AMU2450 - Contemporary media theory - 2018

The unit examines various competing theories that have been developed to analyse changing media technologies and societal change. Topics include idealist and materialist notions of culture, agency and structure, identity formation and power.

On successful completion of the unit, students should be able to:

1. Recognise, identify and describe the assumptions and arguments making up the theoretical approaches introduced in the unit;
2. Demonstrate a capacity to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches to media and communication theory;
3. Demonstrate a capacity to analyse different media and media industries by applying different theoretical approaches.

Within semester assessment: 70%

Exam: 30%

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. A unit requires on average three/four hours of scheduled activities per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.

See also Unit timetable information

Communication

Communication, media and screen studies

Global studies in communication and media