GCST5909: Semester 1, 2023

University home

Library

Current students

Staff intranet

Find an event

Give

Current students

Units GCST5909 Semester 1 2023 [Normal day]

Unit of study_

GCST5909: Key Thinkers for Cultural Studies

Semester 1, 2023 [Normal day] - Remote

Overview

Based on close reading of individual authors, this unit introduces students with limited background in cultural theory to key thinkers for contemporary cultural studies. Students will learn about the influence of such theoretical fields as Western Marxism, psychoanalysis and feminism on cultural studies as well as how to relate cultural research to the cross-disciplinary traditions of structuralism and post-structuralism as these have been taken up in different intellectual contexts around the world.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	GCST5909
Academic unit	Gender and Cultural Studies
Credit points	6
Prohibitions ?	None
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Fiona Allon, fiona.allon@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Presentation	Seminar Presentation Seminar presentation on weekly reading and follow up paper.	15%	-	500 wds/ 5min presentation
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Final Essay n/a	40%	- Due date: 09 Jun 2023 at 23:00	3000 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Reading journal n/a	15%	Week 04 Due date: 17 Mar 2023 at 23:00	500 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Reading journal n/a	15%	Week 08 Due date: 14 Apr 2023 at 23:00	500 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Reading journal n/a	15%	Week 11 Due date: 12 May 2023 at 23:00	500 words
Outcomes assessed:
= hurdle task ?

Assessment summary

Seminar presentations: students will be required to give an individual seminar presentation of no more than 10 minutes duration on a topic chosen from the weekly schedule. Students will also be asked to submit a 500 word follow-up paper. This should be handed in the week after presentation.

Reading journals: Students are expected to submit three journal entries of approximately 500 words each over the course of the semester.

Essay: the final essay will involve developing ideas explored in the reading journals and/or the seminar presentation.

Detailed information for each assessment can be found in the Canvas site for this unit.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a High distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a Distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100
Distinction	75 - 84
Credit	65 - 74
Pass	50 - 64
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction: what is cultural studies?	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 02	Raymond Williams and Michel de Certeau: 'Culture is Ordinary' and 'Everyday Life'	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 03	Karl Marx and Marxism	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 04	Althusser, Ideology and Critical Marxism for cultural studies	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 05	Simone de Beauvoir	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 06	Psychoanalysis in cultural studies: Sigmund Freud and Jacques Lacan	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 07	Symbolic bodies: Mary Douglas and Julia Kristeva	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 08	Michel Foucault and disciplinary power	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 09	Feminist cultural theory: feminism and postfeminism	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 10	Race, colonialism and cultural theory	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 11	Semiotics, Structuralism & Poststructuralism	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 12	Donna Haraway: Science, Technology and Multispecies Worlds	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 13	Reviewing the Canon / Final Essay Consultations	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: According to Faculty Board Resolutions, students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences are expected to attend 90% of their classes. If you attend less than 50% of classes, regardless of the reasons, you may be referred to the Examiner’s Board. The Examiner’s Board will decide whether you should pass or fail the unit of study if your attendance falls below this threshold.

Lecture recording: Most lectures (in recording-equipped venues) will be recorded and may be made available to students on the LMS. However, you should not rely on lecture recording to substitute your classroom learning experience.

Preparation: Students should commit to approximately three hours preparation time (reading, studying, homework, essays etc.) for every hour of scheduled instruction.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

All readings for this unit can be accessed through the Library eReserve, available on Canvas. The readings have also been collated in the Course Reader which can be purchased from the University Copy Centre.

I strongly recommend you purchase this reader.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. understand the significance and place of literary, cultural, critical and social theories in the development and practice of cultural studies
LO2. understand the central ideas in the work of influential theorists within the field
LO3. engage closely with complex theoretical texts to understand your key claims, arguments and interventions
LO4. understand the problematics that particular theoretical approaches are concerned with and how they may be used to understand, reframe or address specific situations
LO5. distinguish between the priorities, concerns and affordances of different theoretical approaches and assess their strengths and limitations in different situations.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

Adjustments have been made to the assessments in response to student feedback. Namely, an expanded word limit for the final essay and removal of the second presentation.

Additional information

Work, health and safety

There are no specific WHS requirements for this unit.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect