Enrolments for 2020 have closed.
This unit contains mature content and may not be suitable for some students. Any student under the age of 16 who would like to enrol in this unit must first complete a Parental Consent Form.
From the Beats to the Bachelorette: Popular Culture Since the 1950s
Undergraduate | MAQ-MHIX3065 | 2020
Previously MAQ-MHIX365
Course information for 2020 intake
View information for 2021 course intakeBe there for the emergence of sixties counterculture. Immerse yourself in the eighties and hip hop. Tune into the rise of reality television. Look for the influence of gender, race and politics on pop culture across the past seven decades.
- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Entry requirements
- Prior study needed
- Duration
- 18 weeks
HECS-HELP and FEE-HELP available
From the Beats to the Bachelorette: Popular Culture Since the 1950s
About this subject
In this subject students will:
- locate, read and analyse different kinds of historical evidence (primary sources), including visual and textual sources
- devise and answer research questions drawing on primary and secondary evidence
- identify key arguments in secondary source materials and apply them in your own historical arguments
- communicate thoughtfully in classroom discussions, and in a range of written forms
- be able to identify and analyze key developments in the history of popular culture since 1945
- analyze selected examples of popular culture produced since 1945 in their historical contexts, and to describe the ways these examples relate to, and reflect, broader social, cultural and political trends
- explain how the social and political movements of this period were reflected in popular culture
- Historians and popular culture
- Popular culture and family life
- Suburban rebels
- Youth cultures
- The sixties and the counterculture
- Black power and popular culture
- Essay workshop
- The sexual revolution and the seventies
- The eighties
- Hip-hop and black culture
- Postmodern gender cultures
- Interactivity and reality TV
This subject was previously known as MHIX365 From the Beats to Big Brother: Popular Culture Since the 1950s.
Popular culture is ubiquitous in today's world. We cannot turn without being confronted by it in some form. It is so pervasive, so powerful an influence on daily lives, that it must be historically significant. But how? From the Beats to Big Brother traces the history of popular culture in the United States, Australia and Britain from the fifties to the present. It particularly focuses on the ways in which class, gender, race and politics have shaped the experience of popular culture. Film, television, music, music video and other forms of new media will be used to evoke seminal moments in the history of popular culture and students will be encouraged to explore such non-discursive forms as primary sources. Students will also be encouraged to consider the reception of popular culture by audiences and to think about their own experience of popular culture historically. This unit offers an important addition to conventional history by exploring the depths of what has often been seen as superficial culture. It raises a number of questions about how we might analyse this culture, whilst offering a detailed explanation for its historical genesis and global dissemination.
- Analysis Task (10%)
- Weekly Quiz (25%)
- Research Proposal (25%)
- Research Project (40%)
For textbook details check your university's handbook, website or learning management system (LMS).
This research-intensive university in north-western Sydney offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. With over 44,000 current students, Macquarie has a strong reputation for welcoming international students and embracing flexible and convenient study options, including its partnership with Open Universities Australia.
Learn more about Macquarie University.
Explore Macquarie courses.
- QS Ranking 2024:
- 10
- Times Higher Education Ranking 2024:
- 10
Entry requirements
Equivalent subjects
You should not enrol in this subject if you have successfully completed any of the following subject(s) because they are considered academically equivalent:
MAQ-HST370 (Not currently available)
MAQ-MHIX365-From the Beats to Big Brother: Popular Culture Since the 1950s (no longer available)
Others
You should have studied some History or Politics at Level 1 and 2 before starting this subject.
Additional requirements
- Other requirements -
Students who have an Academic Standing of Suspension or Exclusion under Macquarie University's Academic Progression Policy are not permitted to enrol in OUA units offered by Macquarie University. Students with an Academic Standing of Suspension or Exclusion who have enrolled in units through OUA will be withdrawn.
Study load
- 0.125 EFTSL
- This is in the range of 10 to 12 hours of study each week.
Equivalent full time study load (EFTSL) is one way to calculate your study load. One (1.0) EFTSL is equivalent to a full-time study load for one year.
Find out more information on Commonwealth Loans to understand what this means to your eligibility for financial support.
What to study next?
Once you’ve completed this subject it can be credited towards one of the following courses
Undergraduate
MAQ-ART-DEGSingle subject FAQs
Single subjects are the individual components that make up a degree. With Open Universities Australia, you’re able to study many of them as stand-alone subjects, including postgraduate single subjects, without having to commit to a degree.
Each of your subjects will be held over the course of a study term, and they’ll usually require 10 to 12 hours of study each week. Subjects are identified by a title and a code, for example, Developmental Psychology, PSY20007.
First, find the degree that you would like to study on our website.
If that degree allows entry via undergraduate subjects, there will be information about this under the Entry Requirements section. You will find a list of 2-4 open enrolment subjects you need to successfully complete to qualify for admission into that qualification.
Once you pass those subjects, you will satisfy the academic requirements for the degree, and you can apply for entry.
Our student advisors are here to help you take that next step, so don’t hesitate to reach out when you’re ready! We’ve also made it easier to figure out the right way to get started on our pathways page.
Our student advisors are more than happy to help you plan your online study. Get in touch with an advisor by:
You can pay up front with your credit card, or you may be eligible for a HELP loan from the Australian government depending on your citizenship status and where you’ll live during your studies.
For more information about how to pay for your studies visit our fees page or contact a student advisor.
When you’ve made your choice, click ‘Enrol now’ on the relevant course page and follow the prompts to begin your enrolment. We’ll ask you to supply some supporting documentation, including proof of your identity, your tax file number, and a unique student identifier (USI) during this process.
Your university will get in touch with you via email to confirm whether or not your application has been successful.
If you get stuck at any time, reach out to us and we’ll talk you through it.
You can also take a look at our online self-service enrolling instructions .
Close of enrolment times vary between universities and subjects. You can check the cut-off dates for upcoming study terms by visiting key dates.