1. Handbook
  2. Subjects
  3. Creative Economy, Policy, and Power

Creative Economy, Policy, and Power (CULS40001)

HonoursPoints: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)

You’re viewing the 2026 Handbook:
Or view archived Handbooks

Overview

Availability
Semester 1 - On Campus
FeesLook up fees

This subject introduces students to cultural policy studies as a distinct domain of cultural studies. It examines the stakes involved in defining and operating within cultural policy studies by working through the characterisations of creative industries, cultural practices, cultural politics and power. Students will analyse specific instances of cultural policy and creative industry developments in Australia, Asia and elsewhere, produce specific studies of the political dimensions of cultural practices in order to re-think perceived notions of identity, ideology and representation, and comprehend the range and consequences of scholarly involvement in cultural policy studies.

Students completing this subject will appreciate the relationship between critical analysis and policy orientation in cultural studies and be familiar with specific instances of cultural policy, creative industry and cultural citizenship development at local, state, federal and international levels.

Intended learning outcomes

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

  • Analyse the key theoretical frameworks and methodological approaches within cultural policy studies and cultural politics.
  • Evaluate specific instances of cultural policy and creative industry developments in Australia, Asia, and other international contexts.
  • Critique the interrelationships between cultural policy, practices, and politics in contemporary societies.
  • Synthesise knowledge of cultural citizenship, identity, ideology, and representation to produce original studies in cultural policy.
  • Appraise the role and consequences of scholarly involvement in cultural policy studies and creative industry developments.
  • Formulate evidence-based arguments about the relationship between critical analysis and policy orientation in cultural studies.

Generic skills

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

  • Social, ethical, and cultural understanding of self and others through detailed analysis of contemporary culture in its various local, national and transnational contexts, the reception of new ideas and the contextualisation of judgments, the adaptation of knowledge to new situations
  • Critical analysis and synthesis through the study of competing theories of contemporary culture and their application to diverse examples, the engagement with and processing of different critical perspectives across the interdisciplinary field of cultural studies, the development of independent thought and arguments
  • Effective written and oral communication through seminar discussions and debates, the preparation and execution of written assessment exercises, exposure to and emulation of competing genres and protocols of critical writing
  • Information management and information literacy through the practice of library and archival research and engagement with electronic databases
  • Teamwork, flexibility, and tolerance through group discussions in seminars, reception of new ideas and opinions, engaging and cooperating with other people from diverse backgrounds
  • Time management and planning through managing and organizing workloads for recommended reading, seminar presentations, and assessment requirements.

Last updated: 9 January 2026