Undergraduate - UnitATS2451 - Cultural and communications policy

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Notes

Synopsis

This unit recounts a brief history of the ideas informing policy approaches to culture and communication. It introduces students to key rhetorics or frameworks informing policy debate (the nation-state, public sphere, media as industry) and some challenges facing the management of the communications sector (globalisation, convergence, and deregulation). Students will be provided with overviews of particular media industries and an understanding of how the policy rhetorics inform and function through the particular debates about media regulation. Examples are drawn from the Australian, Singaporean and Malaysian contexts.

Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit students will have:

1. understanding of the policy approach to communications and culture;
2. ability to identify the key rhetorics informing media regulation and the ways in which they function within and through particular policy debates;
3. knowledge of the historical development of the general communications sector;
4. understanding of the significance of globalisation, convergence and deregulation as challenges facing cultural and communications policy;
5. awareness of the central role of notions of the nation-state in the development of cultural and communications policy;
6. ability to conduct independent research.

Assessment

Assignment 1 (1000 words): 25%
Assignment 2 (1500 words): 50%
Examination (2 hours): 25%

Chief examiner(s)

Fleur Gabriel

Contact hours

2 hours (1 x 1 hour lecture and 1 x 1 hour tutorial) per week

This unit applies to the following area(s) of study

Communications

Prerequisites

ATS1277 and ATS1278, or equivalent

Prohibitions

ATS3451, COM2413, COM3413, GSC3413