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Unit of study_

GCST6901: Cultural Policy

Semester 2, 2020 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

This unit examines cultural policy across a range of sectors such as museums and heritage, the arts, media, and the 'cultural industries'. It will provide theoretical perspectives and practical insight into policy formation processes in Australia and internationally. The multiple actors and rationales that shape policy and ground claims for its relevance amid social change and cultural diversity are considered. Students learn how to analyse policies in relation to the institutional, social and political contexts of their emergence.

Unit details and rules

Unit code GCST6901
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 Djuna Hallsworth, djuna.hallsworth@sydney.edu.au
Type Description Weight Due Length
Assignment Research essay
Assessment details released in week 5.
50% Formal exam period
Due date: 30 Nov 2020 at 23:59
3000 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
Participation Tutorial participation
Participation will be either online via Zoom or in-person
10% Ongoing n/a
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO5 LO4 LO3 LO2
Assignment Policy analysis
Analysis of a chosen policy selected from a list provided by the lecturer.
30% Week 05
Due date: 25 Sep 2020 at 23:59
1250 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO5 LO2
Assignment Research plan
Research plan in preparation for final research essay
10% Week 09
Due date: 30 Oct 2020 at 23:59
500 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO4 LO3 LO2

Assessment summary

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

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

Work is of an exceptional quality and demonstrates independent learning and application of course content. Learning outcomes are met.

Distinction

75 - 84

Work is of a high quality and demonstrates a strong understanding of the course content and learning outcomes.

Credit

65 - 74

Work demonstrates a good understanding of the course content and learning outcomes.

Pass

50 - 64

Work demonstrates some understanding of the course content and learning outcomes .

Fail

0 - 49

Work does not 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.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

5% per day in accordance with University policy.

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.

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.

WK Topic Learning activity Learning outcomes
Week 01 Introduction (culture + policy) Readings: Rosenstein, C. (2018). Introduction. In Understanding Cultural Policy (pp. 1–18). Routledge. Mulcahy, K. V. (2006). Cultural Policy: Definitions and Theoretical Approaches. Journal of Arts Management, Law, and Society, 35(4), 319–330 Lecture (2 hr)  
Week 02 Cultural policy in Australia Readings Craik, J., McAllister, L., & Davis, G. (2003). Paradoxes and contradictions in government approaches to contemporary cultural policy: an Australian perspective1. International Journal of Cultural Policy, 9(1), 17–33 Caust, J. (2015). Cultural wars in an Australian context: challenges in developing a national cultural policy. International Journal of Cultural Policy, 21(2), 168–182 Lecture (2 hr)  
Tutorial 1 Tutorial (1 hr)  
Week 03 Policy-making and funding structures Readings Hesmondhalgh, D. (2005). Media and cultural policy as public policy: The case of the British Labour government. International Journal of Cultural Policy, 11(1), 95–109 Boaden, S. (2015). Mainstreaming culture: integrating the cultural dimension into local government. In P. Ashton, C. Gibson, & R. Gibson (Eds.), By-roads and hidden treasures: mapping cultural assets in regional Australia (pp. 19–36). Perth: UWA Publishing. Lecture (2 hr)  
Tutorial 2 Tutorial (1 hr)  
Week 04 Cultural “goods” and public value Readings Garnham, N. (2005). From cultural to creative industries: An analysis of the implications of the ‘creative industries’ approach to arts and media policy making in the United Kingdom. International Journal of Cultural Policy, 11(1), 15–29 UNESCO, "Freedom and Creativity" 2020 Lecture (2 hr)  
Tutorial 3 Tutorial (1 hr)  
Week 05 The creative cities thesis Readings Sykes, O. (2011). European cities and capitals of culture - a comparative approach. Town Planning Review, 82, 1–11. Proquest. Creative Europe. (2019). Selected passages. In "The Cultural and Creative Cities Monitor. European Commission." Lecture (2 hr)  
Tutorial 4 Tutorial (1 hr)  
Week 06 Parties, policies and urban planning Readings Homan, S. (2011). ‘Lockout’ laws or ‘rock out’ laws? Governing Sydney’s night-time economy and implications for the ‘music city. International Journal of Cultural Policy, 17(5), 1–15 Race, K. (2015). Forum feature : the sexuality of the night : violence and transformation. Current Issues in Criminal Justice, 28(1), 105–110. Lecture (2 hr)  
Tutorial 5 Tutorial (1 hr)  
Week 07 Diversity, inclusion and cultural citizenship Readings Stevenson, N. (2003). Media, cultural citizenship and the public sphere. In Cultural Citizenship Cosmopolitan Questions (pp. 96–125). McGraw Hill. Yuval-Davis, N. (2011). The Citizenship Question: of the State and Beyond. In The Politics of Belonging: Intersectional Contestations. SAGE Publications. Lecture (2 hr)  
Tutorial 6 Tutorial (1 hr)  
Week 08 Cultural heritage and sustainability Readings Katona, J. (1998). ‘If native title is us, it’s inside us’: Jabiluka and the politics of intercultural negotiation: Jacqui Katona. [Interview by Perera, Suvendrini and Pugliese, Joseph]. Australian Feminist Law Journal, The, 10(Mar 1998), 1–31. Langfield, M. (2010). Global heritage: perspectives from the Northern Territory, Australia. International Journal of Heritage Studies, 16(3), 187–206. Lecture (2 hr)  
Tutorial 7 Tutorial (1 hr)  
Week 09 Living heritage and evolving museums Readings MCSHANE, I. (2016). Productive Nation? Museums, Cultural Policy and Australia’s Productivity Narrative. Museum and Society, 14(1), 131–145 Bennett, T. (2018). Re-collecting ourselves: Indigenous time, culture, community and the museum. In Museums, Power, Knowledge (pp. 265–290) Lecture (2 hr)  
Tutorial 8 Tutorial (1 hr)  
Week 10 Between state and screen Readings Sassatelli, M. (2015). Narratives of European Identity. In European Cinema and Television: Cultural Policy and Everyday Life (pp. 25–42) Hjort, M. (2009). Living with diversity: what difference can film-making make? Northern Lights: Film, 7(1), 9–27. Lecture (2 hr)  
Tutorial 9 Tutorial (1 hr)  
Week 11 “Wild” policy and feeling policy Readings Ahmed, S. (2012). "Equality and Performance" in On being included : racism and diversity in institutional life. Durham ; London: Duke University Press. Stoler, A. L. (2007). Affective states. In A Companion to the Anthropology of Politics (pp. 4–20). Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub. Lecture (2 hr)  
Tutorial 10 Tutorial (1 hr)  
Week 12 Policy research in practice Readings Ebrey, J. (2016). The mundane and insignificant, the ordinary and the extraordinary: Understanding Everyday Participation and theories of everyday life. Cultural Trends, 25(3), 158–168. Walmsley, B. (2018). Deep hanging out in the arts: an anthropological approach to capturing cultural value. International Journal of Cultural Policy, 24(2), 272–291. Lecture (2 hr)  
Tutorial 11 Tutorial (1 hr)  
Week 13 Overview, reflections and final essay workshop Lecture (2 hr)  
Tutorial 12 Tutorial (1 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.
  • Participation: Attendance for this unit will be online. Students  are expected to have webcams that enable them to participate in the class. If this is not possible, please contact your lecturer at the earliest convenience. Participation through Canvas forums will also contribute to your participation grade.
  • Lecture recording: Lectures will be delivered through Zoom and recorded. Every lecture will be made available to students on the LMS. As tutorials follow the lecture, please ensure you have accessed this recording before attending your tutorial.
  • Preparation: Students should commit to spend 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.

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.

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

  • LO1. identify and critically assess theoretical perspectives on cultural policy
  • LO2. analyse cultural policies in relation to the institutional, cultural and political contexts of their emergence
  • LO3. comprehend the range of actors, rationales and factors that bear upon processes of policy formation, implementation and evaluation
  • LO4. assess the relationships between policy, social change and cultural diversity
  • LO5. clearly express well-informed knowledge of cultural policy through written and verbal forms of academic communication.

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
GQ1 GQ2 GQ3 GQ4 GQ5 GQ6 GQ7 GQ8 GQ9

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

The delivery of this unit has been modified to accommodate physical distancing requirements. Lectures will be delivered online and there is the option to enrol in an online tutorial rather than a face-to-face one.

Work, health and safety

If you, at any time during the semester, feel unwell or experience flu-like symptoms such as sore throat, cough or fever, please DO NOT come to campus, and contact your lecturer to make alternative arrangements. If you are concered for your health or the health of others, it is recommended that you ring your GP or the University Health Centre to ask for advice.

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.