Authorised by Academic Registrar, April 1996
Synopsis This subject examines a range of cultural experiences and practices, with a view to delineating the nature and source of the Australian values reflected in them. The pursuit of leisure through forms such as popular fiction and music, theatre, sport, cinema, radio and television will be explored, but emphasis will also be placed on aspects of material culture such as food and diet, the home and garden, and the workplace. These facets of Australian popular culture will be interpreted in the context of wider historical changes at both a local and world level. The subject will also raise questions of cultural theory, in particular problematising the concept of popular culture itself.
Assessment Essay (3000 words): 30% + Seminar paper (1000 words): 15% + Two exercises (500 words each): 20% + Examination (1 hour): 25% + Seminar participation: 10%