ANTHRO 234 : Popular Musics of the Pacific

Arts

2023 Semester Two (1235) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

From hip hop to reggae to pop, this course explores Pacific popular music genre, artists and songs as well as relevant musical techniques, modes of distribution and processes of fusion and change. It probes the positions and possibilities of Pasifika pop musics by discussing critical questions about culture, authenticity, modernisation, consumerism, identity and musical (ex)change.

Course Overview

The purpose of this paper is to traverse and analyse popular musics produced in and by peoples of  the Pacific or Te Moana Nui a Kiwa  also currently known as the Pacific region. We will investigate various artists, genres, academic literature, oral histories, and various media to seek a critical understanding of the region and its global significance through popular music. This course is designed to provide students with a comprehensive awareness and acknowledgment of popular musics in the Pacific region, while at the same time facilitating a meaningful engagement to a variety of issues that contextualize these popular musics such as the themes of:  culture, ethnicity, race, class, colonisation, globalisation, gender, religion to name a few.
 
Course outcomes:
•    Introduce a critically conscious and emancipatory study of Pacific popular musics.
•    Communicate research-based understandings of Pacific popular musics.
•    Approach Pacific popular musics as literature and theory.
•    Enhance students’ knowledge of genres and artists of Pacific popular musics.
•    Enhance understanding of the social, political, and cultural significance of Pacific popular musics.
•    Elevate the intellectual and cultural prominence of Pacific popular musics by their inclusion in the academic curriculum and the application of academic theory to their study.
 
At the completion of the course students are expected to: 
•    Demonstrate an understanding of some of the theory relating to Pacific popular musics.
•    Be familiar with some of the various genres and social, cultural, and political issues in Pacific popular musics.
•    Be able to apply theoretical perspectives to Pacific popular musics 
•    Demonstrate strengthened skills in reading, note taking, memory, critical thinking, creativity, oratory, and writing.

Course Requirements

Prerequisite: 30 points passed

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice
Capability 2: Critical Thinking
Capability 3: Solution Seeking
Capability 4: Communication and Engagement
Capability 5: Independence and Integrity
Capability 6: Social and Environmental Responsibilities
Graduate Profile: Bachelor of Arts

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Understand Demonstrate an understanding of some of the theory areas relating to Pacific Popular Musics. (Capability 1.3, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 3.2, 4.2, 5.1 and 6.2)
  2. Develop Be familiar with some of the various genre and issues in Pacific Popular Musics. (Capability 1.1, 2.1 and 6.2)
  3. Apply Be able to apply theoretical perspectives to Pacific Popular Musics. (Capability 1.2, 1.3, 2.2, 2.3, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1 and 6.3)
  4. Demonstrate Demonstrate skills in reading, note taking, critical thinking, creativity, oral presentation, and writing at the appropriate level. (Capability 1.3, 2.2, 2.3, 3.2, 4.2, 5.2 and 6.3)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Assignment 15% Individual Coursework
Essay plan 5% Individual Coursework
Essay 40% Individual Coursework
Group Presentation 15% Group Coursework
Group presentation write up 15% Group & Individual Coursework
Class Participation 10% Individual Coursework

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, you can expect 2 hours of lectures, 4 hours of reading and thinking about the content and 3 hours of work on assignments.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Attendance is expected at lectures and tutorials to complete components of the course.

Lectures will be available as recordings; 

The course will not include live online events.

Attendance on campus is required for presentations .

The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

This course is not available for delivery to students studying remotely outside NZ in 2023.

Learning Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

Changes or improvements to the course will be made according to the feedback from students. This semester the course structure has changed and the types of assessments.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against online source material using computerised detection mechanisms.

Class Representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Well-being always comes first
We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there - for more information, look at this Canvas page https://canvas.auckland.ac.nz/courses/33894, which has links to various support services in the University and the wider community.

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course students may be asked to submit coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.

Published on 01/07/2023 05:35 p.m.