Overview

This unit examines the social, political and ethical dimensions associated with changes to popular culture driven by technological advancements. Students will engage with contemporary academic debates and analyse existing theoretical paradigms through practical case studies centred on pop culture.

Throughout this unit we address three fundamental questions:

1. How does pop culture shape society?

2. How is pop culture shaped by technology in turn?

3. What are the new ethical issues or concerns emerging from the convergence of pop culture and technology?

Requisites

Equivalent units
SOC10004 Sociological Foundations
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
Winter
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
23-June-2025
03-August-2025
Last self-enrolment date
23-June-2025
Census date
04-July-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
18-July-2025
Results released date
19-August-2025

Learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

  • Apply academic concepts to practical, contemporary case studies of popular culture
  • Critically reflect on scholarly sources examining popular culture and social change
  • Accurately communicate academic ideas about popular culture and social change in written and spoken form
  • Evaluate the changing reciprocal relationship between technology and popular culture

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		5.00 12 weeks 60
Unspecified Activities
Independent Learning		4.50 12 weeks 54
TOTAL150

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULO's
Critical Analysis/ProvocationIndividual 25% 1,2,3,4 
Major EssayIndividual 50% 1,2,3,4 
Presentation and ReportIndividual 25% 1,2,3,4 

Content

  • The social, political and ethical implications of media representation and discourses across popular culture;
  • The role of new media in facilitating identity formation, social movements and consumer culture in late modernity;
  • How digital media is reshaping everyday interactions, intimacies and sociality through processes of disembedding; 
  • How popular culture can be used as a tool for social change. 

Study resources

Reading materials

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