WMST6904: Semester 1, 2020

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Units WMST6904 Semester 1 2020 [Normal day]

Unit of study_

WMST6904: Modernist Cultural Studies

Semester 1, 2020 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

This unit examines modernism, modernity and postmodernism through a range of 20th century concepts, practices and movements, including the avant-garde, feminism and modernism, the 'everyday', mass culture and technology, cinema and visual technologies, ethnography and the invention of 'culture' and the emergence of postcolonial thought. The unit will provide an important foundation for some of the key intellectual ideas and approaches of cultural studies.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	WMST6904
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	Catherine Driscoll, catherine.driscoll@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Assignment	Seminar presentation Submit discussion questions and an annotated bibliography.	15%	- Closing date: 26 May 2020	Equivalent to 10 mins or 1000-1500 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Research essay An independent research essay building on the previous two assignments.	70%	Formal exam period Due date: 16 Jun 2020 at 23:55	4000 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Written presentation A short essay written in response to questions on the seminar topics.	15%	Week 13 Due date: 29 May 2020 at 23:55	1000-1500 words
Outcomes assessed:

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	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an exceptional standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Distinction	75 - 84	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a very high standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Credit	65 - 74	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a good standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Pass	50 - 64	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an acceptable standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
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	"The Modern" Although there will be online material to read in preparation this week there will be no face to face class. These two hours are replaced by 2 compulsory field trips - 1 hour each, in Week 1 and Week 2 respectively.	Independent study (1 hr)
Week 02	Periodising modernity	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 03	Whose modernity, and where?	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 04	Culture and society	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 05	Make it new!: modernity and novelty	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 06	"humanism" and "subjectivity"	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 07	"the world" and "the everyday"	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 08	"liberalism" and "neoliberalism"	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 09	The object experience	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 10	Case study 1 - human rights	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 11	Case study 2 - girlhood	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 12	Case study 3 - modern love	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 13	Case study 4 - science fiction	Seminar (2 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: The first section of each seminar will be a mini lecture. All lectures will be recorded and available to students on the LMS. However, you should not rely on lecture recording alone to substitute your classroom learning experience.
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 will be accessible through the Library eReserve link available on Canvas. A detailed list of readings is available in the “curriculum” section of the Canvas site, available here: https://canvas.sydney.edu.au/courses/20875/assignments/syllabus.

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. demonstrate a detailed familiarity with and critical understanding of the historical and cultural contexts of the concept "modernity", and the ideas in relation to which modernity is understood and experienced, including "modernism", "postmodernism", "culture" and "society", and "subjectivity"
LO2. demonstrate a detailed familiarity with and critical understanding of core Cultural Studies theories, objects and approaches as they have emerged through reflections on and debates about modernity
LO3. apply critical analysis, collaborative peer inquiry and interdisciplinary research skills, using material drawn from a variety of sources, to case studies that investigate the conditions and experience of modernity
LO4. build on skills required for cultural analysis using a combination of theoretical, critical and empirical tools, and enhance their ability to articulate cultural specificity with historical context.

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.

In response to informal student feedback, the oral seminar presentation has been substantially redesigned, and now allows a choice between an oral presentation, a video presentation, or submitted discussion questions plus an annotated bibliography. There are also closer guidelines and more guidance for students when designing and producing their final research paper. In response to formal student feedback all face-to-face classroom activities will be held in a recording-equipped venue.

Additional information

Detailed guidelines for assignments, including a schedule for teacher consultations regarding the final research essay, are available on the Canvas site for enrolled students.

Additional costs

There will be some additional costs for this unit given that students will have to make their own way to field trips. Public transport guidance will be given and costs will be minimal. There may be additional entry fees for one or both of the optional field trips - this is being negotiated with the relevant venues.

Site visit guidelines

There are two required field trips for this unit, both to free areas of public institutions. Students will meet at the venue, as advised through the Canvas site, and have an expert guided tour of relevant materials. Each field trip will be supplemented by explanatory online materials. These field trips to the Art Gallery of NSW and the Powerhouse Museum take the place of scheduled class time and should be treated as classes for attendance purposes. There are also two optional site visits to iconic Sydney buildings - Rose Seidler House and the Sydney Opera House. More information about these site visits will be provided through the Canvas Site, including information about costs and transport. As these are not compulsory the material at these sites will be options within assignments and not required in any assessment.

Work, health and safety

There are no specific work health and safety 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

Additional costs

Site visit guidelines

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

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