Music, Identity and Culture
UndergraduateMUR-RAD3742027
Course information for 2027 intake
Hear popular music as culture, identity and power. Analyse recorded music, performance and video. Examine belonging, authenticity, race, class, gender and sexuality, and how artists can challenge dominant ideas.
- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Enrol by
- 14 Feb 2027
- Entry requirements
- Part of a degree
- Duration
- 15 weeks
- Start dates
- 22 Feb 2027
- Price from
- $2,257
- Upfront cost
- $0
- Loan available
- HECS-HELP and FEE-HELP available
Music, Identity and Culture
About this subject
At the completion of this subject students will be able to:
- Demonstrate understanding of the interrelatedness of commercial, technological and cultural factors with respect to popular music.
- Understand how music can be used to shape reactions to and feelings about places, products, eras.
- Demonstrate a knowledge and application of the principles and theoretical perspectives and concepts of popular music.
- Recognise that popular music study is broad and multi-disciplinary and impacts on, and is influenced by, other academic traditions, previous forms and genres.
- Present information, articulating arguments and conclusions.
- Communicate in written and oral form, in a variety of modes, to diverse audiences, and for a range of purposes.
- A week-by-week guide to the topics you will explore in this subject will be provided in your study materials.
Popular music is among the most prevalent, impactful, and significant global cultural phenomena. This subject examines how music affects concepts of identity, authenticity, belonging, and subculture. We consider the intersection of music with cultural consumption, production, and global capitalism, and critically analyse various cultural artefacts (recorded music, performance, music video). This subject explores how music can be a creative tool for social impact by empowering artists and audiences to challenge prevailing ideologies (race, class, gender, sexuality, and censorship). Students will learn key concepts through the lenses of various cultural theories and proficiently engage with scholarly research.
Please Note: All students studying at Murdoch University will need to complete the compulsory unit, Murdoch Academic Passport (MAP100), which only takes 2-3 hours to complete online. Find out more: http://goto.murdoch.edu.au/MurdochAcademicPassport.
- Research Presentation (30%)
- Concepts Test (20%)
- Engagement and Participation (10%)
- Essay (40%)
For textbook details check your university's handbook, website or learning management system (LMS).
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Entry requirements
Part of a degree
To enrol in this subject you must be accepted into one of the following degrees:
Elective
- MUR-COM-DEG-2027 - Bachelor of Communication
Others
To enrol in this subject, you must have passed a minimum of 12 credit points at 100-level (first year level).
Additional requirements
No additional requirements
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.
Related degrees
Once you’ve completed this subject it can be credited towards one of the following courses
UndergraduateMUR-COM-DEG