Overview

This unit examines from a philosophical perspective, the emergence and development of media, particularly in the form of information and communication technologies, and also understand the psychological, social, cultural and political transformations they have brought about as well as their relevance to every other discipline. Through this, the course helps student develop a more complex relationship with information technology.

Requisites

Prerequisites
PHI20006 Philosophy, Media, Culture

Rule

50 credit points

Teaching periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date
Semester 1
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
03-March-2025
01-June-2025
Last self-enrolment date
16-March-2025
Census date
31-March-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
24-April-2025
Results released date
08-July-2025

Learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

  • Review the history, nature and role of media in the development of self-consciousness and civilization, with a particular focus on information technology.
  • Research an aspect of the relationship between philosophy, media, culture and civilization and present coherent arguments defending the conclusions reached.
  • Discuss and critically evaluate the work of different media theorists.
  • Evaluate the impact of major advances or changes in media on cultures, societies and human development in the past and present, as well as possible futures.

Teaching methods

Hawthorn

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
On-campus
Lecture		1.00 12 weeks 12
On-campus
Class		2.00 12 weeks 24
Specified Activities
Various		3.00 12 weeks 36
Unspecified Activities
Independent Learning		6.50 12 weeks 78
TOTAL150

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULO's
EssayIndividual 50% 1,2,3,4 
JournalIndividual 30% 1,2,3 
PresentationIndividual 20% 1,2,3,4 

Content

  • The evolution of media, what Walter Ong calls the “technologization of the word”
  • The evolution of information and communication technologies from their roots in oral cultures through to the development of literacy and print media to electronic media, showing how this evolution has been associated with radical transformations in cognition, identity formation and social and political relations
  • Our relationship to virtual realities and associated problems of disembodiment

Study resources

Reading materials

A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.