6 points, SCA Band 1, 0.125 EFTSL
Undergraduate - Unit
Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.
Faculty
Organisational Unit
Communications and Media Studies
Chief examiner(s)
Coordinator(s)
Unit guides
Prerequisites
Twelve credit points of first-year Arts units.
Prohibitions
ATS3439, AZA2439, AZA3439
Synopsis
This unit analyses what research on young media users reveals about the media's social influence. The unit covers topics such as media violence, the political effects of social media, international reality television, the relationship between mobile phones and gendered identities and advertising practices. It considers a wide array of genres, including music, film, news, reality media, advertising, gaming and comedy. The unit draws on international case studies from Australia, China, Columbia, Finland, the Middle East, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, the UK and the USA. The overall point is that media matter to young people because it is increasingly difficult to live a social life without having access to media resources. For this reason, it is important to appreciate how the experiences of young media users inform new agendas in the fields of critical media studies and media education.
Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the unit, students will be able to
- explain key challenges in defining media effects;
- critique public debates on the social impact of the media;
- formulate appropriate research questions on how media affect society.
Assessment
Within semester assessment: 100%
Workload requirements
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