SOCIOL 105 : Cultural Studies and Society

Arts

2025 Semester One (1253) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

A cultural studies approach to social life focuses on the way we experience the world, taking account of what we see, what we hear, what we consume and how we communicate. Sociological theory will be explored through investigating different cultural forms including film, advertising, art, social media, sport, and video games.

Course Overview

A cultural studies approach to social life focuses on the way we experience the world, taking account of what we see, hear, communicate, consume and produce. This course includes analysis of a wide range of cultural "texts" including (but not limited to) television, film, art, music, advertisements, video games, sport and subcultures. A cultural studies approach to the analysis of these "texts" examines the changing relationships between culture, society, history, politics and technology in the contemporary world. 
 
Students who successfully complete the course will have: 
 
  • A familiarity and critical understanding of a range of social and sociological theories relevant to the study of cultural studies and popular culture 
  • The ability to utilise the above theories in analysing a range of cultural "texts" 
  • An understanding of how people in western society are influenced by images and objects, including knowledge of the role of power in the production and consumption of such cultural texts 

Course Requirements

No pre-requisites or restrictions

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 3: Knowledge and Practice
Capability 4: Critical Thinking
Capability 5: Solution Seeking
Graduate Profile: Bachelor of Arts

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Analyse a range of cultural ‘texts’ (Capability 3)
  2. Understand a range of social and sociological theories relevant to the study of cultural studies and popular culture (Capability 4)
  3. Evaluate how people in western society are influenced by images and objects, including knowledge of the role of power in the production and consumption of such cultural texts (Capability 5)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Assignments 20% Individual Coursework
Project Essay 40% Individual Coursework
Final Essay 40% Individual Coursework

Exam Mode

There is no final exam for this course

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, every week you can expect a 2 hour of lecture and a 1 hour tutorial. Additionally, 2 hours per week should be spent on reading and thinking about the current course content, and 5 hours per week should be devoted to work towards the assignments.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Attendance is mandatory for both lectures and tutorials.

Lectures will be available as recordings. Tutorials will not be available as recordings.

The course will not include live online events.

Attendance on campus is required.
The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable delivery.

This course is not available for delivery to students studying remotely outside Aotearoa New Zealand in 2025.

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.

All mandatory readings for this course can be found in the following textbook:
Cohen, BMZ (ed.) (2012) Being Cultural. Auckland: Pearson.
The textbook can be freely downloaded from:
https://www.library.auckland.ac.nz/external/ebooks/Cohen_2012_Being_Cultural_CC.pdf

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.

In the 2024 SET evaluation for this course one student noted: 

"In many cases, I have to find books that were out in the library and wasn't available in digital forms. Its better if the course can share the links of the books and academic journals. Although currently there is bibliography in lecture slides, but experience would be even more strengthened with links attached to each reading bibliography in the end."

One of the key skills this course encourages is the acquisition of background research skills. Providing the links to all additional sources will restrict students' own abilities to seek out new scholarship and research themselves. Searching and capturing relevant peer-reviewed literature via the library (as well as via google scholar and other academic search sites) is great practice for the self-directed study students are often expected to do as part of their undergraduate studies.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework, tests and examinations 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. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against electronic source material using computerised detection mechanisms. Upon reasonable request, students may be required to provide an electronic version of their work for computerised review.

Acknowledgement of sources is an important aspect of academic writing. The University’s Referen©ite website www.cite.auckland.ac.nz provides students with a one-stop online resource for academic referencing needs. Referen©ite explains the essentials of referencing and how to avoid plagiarism. It also includes practical tools to help students reference correctly, use references effectively in writing, and gives fast access to some major reference formats with examples. 

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.

While we are all concerned for the 'well-being' of staff and students, it is important that as 'the critic and conscience of society' the University remains critically engaged with such issues. This is a useful reference for those interested in finding out more:

Davies, W. (2015) The Happiness Industry: How the Government and Big Business Sold Us Well-Being. London: Verso.

You are also welcome to contact the lecturer for this course for further references which problematise issues of 'well-being' and 'mental health'  in neoliberal society.

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 your assessment is fair, and not compromised. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator, 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 you may be asked to submit your 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. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.

Published on 01/11/2024 07:05 p.m.