Course Title: Adventures in Asian Popular Culture

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Adventures in Asian Popular Culture

Credit Points: 12.00


Course Coordinator: Dr Bruce Berryman

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 3065

Course Coordinator Email: bruce.berryman@rmit.edu.au


Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

You should have satisfactorily completed the prerequisite courses [Any three (3) of the following courses: Comm 2138, Comm 1086, Comm 2336, Comm 2253] before you commence this course.
 
Note it is a condition of enrolment at RMIT that you accept responsibility for ensuring that you have completed the prerequisite/s and agree to concurrently enrol in co-requisite courses before enrolling in a course.


Course Description

This course introduces a range of critical approaches within media and cultural studies frameworks to examine contemporary Asian popular culture. It considers how popular cultures are constructed, marketed and then consumed by their audiences. This course focuses on the intersecting local, national and transnational contexts in which forms of contemporary popular culture circulate.

The course also looks at the everyday practices for culture using lived experiences and considers, with reference to historical perspectives, changing meanings and cultural significance of particular popular cultural forms. You will explore forms of popular culture in public discourses and through examples and close readings of specific popular cultural texts and practices. As such, the course offers insights into broader cultural forms such as cinema, television, music and the internet.


Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

See below.


Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

  • Respond to questions and debates around culture and popular culture in Asia, in particular how popular culture is constructed, marketed and consumed.
  • Analyse complex issues in popular culture studies, using a range of theoretical and historical perspectives.
  • Discuss the local and global intersections and flows of culture with reference to social, economic and political contexts.
  • Interpret the complexities of culture, including its relationship to the practice of the everyday and ordinary.


Overview of Learning Activities

Your learning experiences may include interactive lectures, tutorials and group based activities. There will be both individual and group exercises to further develop ideas based in classes.

You will be introduced to key theories, concepts and approaches. Contemporary case studies and examples are used to illustrate and actualize the theories and approaches.

Students are advised to attend all classes so as to be able to maximize their experience of the course.

Lectures are organized thematically and students are introduced to key theories and approaches. Contemporary case studies and examples are used to illustrate and actualize the theories and approaches. Lectures explain multifaceted information and concepts bringing the student to a holistic endpoint. Lectures are held weekly during the semester and the content will provide a platform for students to take into the tutorials to explore further.

The tutorials take off from the material presented at the lecture. The tutorial provides an interactive environment where students are expected to discuss the material presented at the lecture by raising issues and asking questions so as to articulate their ideas and experiences based on the readings and prior learning. Tutorials are a space for students to work with other students to explore the ideas and information and all students are expected to contribute to the discussions.

All course documentation – lecture slides, additional course notes, assessment information and other relevant documents – will be available online [http://www.rmit.edu.au/online] after the lectures. Students are expected to download whichever documents they require.


Overview of Learning Resources

RMIT will provide you with resources and tools for learning in this course through the online system, MyRMIT. All relevant course materials and lists of suggested reading will be made available to you. You will also be expected to make extensive use of the library resources.


Overview of Assessment

You will be assessed on how well you meet the course’s learning outcomes.

Assessment may include a range of activities such as essays, assignments, presentations. The assessment activities aim to reward not only your ability to research and present information but also your ability to synthesise and present arguments.

Feedback will be given on all assessment tasks.

If you have a long term medical condition and/or disability it may be possible to negotiate to vary aspects of the learning or assessment methods. You can contact the program coordinator or the Disability Liaison Unit if you would like to find out more.

RMIT’s assessment charter summarises your responsibilities as an RMIT student as well as those of your teachers.