AUST7101 Australian Studies: Approaches to Cultural Theory Part 1

2019

4.5

1 x 2-hour seminar fortnightly

1 Admission into HBA-Bachelor of Arts (Honours)
2 ^ AUST7102 - Australian Studies: Approaches to Cultural Theory Part 2
Must Satisfy: (1 and 2)

CULT7001 has been successfully completed

BA with major in Australian Studies

This topic covers major debates in cultural theory since the 1970s to enable an understanding of cultural theory in the Australian context. It includes investigations of the contributions made by various culturalisms and structuralisms and their deconstructions - British, French, Italian, German, American and Australian among others. This will represent an analysis of what has been called 'one of the central discontents of our civilisation' - the 'otherness' of things - as well as an exploration of 'intrinsic' culture in circumstances where no formal distinction is made between culture and society. It provides students with opportunities to engage with a range of theoretical debates on how culture is formed and expressed and how it operates through institutions and practices which are influenced by such constructs as age, gender, ethnicity, sexuality and class.

This topic must be taken concurrently with AUST7102 Approaches to Cultural Theory Part 2.

This topic aims to:

• engage with a range of theoretical debates on how culture is formed and expressed and how it operates through institutions, habits and practices which are influenced by such constructs as age, gender, ethnicity, sexuality and class

• examine theoretical approaches to representation and how contemporary Australian society constructs and communicates its meanings and values

• enable students to further analyse and apply methods of reading and exploring the textuality of events, places, spaces, policies, social rituals, people, communities

For successful completion of this topic students will:

• demonstrate an understanding of a range of international and Australian theoretical debates on how culture is formed and expressed and how it operates through institutions, habits and practices

• explain and apply theoretical approaches to representation

• further analyse and apply methods of reading and exploring the textuality of events, places, spaces, policies, social rituals, people and communities