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Module Specifications..

Current Academic Year 2023 - 2024

Please note that this information is subject to change.

Module Title Cultural Studies
Module Code CM157
School School of Communications
Module Co-ordinatorSemester 1: Eileen Culloty
Semester 2: Eileen Culloty
Autumn: Eileen Culloty
Module TeachersEileen Culloty
NFQ level 8 Credit Rating 5
Pre-requisite None
Co-requisite None
Compatibles None
Incompatibles None
None
Same assignment, unless extenuating circumstances.
Description

This module explores the key theoretical schools of thought in the study of culture. It encourages independent, critical analysis of cultural artifacts and practices, including students' own, taking into account the social, historical and political contexts in which they occur. The module compares and contrasts the diverse theoretical approaches to culture, facilitating a comprehensive overview of the main debates in this field.

Learning Outcomes

1. Identify the major schools of thought that have been applied to the study of culture in a socio-historical context;
2. Compare, contrast and establish connections between these traditions;
3. Apply diverse theoretical frameworks to critically analyse contemporary cultural artefacts and practices;
4. Explain the concept of subculture in society and practice;
5. Evaluate and defend the validity of certain theoretical frameworks over others using the relevant literature and original examples



Workload Full-time hours per semester
Type Hours Description
Lecture22Lecture
Seminars11Seminar
Independent Study92Library / Reading / Research
Total Workload: 125

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

What is Culture?
Introducing the tensions within the concept of culture, and introducing the module

Cultural Studies
Mapping the fields of study up to the legacy of the Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies (CCCS)

Anthropological Approaches to Culture
From postcolonial fieldwork to the workplace to the web

Aesthetic Theories of Culture
The 'Culture and Civilization' tradition

The Frankfurt School and the Culture Industries
Marx, Gramsci, Adorno, and the foreground to the CCCS

Subcultures
Punks, mods, rastas, and the agency of subcultures

Emancipatory politics
Theories of, and movements for, race, gender, sexuality, environment

Cultural Identity, Ethnicity and Multiculturalism
Globalisation and cultures

Science, Technology and Culture
The rise and cultural resonance of Modernism and technoscience, and their implications for identity

Postmodernism
Cultural relativism

Assessment Breakdown
Continuous Assessment100% Examination Weight0%
Course Work Breakdown
TypeDescription% of totalAssessment Date
EssayChoice of essay taken from course content.60%Sem 2 End
Reflective journalOnline forum journal on "subcultures"40%Sem 2 End
Reassessment Requirement Type
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories;
1 = A resit is available for all components of the module
2 = No resit is available for 100% continuous assessment module
3 = No resit is available for the continuous assessment component
This module is category 1
Indicative Reading List

  • John Storey: 2009, Cultural Theory and Popular Culture: An Introduction, 5th Edition, Pearson Longman,
  • Chris Barker: 2008, Cultural Studies: Theory and Practice, 3rd edition Ed, Sage,
  • Gill Branston and Roy Stafford: 2010, The Media Student's Book, 5th edition Ed.,, Routledge,
  • Andrew Millner and Geogg Browitt: 2002, Contemporary cultural theory: an introduction, 3rd edition, Routledge,
  • Dick Hebdige: 2005, The Meaning of Style, 2nd edition, Taylor and Francis,
  • David Muggleton: 2000, Inside subculture: the postmodern meaning of style, Berg Publishers,
  • Raiford Guins and Omayra Zaragoza Cruz: 2005, Popular culture: a reader, Sage,
  • Imelda Whelehan: 2000, Overloaded: Popular Culture and the Future of Feminism,, The Women's Press Ltd.,
  • Edward Said: 2000, Orientalism: Western Conceptions of the Orient, 2nd edition, Penguin Classics,
  • Tracey Skelton and Gill Valentine: 1997, Cool Places: Geographies of Youth Cultures, Routledge,
  • Mike Featherstone: 2007, Consumer Culture and Postmodernism, 2nd edition, Sage,
  • Pierre Bourdieu: 1987, Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste,, Harvard University Press,
  • Mark Erickson: 2005, Science, Culture and Society - understanding science in the 21st century, Polity,
Other Resources

None
Programme or List of Programmes
AFUAge Friendly University Programme
BAJLBachelor of Arts (BAJL)
BAJMBachelor of Arts (BAJM)
BSSCIBA Social Sciences & Cultural Innovation
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