Module: MCO4101-20 Popular Media Culture

Level: 4

Credit Value: 20

Module Tutor: Dr Andy Brown

Module Tutor Contact Details: A.Brown@bathspa.ac.uk

1. Brief description and aims of module:

Popular Media Culture will provide you with the skills to investigate and critically evaluate a popular media production of their choice, such as a recent film, television series or music release, by exploring its box office or audience ratings, production history, genre categorisation and audience appeal. The module will further develop these skills and critical abilities through an exploration of the wider historical and industry contexts in which popular cultural forms have been produced and the ways in which popular media cultures have provoked controversy and led to social change, in reconfiguring the relations between high and low culture, commerce and creativity, mass production and niche consumerism, generational identities and fan cultures, and conceptions of mainstreams and margins.

2. Outline syllabus

• High vs. Low Culture

• First Assignment Group Formation

• Mass Culture Attacks: Part 1

• Researching Audience Data

• Mass Culture Attacks: Part 2

• Investigating Production and Adaptation

• Applying Theory to your Project

• 1st Assignment: Assessed Presentations

• 2nd Assignment Introduction

• 1st Assignment: Feedback Tutorials

• Gramsci & The CCCS

• Ideology analysis

• Post-everything!

• 2nd Assignment Submission

• 2nd Assignment Feedback

3. Teaching and learning activities

In the first half of the module you will be directed towards core learning resources, including research techniques, data-sites and key concepts that will allow them to answer the range of question posed by their First assignment task. You will also be given the opportunity to present and receive feedback on their progress at a number of key stages, such as data gathering and analysis, adaptation and genre definition, production and promotion, audience demographics and fandom. In the second half of the course you will engage with a number of key theoretical approaches, including Ideology analysis, Hegemony theory, Feminism and Postmodernism and how these approaches can be drawn on in the reading, planning and writing of their Second assignment.

The Minerva site for the module will act as a research hub by providing a schedule of weekly support materials (lecture slides, essential and further reading) as well as links to academic journal articles and popular media examples.

Assessment Item 1:

• Assessment Type: CW

• Description: Group Presentation (+ individual diary)

• % Weighting: 50%

Assessment Item 2:

• Assessment Type: CW

• Description: Essay (2000 words)

• % Weighting: 50%