. Guest Lecturers are invited to deliver a one-off session during semester to provide particular case-studies and specific research and industry understandings of the impact of music in popular culture.

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
Tutorial PresentationInformative oral presentation20%
PresentationWritten report30%
EssayResearch essay50%

Core Reading(s)

  • Shuker, R. (2001). Understanding popular music. (2nd ed.). London & New York: Routledge. Retrieved from https://ecu.on.worldcat.org/oclc/45314643?databaseList=638

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.

CMM2225|1|1

School: Arts and Humanities

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.

Please note that given the circumstances of COVID-19, there may be some modifications to the assessment schedule promoted in Handbook for this unit. All assessment changes will be published by 27 July 2020. All students are reminded to check handbook at the beginning of semester to ensure they have the correct outline.

  • Unit Title

    Popular Music and Culture

  • Unit Code

    CMM2225

  • Year

    2020

  • Enrolment Period

    2

  • Version

    1

  • Credit Points

    15

  • Full Year Unit

     N

  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus

  • Unit Coordinator

    Mr James Leslie HALL

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

Previously coded CMM3125

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Identify the equity, diversity and interconnectedness issues in relation to popular music.
  2. Explain the debates surrounding world music as well as popular music and generate ideas concerning culture.
  3. Critically appraise and evaluate the political and social meanings of popular music, especially in relation to identity, gender and sexuality.
  4. Describe the audience for popular music, the social effects and how music is used within different subcultures.

Unit Content

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

Learning Experience

Students will attend on campus classes as well as engage in learning activities through ECU Blackboard.

JoondalupMount LawleySouth West (Bunbury)
Semester 1Not Offered13 x 1 hour lectureNot Offered
Semester 1Not Offered13 x 2 hour tutorialNot Offered

For more information see the Semester Timetable

Additional Learning Experience Information

Lectures are used to introduce the central concepts that are relevant in understanding the number of approaches and attitudes to popular music from a Cultural Studies perspective. The lectures involve a blend of experiences including interactive presentations, videos and small group discussions. Guest Lecturers are invited to deliver a one-off session during semester to provide particular case-studies and specific research and industry understandings of the impact of music in popular culture.

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
Tutorial PresentationInformative oral presentation20%
PresentationWritten report30%
EssayResearch essay50%

Core Reading(s)

  • Shuker, R. (2001). Understanding popular music. (2nd ed.). London & New York: Routledge. Retrieved from https://ecu.on.worldcat.org/oclc/45314643?databaseList=638

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.

CMM2225|1|2