Week 1 Lecture Slides

1. WHAT IS
POP
CULTURE?

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8. POP CULTURE
IN EVERYDAY LIFE
WEEK 1

9. Learning outcomes:
• Describe the historical, economic and political
environments that produce popular culture products
and practices.
• Analyse specific popular culture phenomena or
artefacts (written, visual, audiovisual, embodied) and
discuss their role in constructing social values and
identities.
• Compare and contrast theories and concepts
relevant to popular culture scholarship.
• Analyse and discuss aspects of global popular culture
environments.

10. DEFINITION OF CULTURE:
“…the arts and other manifestations
of human intellectual achievement
regarded collectively (a city lacking
in culture)…a refined understanding
of this; intellectual development (a
person of culture)…the customs,
civilisation, and achievements of a
particular time or people.”

11. CULTURE SERVES A SOCIAL
FUNCTION:
It identifies and locates one
as a member of a group.
i.e. “corporate culture”

12. “[culture is] the active
process of generating and
circulating meanings and
pleasures within a social
system.” - John Fiske

13. “[culture is] the active
process of generating and
circulating meanings and
pleasures within a social
system.” - John Fiske

14. “[culture is] the active
process of generating and
circulating meanings and
pleasures within a social
system.” - John Fiske

15. “[culture is] the active
process of generating and
circulating meanings and
pleasures within a social
system.” - John Fiske

16. POPULAR CULTURE
BRINGS US TOGETHER =
WHAT IS POPULAR MEANS
SOMETHINGS TO PEOPLE,
INCLUDING MANY, BUT
EXCLUDING SOME

17. 1. It is a process we
participate in, rather than
a static thing we know.
2. Culture is collective: it is
a shared system of
meanings and pleasures.

20. YOU?
Mostly first year students M&C
+ A few from other years, Schools and
overseas
School of Media and Communication
students comprise of 7 different
programs (Music Industry, Creative
Writing, Advertising, PR, Journalism,
Media, and Professional
Communication)

21. COMMUNICATING WITH US
• Due to the large cohort of students in this
course, questions should be posed in class or
directly with your tutor
• 48 hour turnaround on email
• Also refer to CANVAS
● FAQ /Discussion
● Announcements page
● Important information about all your
assessments, course overview, course guide etc

22. COMMUNICATING WITH YOU!
Ensure you know what your RMIT student
email address is
yourstudentnumber@student.rmit.edu.au
This is what we will use to send
information to you if we need to during
the semester

23. Our expectations of you
We expect you to be organised:
● Understand the Assessment Guidelines (on CANVAS)
● Familiarise yourself with the Modules before class
● Keep on top of weekly requirements
Use the time outside class to prepare:
Engage with the readings and weekly themes, respond to the questions
required of you
Participate in tutorials:
These are designed to help you apply the concepts and ideas introduced in your
readings
Be open: Both to learning new concepts and approaches, and to our teaching
style
Enjoy yourselves: Bring what you know about pop culture to share with other
students as part of class discussions and activities