Year
2020
Units
4.5
Contact
1 x 2-hour workshop weekly
Prerequisites
4.5 units of first level topics
Enrolment not permitted
1 of SOCI1006, SOCI2001 has been successfully completed
Course context
Associated major; Sociology
Topic description
Is art and creativity the work of inspired individuals? How do different technologies and media impact how we see the world? How do media industries influence how individuals interact online and in person? How do digital media liberate creative talent while initiating new forms of exploitation? This Topic introduces students to the everyday uses and experiences of media we use to 'connect' with each other and with the wider world. It also investigates the production of culture within the globalised cultural industries with particular emphasis on the impact of digital media. By drawing on examples from film, television, music, and journalism in Australian and international contexts and sociologists such as Adorno, McLuhan, Becker and Bourdieu, students will gain a critical understanding of the 'macro' and 'micro' dynamics of art, media and culture.
Educational aims
  • For students to gain an understanding of sociological lines of inquiry into the production of culture.
  • For students to acquire a solid understanding of key concepts that sociologists use when they study art and media; and especially debates about the sociological implications of specific media for individuals and society.
  • For students to obtain a basic understanding how they themselves might undertake a project in the sociological study of media and/or practices.
Expected learning outcomes
  • Knowledge of key sociological theorists and analysts of art, media and cultural production.
  • An understanding of the differences between micro and macro levels of analysis, and their interconnections.
  • Allowing students to gain the necessary reading and written/verbal, theoretical and analytical skills for them to apply to the sociology of art, media, and culture.