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Media and Society (MECM10003)

Undergraduate level 1Points: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)

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Overview

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Media and Society provides students with an introduction to the study of media and communications. This subject addresses the real-world issues related to the production and distribution of media, and the work of media audiences in both historical and contemporary contexts. How does media production, circulation and consumption differ across generations? Can the media theories developed in the mid-twentieth century help us to understand our media environments today and into the future? What will a career in the media and communications sectors look like in twenty or fifty years? These are the kinds of questions we will explore over the course of Media and Society. This subject engages students in debates over the relative analytical power of different research methods and interrogates the relationship between the media, politics and public life. Media and Society encourages students to develop their critical capacities by equipping them with the theoretical approaches to media studies to engage with the big ideas that define the future of the media.

Intended learning outcomes

On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:

  • Demonstrate an introductory-level knowledge of, and capacity to apply, key theories, approaches and perspectives on the role and significance of media in social life;
  • Apply analytical approaches to produce critical readings of media texts;
  • Use the critical and analytical skills discussed in the subject to consider the role played by media institutions, texts and practices within changing social and cultural contexts;
  • Clearly communicate an understanding of the different perspectives, arguments and approaches to the study of the media.

Generic skills

At the completion of this subject, students should gain the following generic skills:

  • Be able to prepare and present their ideas in both verbal and written mode in line with the conventions of academic presentation;
  • Be able to reflect on their own learning and take responsibility for organising personal study; and
  • Be able to engage in communal scholarship through participation in class discussion, and by respectfully engaging with the participation of others. 

Last updated: 21 January 2025